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Imola, Italy — In a nail-biting qualifying showdown at the Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix, McLaren’s Oscar Piastri delivered a sensational upset, stealing pole position from Red Bull’s Max Verstappen by a razor-thin 0.034 seconds. The session was a rollercoaster of emotions, crashes, and surprise performances — with Piastri’s calm under pressure marking a major career milestone.
Despite encountering heavy traffic in the final two corners and failing to better his time in the last sector, Piastri’s blistering pace in the first two sectors proved decisive. Verstappen, who had set the early benchmark, couldn’t respond with enough force on his final lap — a surprising shortfall that handed McLaren its first pole at Imola in years.
Pole Push Propelled by Piastri’s Precision
The qualifying session wasn’t short on drama, beginning with a horrifying accident for Red Bull’s Yuki Tsunoda. The Japanese driver lost control at the Villeneuve chicane, sending his car airborne after slamming into the tyre barriers. The machine landed upside down before flipping upright again — miraculously, Tsunoda emerged unscathed.
Another red flag was brought out by Alpine debutant Franco Colapinto, whose spin into the barriers at Tamburello was less spectacular but still damaging. Both drivers walked away safely, though Colapinto’s Q1 debut ended in disappointment.
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While the McLaren duo looked poised to dominate, Lando Norris couldn’t capitalize on his early pace and was leapfrogged to fourth by George Russell’s bold switch to medium tyres. Mercedes’ strategy paid dividends, as Russell made the most of a more stable compound amid soft tyre struggles felt across the grid.
Aston Martin proved one of the surprise packages of the day. Fernando Alonso delivered the team’s best qualifying result of the season in fifth, boosted by a raft of upgrades to the AMR24, including a Newey-inspired floor and engine cover. Lance Stroll backed it up in eighth, reinforcing Aston Martin’s rise.
Alonso remarked, “Both cars in Q3 and a good feeling with the car — the upgrades definitely delivered. Let’s see what we can do in the race.”
Ferrari Flounders at Home; Hamilton, Leclerc Miss Q3
Ferrari’s woes deepened at their home circuit as both Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton failed to make it into the top 10, qualifying 11th and 12th respectively. Neither could unlock the potential of their tyres in time for the crucial second qualifying session.
Hamilton expressed bitter frustration: “We made the right changes, the pace was there, but the tyres just didn’t switch on. It’s heartbreaking, especially when we’ve made real progress.”
Even more heartbreaking for the tifosi was the underwhelming performance of teenage sensation Kimi Antonelli. The 18-year-old Imola native qualified 13th in the other Mercedes — a respectable result, though far from the fairytale many hoped for.
Pirelli’s gamble to bring the softest three compounds in hopes of shaking up strategy might not pay off, as medium tyres emerged as the preferred choice throughout qualifying. Red Bull’s Verstappen admitted the soft compound deteriorated quickly, costing him time on the final lap. “Sector one felt strong, but the tyres just faded too fast,” he said.
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For now, all eyes are on Sunday’s showdown — with Piastri leading a grid full of wounded giants and unexpected contenders. Will McLaren’s young star convert his pole into glory? Or will Verstappen strike back in familiar form?
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