Verstappen overcomes McLarens for Imola pole before Piastri loses second

Max Verstappen matched Ayrton Senna’s long-standing record of eight consecutive Formula 1 pole positions after impressively hitting back to deny Miami victors McLaren in qualifying for Sunday’s Emilia Romagna Grand Prix.

Verstappen faced a serious challenge from both McLaren drivers after a difficult start to the weekend for world champions Red Bull but ultimately found the speed he needed in qualifying with a final lap of 1:14.746 to pip Oscar Piastri, who initially qualified second, and Lando Norris to the head of the grid by less than a tenth of a second.

However, Piastri’s second position on the grid always appeared vulnerable after the Australian had been placed under investigation by stewards during Q1 for impeding Kevin Magnussen. A three-place penalty was later confirmed for Piastri, dropping him to fifth and promoting team-mate Norris to the front row next to Verstappen.

Verstappen’s eighth pole in a row – a sequence which dates back to the final round of the 2023 season in Abu Dhabi last November – ties Senna’s record, which the Brazilian great set in 1989. F1 has been paying tribute to the triple world champion at Imola this weekend, 30 years on from his death at the Italian circuit.

Verstappen also ties another legend of the sport, Alain Prost, with seven consecutive poles at the start of a season.

Trending

Aided by their biggest upgrade of the season so far for their home race, Ferrari had themselves looked a serous threat to Verstappen’s qualifying dominance through practice and then the early stages of qualifying but their challenge faded in Q3 with Charles Leclerc ending up fourth and Carlos Sainz fifth.

Piastri’s penalty promotes Leclerc and Sainz a place apiece though to third and fourth.

Emilia Romagna GP Qualifying: Top 10

1) Max Verstappen, Red Bull

2) Lando Norris, McLaren

3) Charles Leclerc, Ferrari

4) Carlos Sainz, Ferrari

5) Oscar Piastri, McLaren*

6) George Russell, Mercedes

7) Yuki Tsunoda, RB

8) Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes

9) Daniel Ricciardo, RB

10) Nico Hulkenberg, Haas

3-place grid penalty applied

Mercedes, despite yet more changes to their W15 car, once more qualified behind their key rivals in sixth and eighth, although their 0.488s gap to the front was at least closer than at other events recently.

In what is becoming a theme of their final season as team-mates, George Russell outqualified Lewis Hamilton for the sixth time in seven races – this time by over two-tenths a second with the latter struggling for grip in his W15.

The British pair are separated on the grid by RB’s Yuki Tsunoda, who has starred throughout the weekend so far and took seventh ahead of Hamilton. Tsunoda had threatened an even greater shock when he finished third fastest in Q2.

Daniel Ricciardo was ninth in the second RB, with the ever-impressive Nico Hulkenberg once more rounding out the top 10.

But Red Bull’s Sergio Perez (Q2) and Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso (Q1) both suffered shock early exits having both earlier crashed in final practice.

How Verstappen turned the tables on fast rivals – with a little help from a friend

Given he equalled a 35-year-old record for qualifying dominance on Saturday, it might seem strange to suggest that Verstappen’s latest pole was unexpected, but the world champion had certainly not appeared favourite to head qualifying after the three practice sessions at a sun-kissed Imola.

Verstappen had struggled with his upgraded RB20’s set-up on Friday, unusually running through the gravel on three separate occasions, and while the car appeared in a happier place in Saturday’s earlier final practice, he finished the session before qualifying still adrift of the McLarens and Ferraris.

Verstappen did top both Q1 and Q2 at the start of qualifying ahead of Leclerc but his rivals had been quicker in the opening laps of each season.

“A difficult weekend so far, even this morning. Incredibly happy to be on pole here. I didn’t expect that,” said Verstappen.

“We made some final changes before qualifying and they seemed to make it feel better. I could push harder.

“This track is unbelievable. To be on the limit here in qualifying, close to the gravel, I touched the gravel in the last corner.

