Oscar Piastri secured pole position for the Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix at Imola following a dramatic qualifying session filled with two major crashes and a disappointing day for Ferrari. The session was interrupted twice due to accidents involving Yuki Tsunoda and Alpine debutant Franco Colapinto, both of whom escaped without injuries. These incidents highlighted the dangers of the historic Imola circuit, known for the tragic 1994 crash of Ayrton Senna.
Piastri edged out Max Verstappen by just 0.034 seconds with a lap time of 1:14.670, earning McLaren its second pole of the season. George Russell finished third for Mercedes, while Lando Norris and Fernando Alonso claimed fourth and fifth places. Ferrari struggled, with Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton qualifying 11th and 12th respectively after costly errors late in the session.
Tsunoda’s crash occurred at the Villeneuve chicane when he lost control after clipping a kerb, causing his car to flip and land upside down before righting itself. Despite the violent nature of the crash, Tsunoda was declared fit to race. Alpine’s Colapinto crashed at Tamburello on his final lap of Q1, spinning and hitting the barrier hard. He also escaped uninjured but will start 16th due to a grid penalty.
Ferrari’s poor qualifying added to the pressure on the team as hopes of a strong home performance faded. Lewis Hamilton expressed frustration with the car’s performance and the team’s inability to improve their times during qualifying.
The top ten qualifiers include Oscar Piastri, Max Verstappen, George Russell, Lando Norris, Fernando Alonso, Carlos Sainz, Alex Albon, Lance Stroll, Isack Hadjar, and Pierre Gasly. Yuki Tsunoda will start from the back of the grid due to his crash, while Colapinto moves down one place because of his penalty. The FIA is reviewing Oliver Bearman’s Q2 entry following the red flag caused by Tsunoda’s incident.