Piastri Stuns with Pole Position in Chaotic Imola Qualifying
Oscar Piastri delivered a career-defining performance to secure pole position for the F1 2025 Emilia-Romagna GP, narrowly edging out Max Verstappen and George Russell in a thrilling and incident-packed Qualifying session at Imola.
The McLaren driver’s stunning lap of 1m14.670s in the final seconds of Q3 denied Verstappen what looked like a certain pole, while Russell made a surprise jump to third after switching to medium tyres for his final run.
McLaren Leads the Way, Verstappen Denied by Late Charge
Verstappen initially set the benchmark in Q3 with a blistering 1m14.772s, but Piastri found extra time on his final lap to outpace the reigning World Champion by just three-hundredths of a second. Russell, meanwhile, impressed with a unique tyre gamble, opting for mediums instead of softs and managing to slot into third.
Lando Norris took fourth in the second McLaren, unable to match his teammate’s pace in the crucial final moments. Fernando Alonso, also on medium tyres, claimed fifth for Aston Martin, ahead of a standout effort from Carlos Sainz, who placed sixth for Williams.
Alex Albon backed up Sainz’s strong showing with seventh, while Lance Stroll, Isack Hadjar, and Pierre Gasly rounded out the top 10.
Chaos in Q1: Tsunoda Flip and Colapinto Crash Bring Red Flags
The session started with high drama as Yuki Tsunoda suffered a terrifying barrel-roll crash just minutes into Q1 at Variante Villeneuve. The Red Bull driver thankfully walked away unhurt, but his car sustained major damage. A second red flag came later in the session when Franco Colapinto crashed heavily at Tamburello after making it into Q2. Though he had set a competitive time in Q1, the damage ruled him out of further participation.
Nico Hulkenberg, Liam Lawson, Esteban Ocon, Ollie Bearman, and Tsunoda were all eliminated in Q1.
Ferrari Falters at Home, Hamilton and Antonelli Out in Q2
It was a day to forget for Ferrari in front of their home crowd, as both Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton failed to make it into Q3. Brake issues hampered both drivers through practice, and their pace never recovered. They ended up 11th and 12th, respectively.
Rookie Kimi Antonelli also missed the Q3 cut in his first home qualifying, finishing 13th after struggling to match Russell’s benchmark in the other Mercedes.
Final Q3 Order: A Glimpse of a McLaren Challenge?
With both McLaren drivers showing front-running pace throughout practice and qualifying, Sunday’s race promises a fierce battle at the front. Verstappen may be on the back foot for once, while Russell’s medium-tyre pace adds another strategic variable.
F1 2025 Emilia-Romagna GP Qualifying Results:
- Oscar Piastri (McLaren) – 1:14.670
- Max Verstappen (Red Bull) – 1:14.704
- George Russell (Mercedes) – 1:14.807
- Lando Norris (McLaren) – 1:14.962
- Fernando Alonso (Aston Martin) – 1:15.431
- Carlos Sainz (Williams) – 1:15.432
- Alexander Albon (Williams) – 1:15.473
- Lance Stroll (Aston Martin) – 1:15.581
- Isack Hadjar (Racing Bulls) – 1:15.746
- Pierre Gasly (Alpine) – 1:15.787
- Charles Leclerc (Ferrari) – 1:15.604
- Lewis Hamilton (Ferrari) – 1:15.765
- Kimi Antonelli (Mercedes) – 1:15.772
- Gabriel Bortoleto (Sauber) – 1:16.260
- Franco Colapinto (Alpine) – 1:16.256
- Liam Lawson (Racing Bulls) – 1:16.379
- Nico Hulkenberg (Sauber) – 1:16.518
- Esteban Ocon (Haas) – 1:16.613
- Oliver Bearman (Haas) – 1:16.918
- Yuki Tsunoda (Red Bull) – DNF
The 2025 Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix begins at 15:00 local time on Sunday, with Oscar Piastri leading the grid for what could be his most important race start yet.
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