LIVE: Emilia-Romagna GP Qualifying
- Peter Johnson
- 1 day ago
- 8 min read
By Peter Johnson
16:46 Almost two hours after we got underway, that's a wrap on Qualifying. Time for a long, long lie down before we go racing at 14:00 BST tomorrow.
16:44 What a ridiculous qualifying session. Two red flags brought out by enormous shunts for Yuki Tsunoda and Franco Colapinto in Q1, a delay while the stewards worked out who of Bearman or Bortoleto had made it into Q2, a double Ferrari and Antonelli elimination and several cars posting faster times on theoretically slower medium tyres. Through it all came Oscar Piastri, who after having won four of the first six races this season took his third Pole position of 2025.
16:41 Pole-sitter Oscar Piastri: "It was a very tough session with all the delays and also the tyres. The tyres have been very tricky today. After yesterday everyone thought the C6 was not too bad but today it was a real mystery. We've been trying a few things this weekend and we got the car in a good place for qualifying. The lap was good, I had about four cars in the last corner which didn't help but it was enough. Excited for tomorrow now."
16:38 A word for Fernando Alonso as well, who put his Aston fifth on used medium tyres!
16:37 The top ten: 1 Piastri; 2 Verstappen; 3 Russell; 4 Norris; 5 Alonso; 6 Sainz; 7 Albon; 8 Stroll; 9 Hadjar; 10 Gasly
16:36 Oscar Piastri is informed by his race engineer Tom Stallard that he has qualified quickest, to which the Australian replies that he would have "lost it" if the traffic at the final corner had cost him Pole.
16:35 Now here comes George Russell, whose medium tyre-clad Mercedes moves ahead of Norris!
16:34 Lando Norris remains third. Here comes Verstappen... he misses out by three hundredths of a second!!!
16:33 Piastri gained a few tenths in the middle sector before encountering traffic towards the end. He still takes provisional pole by a tenth!
16:32 Oscar Piastri is the first man to start his final lap. Can he prevent Max Verstappen from taking a third consecutive Imola pole? He's down in the first sector.
16:31 Lando Norris is complaining that the padding on his legs is causing some discomfort. He'll have to press on from here and hope it isn't too distracting.
16:30 Both McLarens and Verstappen re-emerge for their final laps on a new set of soft tyres, while George Russell punts for the medium tyre on his Mercedes.
16:28 Sainz was over half a second slower on that lap compatred to his final run in Q2. We've seen a replay of Russell making a couple of mistakes too, so expect improvements from both.
16:27 The order after the first runs: Verstappen; Piastri; Norris; Russell; Hadjar; Stroll; Alonso; Sainz; Albon; Gasly
16:25 Lando Norris goes onto provisional Pole, but Piastri and Verstappen are trading purple sectors behind him. Piastri pips Norris by a tenth and a half, before Verstappen ekes out an extra half a tenth on Piastri.
16:23 It's anyone's guess what happens from here. Yes, McLaren will be there or thereabouts, as will Max Verstappen. That time from Carlos Sainz in Q2, though, surely brings him into play.
16:22 Despite the impressive lap times by the two Aston Martins on the medium tyres, everybody emerges for Q3 on softs.
16:21 What a truly bizarre qualifying session, and we still have the main event to come! We won't be finished in time for Eurovision at this rate.
16:18 Meanwhile, Carlos Sainz was fastest for Williams in that session ahead of the McLarens of Piastri and Norris, George Russell and Max Verstappen.
16:17 Incredible scenes as the three home favourites fail to progress from Q2.
16:16 Out in Q2: 11 Leclerc; 12 Hamilton; 13 Antonelli; 14 Bortoleto; 15 Colapinto
16:15 Well, well , well. It's an astonishing end to Q2. Neither Ferrari or Antonelli could improve, while both Williams improved, as did the pair of Aston Martins on medium tyres!
16:13 Carlos Sainz is absolutely flying, with a purple first sector followed up by two personal bests which see him go fastest!
16:12 Antonelli improves to eighth, while Lewis Hamilton cannot improve on seventh. Charles Leclerc remains sixth.
16:11 Kimi Antonelli, currently tenth and at risk of elimination, is the first man to start his final lap.
16:10 And just like that, after four minutes with nobody on track, all 14 drivers head out into the pit lane at the exact same time. Clearly nobody considers themselves safe just yet.
16:06 As everybody returns to the pit lane with seven minutes remaining, Stroll, Gasly, Albon and Bortoleto will have to improve to avoid the drop.
16:05 All 14 remaining drivers have now posted laps, with Piastri, Norris, Verstappen, Russell and Leclerc the top five.
16:04 Lando Norris and George Russell pop up in first and third respectively, before Piastri goes quickest of all by two-hundredths of a second.
16:03 Lewis Hamilton goes third, ahead of Hadjar, Alonso and Antonelli.
16:02 Max Verstappen is the early pace setter in this session with a 1:15.400. Charles Leclerc set a purple first sector and is on the move. He is two tenths down on Verstappen by the end of the lap.
15:59 It is almost an hour since Q1 began, but two red flags and a bonus debacle later we have cars on track for Q2. Bearman has climbed out of his car.
15:58 Q2 is supposed to restarting at any moment. Gabriel Bortoleto takes to the track as the lights go green, while Oliver Bearman's engineers appear to stand down.
15:56 Sauber have sent Gabriel Bortoleto to the end of the pit lane for Q2, so surely that means we have an answer. Oliver Bearman remains in his car, though, so maybe Haas have not given up this fight.
15:54 However, there is still no update on the Bearman-Bortoleto drama.
15:53 We have a restart time. Q2 will begin five minutes.