“The adrenaline is very, very high.”

Holding a slender 0.073s advantage over initial closest Q3 challenger Norris heading into the decisive final attempts of qualifying, Verstappen benefitted from a straightline-speed boosting ‘tow’ from Hulkenberg’s Haas ahead of him on the track on the long curved run to the first chicane.

“We were tow buddies out there,” said Verstappen. In Q2 already, and in Q3. So I gave him a tow to 17, then he gave me a tow to Turn Two. I think I arrived a bit too quick for my liking because I did miss Turn Two little bit.

“So I did gain and then I did lose a bit in Turn Two. Overall, I think it did help me a little bit. But when you are struggling the whole weekend and then finally it’s coming around, you have to look for these little advantages to try to stay ahead, and it worked out beautifully.”

Hulkenberg, who had again performed impressively to get Haas into Q3, told Sky F1: “Max and I have been helping each other out in qualifying.

“He helped me out a few times in Q2 and I returned the favour. You need support sometimes.”

Qualifying days to forget for Alonso and Perez

Saturday proved forgettable for two of the sport’s most experienced drivers.

Alonso, who claimed one of his most famous career wins at Imola in 2005 against Michael Schumacher, had an unusually error-strewn day with a big crash at Rivazza.in practice – which necessitated a major repair from his Aston Martin crew – followed up by a costly trip through the Parabolica gravel trap at the start of Q1.

Without a representative time on the board, Alonso then pitted with an unspecified car problem before completing his final run, with the Spaniard only spared 20th and last on the grid by the fact Williams’ Logan Sargeant had his quickest lap time deleted.

“It was one of those days where everything went a bit wrong for us,” said Alonso, whose Aston Martin team then saw Lance Stroll knocked out in Q2 in 13th place.

Perez, meanwhile, slid off track and nudged the barrier at the Variante Alta chicane in practice and then was unable to find the pace required to make the top 10 in Q2, leaving him 11th.

Emilia Romagna GP Qualifying Timesheet

Driver
Team
Time

1) Max Verstappen
Red Bull
1:14.746

2) Oscar Piasti
McLaren
+0.074

3) Lando Norris
McLaren
+0.091

4) Charles Leclerc
Ferrari
+0.224

5) Carlos Sainz
Ferrari
+0.487

6) George Russell
Mercedes
+0.488

7) Yuki Tsunoda
RB
+0.719

8) Lewis Hamilton
Mercedes
+0.758

9) Daniel Ricciardo
RB
+0.928

10) Nico Hulkenberg
Haas
+1.234

Knocked out in Q2

11) Sergio Perez
Red Bull
1:15.706

12) Esteban Ocon
Alpine
1:15.906

13) Lance Stroll
Aston Martin
1:15.992

14) Alex Albon
Williams
1:16.200

15) Pierre Gasly
Alpine
1:16.381

Knocked out in Q1

16) Valtteri Bottas
Sauber
1:16.626

17) Zhou Guanyu
Sauber
1:16.834

18) Kevin Magnussen
Haas
1:16.854

19) Fernando Alonso
Aston Martin
1:16.917

20) Logan Sargeant
Williams
No time set

Sky Sports F1’s live Emilia Romagna GP schedule

Sunday May 19

7.30am: F3 Feature Race

9am: F2 Feature Race

12:30pm: Grand Prix Sunday: Emilia Romagna GP build-up
2pm: The EMILIA ROMAGNA GRAND PRIX

4pm: Chequered Flag: Emilia Romagna GP reaction

5pm: Ted’s Notebook

8pm: Indy 500 Qualifying

Formula 1 heads to Europe as Imola returns to the calendar following last year’s cancelled race. Watch the Emilia Romagna GP this weekend, with Sunday’s race at 2pm. Stream every F1 race and more with a NOW Sports Month Membership – No contract, cancel anytime