2024 Emilia Romagna Grand Prix – Qualifying results (Imola)
2025 is the final year of the current deal at Imola and muliple other circuits on the F1 calendar.
Max Verstappen is on pole for the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix, though was kept honest by the charging McLarens.
A 1:14.746 from Verstappen was enough to get the job done, though with McLaren’s Oscar Piastri falling just 0.074s short to join the Red Bull driver on row one, while Piastri’s McLaren team-mate Lando Norris also came within a tenth, McLaren will be smelling another opportunity to fight for victory on Sunday.
McLaren to lead the charge versus Max Verstappen
With no sign of a Red Bull in the top three prior to this point in the race weekend, McLaren took over from Ferrari as the pacesetters in the final hour of practice, building anticipation for a thrilling pole battle to come. Or so we hoped.
First though, drivers needed to avoid the bottom five of Q1 to ensure their qualifying run went on. But, for Sauber duo Zhou Guanyu and Valtteri Bottas, Williams’ Logan Sargeant, Haas’ Kevin Magnussen and Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso, P20 and last, it was day over. Red Bull’s Max Verstappen set the Q1 pace.
Onto Q2 and the battle to make the top-10 shootout, as Verstappen once more topped the session, though Sergio Perez in the other Red Bull was out in P11. The Alpines of Esteban Ocon and Pierre Gasly, as well as Aston Martin’s Lance Stroll and Williams’ Alex Albon joined him in being eliminated.
Verstappen would complete the clean sweep through qualifying, topping Q3 to take pole for the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix, though McLaren left precious little breathing room, with Piastri and Norris both within a tenth.
Q3 timings
1 Max VERSTAPPEN Red Bull Racing 1:14.746
2 Oscar PIASTRI 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 F1 Team +1.234
Q2 timings
1 Max VERSTAPPEN Red Bull Racing 1:15.176
2 Charles LECLERC Ferrari +0.152
3 Yuki TSUNODA RB +0.182
4 Lando NORRIS McLaren +0.195
5 Oscar PIASTRI McLaren +0.231
6 Carlos SAINZ Ferrari +0.336
7 Nico HULKENBERG Haas F1 Team +0.393
8 George RUSSELL Mercedes +0.495
9 Lewis HAMILTON Mercedes +0.501
10 Daniel RICCIARDO RB +0.515
11 Sergio PEREZ Red Bull Racing +0.530
12 Esteban OCON Alpine +0.730
13 Lance STROLL Aston Martin +0.816
14 Alexander ALBON Williams +1.024
15 Pierre GASLY Alpine +1.205
Q1 timings
1 Max VERSTAPPEN Red Bull Racing 1:15.762
2 Charles LECLERC Ferrari +0.061
3 Nico HULKENBERG Haas F1 Team +0.079
4 Yuki TSUNODA RB +0.132
5 Lando NORRIS McLaren +0.153
6 Oscar PIASTRI McLaren +0.178
7 Carlos SAINZ Ferrari +0.253
8 Pierre GASLY Alpine +0.253
9 Daniel RICCIARDO RB +0.298
10 George RUSSELL Mercedes +0.345
11 Esteban OCON Alpine +0.599
12 Sergio PEREZ Red Bull Racing +0.642
13 Lance STROLL Aston Martin +0.696
14 Alexander ALBON Williams +0.762
15 Lewis HAMILTON Mercedes +0.842
16 Valtteri BOTTAS Kick Sauber +0.864
17 Logan SARGEANT Williams +0.969
18 Guanyu ZHOU Kick Sauber +1.072
19 Kevin MAGNUSSEN Haas F1 Team +1.092
20 Fernando ALONSO Aston Martin +1.155
More to follow…