The Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix had everyone on the edge of their seats, but no one more so than Max Verstappen. This qualifying session was full of twists and turns, and it seemed like anything could happen.
Max Verstappen and his Red Bull team were struggling through all three practice sessions at the Imola Grand Prix, making it seem like they wouldn’t be able to keep up with the competition. But just before qualifying, Red Bull made some key changes to their car setup.
After feeling a bit better about the car, Verstappen delivered some incredible performances. ‘This track is unbelievable,’ he said, buzzing with excitement. ‘And to be on the limit here, close to the gravel – I touched the gravel in the last corner – I’m still pumping. The adrenaline is very high.’
The tension was high as Verstappen started setting his best times in the first two parts of qualifying, but he truly shined during the final session, Q3. His first run clocked in at 1m14.869s, putting him ahead of McLaren’s Lando Norris and Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc.
During the final efforts, Leclerc couldn’t match his personal best in the first sector and stayed in third place. Meanwhile, Verstappen managed to blitz through the first two sectors of the lap, but a slight wobble in the final corner left him vulnerable. Even so, he improved his top time to 1m14.746s.
Oscar Piastri from McLaren also gave his all, ending up just 0.074 seconds behind Verstappen. But Piastri faced a post-session investigation for possibly impeding Kevin Magnussen earlier in Q1. Norris ended up improving his time but couldn’t best his teammate Piastri in the final sector.
Ferrari’s other driver, Carlos Sainz, along with George Russell and Yuki Tsunoda, followed behind the top dogs. Lewis Hamilton finished in eighth, Daniel Ricciardo in ninth, and Nico Hulkenberg rounded out the top ten.
The session wasn’t without its disappointments either. Sergio Perez had a rough time and got knocked out during the Q2 session despite setting his best time. Others like Esteban Ocon, Lance Stroll, Alex Albon, and Pierre Gasly also didn’t make it past Q2.
In the first qualifying session, Q1, Valtteri Bottas, Logan Sargeant, and Zhou Guanyu were eliminated, with Kevin Magnussen coming in 19th ahead of Fernando Alonso, who had some serious car trouble. Alonso’s effort ended with him going through the gravel in the Tamburello exit.
Through all the heart-pounding moments and fierce competition, it was Max Verstappen who took the pole position at the Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix. Despite the rocky start in practice, Red Bull and Verstappen turned things around just in time. The thrilling drama of Formula 1 never ceases to amaze, and this qualifying session was a perfect example.
