Oscar Piastri took another F1 pole in Imola GP ahead of Max Verstappen and George Russell, after double red flag moments in Q1.
Q1:
It was sunny weather to start the first part in F1 Imola GP qualifying as the leaders took their time to get on the track. The Ferrari pair started early as well. The session was red-flagged after 10 drivers set their time when Red Bull’s Yuki Tsunoda crashed out heavy at Turn 5.
In a bid to take a bit more kerb, he lost control and ram into the tyre barrier where he flipped/rolled over the safety barrier before tumbling down on the gravel in the up right position. Tsunoda was taken to the medical center, as Williams’ Alexander Albon led the way under the red flag.
After sorting out the tyre barrier and light panel which got hit, the session re-started after a brief wait with just over 12 minutes remaining on the clock. An incident with Alpine’s Franco Colapinto was noted after he moved into the fast lane at the wrong time than instructed.
Red Bull’s Max Verstappen led the way after the first run, as several had kerb moments as replays showed. Sauber’s Nico Hulkenberg was put under investigation for unsafe release in front of Mercedes’ Andrea Kimi Antonelli, as Aston Martin rolled the dice with Lance Stroll to use the medium tyre.
He was fourth on his final attempt before red flag ended the session for a shunt for Colapinto at Turn 4. It was another kerb moment which caught him and slid/spin into the tyre barrier. The Argentine made it into Q2 still on his older quick time, but he wasn’t to take part in it.
At the front, Verstappen had it sorted with a 1m15.175s time ahead of McLaren’s Oscar Piastri and Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso from Stroll. The late crash dropped Haas’ Oliver Bearman out of Q1 despite the Brit ended up 10th on his final attempt when the red flag was waved.
His drop allowed Sauber’s Gabriel Bortoleto to make it into Q2, as teammate Nico Hulkenberg’s (1m16.518s) mistake knocked him out in 17th behind Visa Cash App RB’s Liam Lawson (1m16.379s). Haas’ Esteban Ocon (1m16.613s) was 17th from Bearman (1m16.918s), who was shown to have crossed the line when the red flag was waved.
Q2:
The start of the second part in F1 Imola GP qualifying was delayed for barrier repair. This gave time to the FIA race control to review Bearman’s lap time. But no message came through when the session was given green light. Sauber and Bortoleto played the game to force himself on the track to start Q2.
Any pending review would now be after qualifying. It was Piastri at the front at the halfway mark before the final laps kicked-in. Aston Martin played the game again by using the medium tyre with both Alonso and Stroll for the final run, where everyone else went for the traditional soft compound.
It was Williams’ Carlos Sainz on the top with a 1m15.198s lap after improving on the new set, ahead of Piastri and Norris. The big drop was for both the Ferrari drivers and Antonelli. The gamble of the medium tyre from Aston Martin worked for them to make in the Top 10 with both the cars.
Charles Leclerc was the first to drop out in 11th after his 1m15.604s lap from Lewis Hamilton (1m15.765s) and Antonelli (1m15.722s). The trio were followed by Bortoleto (1m16.260s), with no time for Colapinto after he crashed out in Q1.
Q3:
The final part in F1 Imola GP qualifying saw Verstappen throw the gauntlet after a 1m14.772s lap to go quicker by 0.049s over Piastri, with Norris in third from Mercedes’ George Russell – the only four cars from the lead team to make it in Q3. It was Visa Cash App RB’s Isack Hadjar in fifth.
Everyone opted for the soft compound for their first run, but Russell gambled using medium tyre for his final run. It was Piastri with the up game to take F1 pole in Imola GP after improving to a 1m14.670s lap and demote Verstappen (1m14.704s) to second. The Australian continued his fine form.
The gamble from Russell worked to land him third after a 1m14.807s lap to demote Norris (1m14.962s) to fourth. The medium tyre worked for Alonso (1m15.431s) again to be fifth from Williams pair of Sainz (1m15.432s) and Alexander Albon (1m15.473s) in sixth and seventh.
Stroll (1m15.581s) was on the medium tyre as well to be eighth from Hadjar (1m15.746s), who made a mistake on his final quick lap. The Top 10 was rounded by Alpine’s Pierre Gasly (1m15.787s).
UPDATE: Colapinto was handed a one-place grid drop for joining the fastlane before intimation from the race control in Q1. The team argued that there was no gain from it, the stewards acknowledged it and thus handed a smaller penalty.
Here: https://x.com/fiadocsbot/status/1923783627512443356
Tsunoda, meanwhile, is cleared to start the grand prix even though he didn’t complete a single lap in qualifying. Here: https://x.com/fiadocsbot/status/1923792140783472882