15:52 It seems that the reason for this extra delay is indeed to work out whether Oliver Bearman or Gabriel Bortoleto will participate in Q2.
15:49 During this delay, the stewards are reviewing Oliver Bearman's invalidated lap, with a view potentially to reinstating his time.
15:48 Verstappen led that session comfortably from Oscar Piastri, with both drivers only completing one lap. Lando Norris had two attempts but was still seven tenths down on Verstappen in P6. It was a worrying show for Ferrari as well, with both Leclerc and Hamilton a second down.
15:46 Aston Martin have really struggled so far this season, but that was a return to their early 2023 form in Q1. The team have brought some upgrades and my word has it shown so far, with Fernando Alonso P3 and Lance Stroll in P4.
15:44 ... no it won't. We have just found out Q2 has been further delayed.
15:43 Q2 will begin in just over two minutes.
15:41 CORRECTION. Oliver Bearman leapt up to P10 in his Haas just fractions after the red flag was thrown. He has been bumped back down to P19, meaning Gabriel Bortoleto will live to fight another day.
15:37 Incidentally, Colapinto snuck through Q1 in 15th, and we can say with some certainty that that's where he'll end up in Q2. He will also have a penalty coming his way for his pit lane indiscretion during the first red flag.
15:36 Eliminated in Q1: 16 Bortoleto; 17 Lawson; 18 Hülkenberg; 19 Ocon; 20 Tsunoda
15:35 Colapinto caught the gravel through the right-handed second part of Tamburello. He then skewed across the track and hit the barriers head on.
15:34 Because Colapinto's accident was right at the start of the lap and the session was about to finish, the stewards delayed throwing a red flag because nobody else was going to pass the Alpine at racing speed. Several drivers did still manage to improve.
15:33 Another enormous crash!! Franco Colapinto is in the wall at Tamburello. It's been a nightmare debut qualifying session at Alpine for the Argentine.
15:32 Lando Norris improves but is still seven tenths down on Verstappen. Both Saubers look to be out.
15:31 Lots of green sectors here. Lots of track evolution means everybody is still in play.
15:30 The bottom five with two minutes remaining: 16 Hülkenberg; 17 Bortoleto; 18 Bearman; 19 Ocon; 20 Tsunoda
15:29 It's been a tough weekend so far for Ferrari, with Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton occupying ninth and eleventh respectively, a second down on Verstappen.
15:28 With everybody now having set a lap time (except, of course Tsunoda), Verstappen heads Oscar Piastri by three tenths. Alonso is third in his upgraded Aston with George Russell in fourth. Lando Norris made a slight mistake and sits sixth.
15:26 Fernando Alonso re-emerges at the top of the timesheets before Max Verstappen claims a half-second advantage in first.
15:25 Pierre Gasly sets a purple final sector to take his Alpine top as the two Mercedes head for the line.
15:23 Colapinto puts that misdemeanour out of his mind to go third. Still lots of drivers to set a time, with both McLarens still in the garage.
15:21 We are now back underway.
15:20 Wherever Franco Colapinto starts tomorrow, it will likely be from at least one place lower than where he qualifies today. He headed down to the end of the pit lane before the restart time was officially confirmed - you will remember George Russell received a one-place penalty for the same offence earlier this season.
15:16 We're expecting a restart in four minutes' time. There's a huge amount of work going on to fix the tyre barriers, which took an almighty hit.
15:11 It goes without saying that we have had a red flag, with the clock stopping with just over 12 minutes remaining. Ten drivers have set times - both drivers from Williams, Aston Martin, Ferrari, Haas and Sauber. Max Verstappen was part way around his first lap before the interruption.
15:10 The Red Bull boys had a long night last night as they completely overhauled the set up of Max Verstappen's car. It's going to be another late one for some of them tonight as they rebuild that car.
15:08 It is nothing short of astonishing that Tsunoda has walked away from that. We're just seeing replays and the accident is initially caused as he bottoms out over the kerb at the Villeneuve chicane. His car then flips as he slides through the gravel and he hits the barrier upside down before the car rights itself.
15:07 It's the Red Bull of Yuki Tsunoda. He's had a huge off at Turn 6, going backwards into the wall. There's an enormous amount of damage but he's walked away unscathed.
15:06 Carlos Sainz and Charles Leclerc slot into fourth and fifth respectively, but we have a HUGE CRASH!
15:05 Lewis Hamilton slots into second, just behind the Aston Martin of Fernando Alonso. Alex Albon in the Williams, which again looks quick, then nabs top spot.
15:02 There are now some cars on track, one of the first of which was Lewis Hamilton. He's flaunting the brand-new Pirelli C6 tyre, making its debut this weekend as the red-walled soft tyre.
15:01 It could also be a weekend of "lasts" as well, with this Grand Prix weekend potentially marking Formula One's final trip to Imola.
15:00 It may be round seven of the season, but this weekend in Imola is a weekend of firsts. Lewis Hamilton appears in front of the Tifosi for the first time in Ferrari red, while Kimi Antonelli drives in front of his home crowd for the first time. Franco Colapinto is also in for Jack Doohan to make his Alpine debut.
14:59 Max Verstappen, meanwhile, fresh from his trip to the Nürburgring earlier this week, looked all at sea in his Red Bull yesterday. However, after a lot of work at the track and back at base in Milton Keynes last night, the Dutchman came within two tenths of Norris earlier and is in the fight for Pole.
14:56 Welcome along to Qualifying at the Formula One AWS Gran Premio del Made in Italy e dell'Emilia-Romagna! Alternative names include the Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix, or, even more simply, Imola.
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