Imola - Qualifying

For the first time this season, Formula One came to Italy, the country known for its love for Ferrari and hatred for McLaren. Around the Autodromo Enzo e Dino Ferrari, thousands of fans prayed for a miracle that would put their beloved team back at the front of the field. Were their pleas heard?

During the three practice sessions, it quickly became clear that the softest available tires did not work as well as the teams had hoped they would. Despite that, the drivers still appeared on track with the softs bolted onto their wheels. They didn't get to use them for long, as Q1 was paused before it could properly begin. Only 10 drivers managed to set their first timed attempts before Yuki Tsunoda went off track at the Villeneuve chicane and hit the nearby barrier. Thankfully, despite how terrifying his accident seemed, he was unharmed and able to get out of the car on his own. A red flag waved over the circuit, and the session was stopped. 

After the resumption, it was Max Verstappen who managed to achieve the quickest time. He was chased by the McLaren of Oscar Piastri. Many drivers tried to wait until the last possible second to start their final flying laps of Q1, but that strategy proved to be a mistake, as right when the 17 minutes of the session ran out, Franco Colapinto crashed, bringing out the second red flag of the session. No more laps completed afterwards would count, which Oliver Bearman learned the hard way, having his final lap deleted due to not completing it under a green flag. He found himself in the elimination zone alongside Liam Lawson, Nico Hulkenberg, Esteban Ocon, and Yuki Tsunoda. But the story of Bearman wasn't over quite yet. Q2 was significantly delayed as race control went over Bearman's last lap, trying to figure out if he should be allowed to take part in the session. In the end, despite many people believing that his lap time should be reinstated, it was Gabriel Bortoleto who took part in Q2 instead of him. 

The McLarens dominated the beginning of Q2, keeping all the other teams behind. Their great times were only beaten by that of Carlos Sainz, who managed to hook up his Williams when it mattered most. With only seconds to go in the session, the elimination zone was filled with midfielders rapidly improving their times. In the end, a great effort by Pierre Gasly knocked out Kimi Antonelli, and the ingenious strategy of using medium tires allowed the Astons to break the hearts of all Italians and put both their drivers in the elimination zone. 

McLaren was quick at the beginning of Q3 but not quite quick enough to secure provisional pole: that honor went to the reigning World Champion. As is often the case in the last round of qualifying, everything came down to the last minutes. The fight seemed to be between Verstappen, the McLarens, and Russell. After a series of great laps, it was Piastri who came out on top. For a while, it seemed like he might be caught by either the Red Bull or the Mercedes but, in the end, neither were able to beat his impressive time. With Imola being a track known for giving the drivers few opportunities for overtakes, could the Australian be on track to see yet another victory?

Order of the grid:

1. Oscar Piastri

2. Max Verstappen

3. George Russell

4. Lando Norris

5. Fernando Alonso

6. Carlos Sainz

7. Alex Albon

8. Lance Stroll

9. Isack Hadjar

10. Pierre Gasly 

11. Charles Leclerc

12. Lewis Hamilton

13. Kimi Antonelli

14. Gabriel Bortoleto

15. Franco Colapinto

16. Liam Lawson

17. Nico Hulkenberg

18. Esteban Ocon

19. Oliver Bearman

20. Yuki Tsunoda