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Charles Bradley

F1 Grand Prix qualifying results: Verstappen takes sprint pole at Imola

Verstappen will start the sprint qualifying race ahead of Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc and McLaren’s Lando Norris – who was one of many drivers to go off – following the one-hour qualifying session, which was halted on multiple occasions.

The result of Saturday’s sprint race sets the grid for Sunday’s main event. The winner of the sprint will be awarded with the event’s pole position accolade.

Emilia Romagna Grand Prix qualifying results: Verstappen on pole from Leclerc

Cla Driver Time Gap km/h
1 Netherlands Max Verstappen 1'27.999   200.825
2 Monaco Charles Leclerc 1'28.778 0.779 199.062
3 United Kingdom Lando Norris 1'29.131 1.132 198.274
4 Denmark Kevin Magnussen 1'29.164 1.165 198.201
5 Spain Fernando Alonso 1'29.202 1.203 198.116
6 Australia Daniel Ricciardo 1'29.742 1.743 196.924
7 Mexico Sergio Perez 1'29.808 1.809 196.779
8 Finland Valtteri Bottas 1'30.439 2.440 195.406
9 Germany Sebastian Vettel 1'31.062 3.063 194.069
10 Spain Carlos Sainz Jr.      
11 United Kingdom George Russell 1'20.757   218.834
12 Germany Mick Schumacher 1'20.916   218.404
13 United Kingdom Lewis Hamilton 1'21.138   217.806
14 China Zhou Guanyu 1'21.434   217.015
15 Canada Lance Stroll 1'28.119 0.120 200.551
16 Japan Yuki Tsunoda 1'20.474   219.603
17 France Pierre Gasly 1'20.732   218.902
18 Canada Nicholas Latifi 1'21.971   215.593
19 France Esteban Ocon 1'22.338   214.632
20 Thailand Alex Albon      

What happened in Q1?

The session began on a slightly damp but quickly drying track. A red flag was required after 12 minutes for Alex Albon’s Williams when its right-rear brake overheated and caught fire, causing the tyre to explode as he toured back to the pits.

Times tumbled throughout the session, with Sainz taking P1 with seven minutes to go with a lap of 1m20.319s, 0.03s ahead of Verstappen. Leclerc took control with four minutes remaining with 1m19.545s, 0.015s faster than Sainz.

Sainz took P1 with 1m19.305s before Verstappen pipped him by 0.01s on 1m19.295s, then Leclerc grabbed top spot for good by half a second with 1m18.796s.

In the battle to make it through to Q2, Lewis Hamilton only made it through by just 0.004s. Falling at the first hurdle were the AlphaTauris of Yuki Tsunoda and Pierre Gasly, Alpine’s Esteban Ocon (who had a suspected gearbox problem) and the Williamses of Nicholas Latifi (who spun) and Albon.

Emilia Romagna Grand Prix Q1 results: Leclerc fastest from Verstappen

Cla Driver Chassis Laps Time Gap Interval km/h
1 Monaco Charles Leclerc Ferrari 10 1'18.796     224.280
2 Netherlands Max Verstappen Red Bull 11 1'19.295 0.499 0.499 222.869
3 Spain Carlos Sainz Jr. Ferrari 10 1'19.305 0.509 0.010 222.840
4 China Zhou Guanyu Alfa Romeo 13 1'19.730 0.934 0.425 221.653
5 Mexico Sergio Perez Red Bull 12 1'19.773 0.977 0.043 221.533
6 Australia Daniel Ricciardo McLaren 11 1'19.980 1.184 0.207 220.960
7 Denmark Kevin Magnussen Haas 11 1'20.147 1.351 0.167 220.499
8 United Kingdom Lando Norris McLaren 10 1'20.168 1.372 0.021 220.442
9 Spain Fernando Alonso Alpine 12 1'20.198 1.402 0.030 220.359
10 Canada Lance Stroll Aston Martin 11 1'20.342 1.546 0.144 219.964
11 Germany Sebastian Vettel Aston Martin 12 1'20.364 1.568 0.022 219.904
12 United Kingdom George Russell Mercedes 13 1'20.383 1.587 0.019 219.852
13 Finland Valtteri Bottas Alfa Romeo 13 1'20.419 1.623 0.036 219.754
14 Germany Mick Schumacher Haas 13 1'20.422 1.626 0.003 219.745
15 United Kingdom Lewis Hamilton Mercedes 12 1'20.470 1.674 0.048 219.614
16 Japan Yuki Tsunoda AlphaTauri 11 1'20.474 1.678 0.004 219.603
17 France Pierre Gasly AlphaTauri 11 1'20.732 1.936 0.258 218.902
18 Canada Nicholas Latifi Williams 13 1'21.971 3.175 1.239 215.593
19 France Esteban Ocon Alpine 9 1'22.338 3.542 0.367 214.632
20 Thailand Alex Albon Williams 3        

What happened in Q2?

More rain was threatening at the start of the session, sending the remaining cars out on track immediately.

Sainz set the initial pace at 1m18.990s but that was quickly beaten by Verstappen on 1m18.793s. A second red flag was soon required when Sainz put his Ferrari into the tyres at Rivazza. Lando Norris was third fastest for McLaren, ahead of Sergio Perez (Red Bull) and Leclerc.

Rain fell during the break, meaning there would be no further improvements. Knocked out at this point were George Russell (Mercedes), Mick Schumacher (Haas), Hamilton, Guanyu Zhou (Alfa Romeo) and Lance Stroll (Aston Martin) – who didn’t get a representative lap time in before the stoppage.

Emilia Romagna Grand Prix Grand Prix Q2 results: Verstappen fastest from Sainz

Cla Driver Chassis Laps Time Gap Interval km/h
1 Netherlands Max Verstappen Red Bull 3 1'18.793     224.288
2 Spain Carlos Sainz Jr. Ferrari 3 1'18.990 0.197 0.197 223.729
3 United Kingdom Lando Norris McLaren 5 1'19.294 0.501 0.304 222.871
4 Mexico Sergio Perez Red Bull 5 1'19.296 0.503 0.002 222.866
5 Monaco Charles Leclerc Ferrari 4 1'19.584 0.791 0.288 222.059
6 Spain Fernando Alonso Alpine 6 1'19.595 0.802 0.011 222.029
7 Denmark Kevin Magnussen Haas 3 1'19.902 1.109 0.307 221.175
8 Germany Sebastian Vettel Aston Martin 6 1'19.957 1.164 0.055 221.023
9 Australia Daniel Ricciardo McLaren 3 1'20.031 1.238 0.074 220.819
10 Finland Valtteri Bottas Alfa Romeo 5 1'20.192 1.399 0.161 220.376
11 United Kingdom George Russell Mercedes 3 1'20.757 1.964 0.565 218.834
12 Germany Mick Schumacher Haas 3 1'20.916 2.123 0.159 218.404
13 United Kingdom Lewis Hamilton Mercedes 3 1'21.138 2.345 0.222 217.806
14 China Zhou Guanyu Alfa Romeo 3 1'21.434 2.641 0.296 217.015
15 Canada Lance Stroll Aston Martin 3 1'28.119 9.326 6.685 200.551

What happened in Q3?

With Sainz taking an early bath, nine cars contested the sprint pole shootout in damp conditions.

The first runs, with all cars using intermediate tyres, were halted when Kevin Magnussen spun his Haas at Acqua Minerale. Meanwhile, Verstappen had a brief grassy moment on his out lap.

After the restart, Leclerc set the bar at 1m18.778s, 0.02s quicker than Verstappen.

Verstappen then grabbed the top spot with 1m27.999s, 0.779s faster than Leclerc, despite being forced to lift off for Valtteri Bottas stopping in the final sector ahead of him, which caused another red flag. Verstappen went off into the gravel on his next lap, just as the red flag came out.

The session resumed with three minutes to go, but more rain had fallen while Bottas’s car was recovered.

Thus Verstappen and Leclerc will line up on the front row, ahead of Norris (who went off at Acqua Minerale to halt qualifying yet again) and Magnussen.

Alpine’s Fernando Alonso will start the sprint in fifth, ahead of Daniel Ricciardo (McLaren), Perez, Bottas, Sebastian Vettel (Aston Martin) and the absent Sainz.

Emilia Romagna Grand Prix Q3 results: Verstappen takes sprint pole

Cla Driver Chassis Laps Time Gap Interval km/h
1 Netherlands Max Verstappen Red Bull 8 1'27.999     200.825
2 Monaco Charles Leclerc Ferrari 8 1'28.778 0.779 0.779 199.062
3 United Kingdom Lando Norris McLaren 7 1'29.131 1.132 0.353 198.274
4 Denmark Kevin Magnussen Haas 7 1'29.164 1.165 0.033 198.201
5 Spain Fernando Alonso Alpine 8 1'29.202 1.203 0.038 198.116
6 Australia Daniel Ricciardo McLaren 7 1'29.742 1.743 0.540 196.924
7 Mexico Sergio Perez Red Bull 8 1'29.808 1.809 0.066 196.779
8 Finland Valtteri Bottas Alfa Romeo 5 1'30.439 2.440 0.631 195.406
9 Germany Sebastian Vettel Aston Martin 7 1'31.062 3.063 0.623 194.069
10 Spain Carlos Sainz Jr. Ferrari 0        
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