Adjusted Imola 2025 F1 Starting grid after penalties fo…read more
Imola, Italy – In a dramatic qualifying session marked by razor-thin margins, unexpected penalties, and a frightening crash, McLaren’s Oscar Piastri edged out reigning World Champion Max Verstappen by just 0.034 seconds to seize pole position for Sunday’s 2025 Formula 1 Emilia Romagna Grand Prix. The Australian rookie-turned-title-contender will share the front row with Verstappen, while George Russell muscled his Mercedes into third, relegating Lando Norris to an unanticipated fourth on the grid.
Front-row fireworks
Piastri’s pole lap around the newly resurfaced Autodromo Enzo e Dino Ferrari stopped the clock at 1:13.582, capping a qualifying climb that saw the 24-year-old steadily fine-tune his McLaren through changing track evolution and gusty crosswinds in the final sector. Verstappen, who had topped Q1 and Q2, looked poised to continue his Imola dominance until a minor snap of oversteer at Variante Alta scrubbed vital hundredths. The slender gap means the run down to Tamburello could set the tone for the Grand Prix; both drivers recorded near-identical trap speeds, hinting at an early drag-race for supremacy.
Mercedes resurgence
Just behind the leaders, George Russell delivered a gritty performance that suggests Mercedes’ early-season upgrades are finally bearing fruit. A revised floor and lighter suspension components helped the Briton extract the W16E’s newfound pace, allowing him to leapfrog Norris in the dying moments of Q3. Russell’s teammate—and F2 graduate—Kimi Antonelli also impressed, qualifying 13th on his first visit to Imola in Formula 1 machinery.
McLaren mixed emotions
While McLaren celebrated Piastri’s pole, there was mild disappointment for Lando Norris. The Miami Grand Prix winner looked strong throughout practice but abandoned his final flying lap after encountering traffic in the Variante Villeneuve complex. Norris starts fourth, flanked by Aston Martin’s evergreen Fernando Alonso in fifth. Norris admitted afterwards that “track position is critical here, so we’ve got work to do” but remained optimistic about McLaren’s long-run pace.
Ferrari falter on home soil
Local tifosi will have to search the midfield for Ferrari’s scarlet cars on race day. Both Charles Leclerc and seven-time champion Lewis Hamilton failed to progress beyond Q2, lining up a lowly 11th and 12th respectively. Leclerc complained of rear instability, while Hamilton was caught out by a brief drizzle that cooled the asphalt and compromised his tyre preparation. Team Principal Frédéric Vasseur called the outcome “painful, especially here at Imola,” but insisted the SF25 possesses the race-day speed to recover points.
Williams makes waves
In perhaps the biggest surprise of the session, Williams locked out the third row with Carlos Sainz sixth and Alex Albon seventh. The Grove squad’s aggressive low-downforce package, combined with a potent Mercedes power unit, allowed both drivers to exploit Imola’s high-speed sections. Sainz—on loan from Ferrari this season—hailed the result as proof the team is “on the right trajectory.”
Penalties and peril
Qualifying was not without controversy. Franco Colapinto incurred a three-place grid penalty after impeding Pierre Gasly during the early Q1 scramble that followed Yuki Tsunoda’s violent crash at the Villeneuve chicane. The Alpine rookie had originally placed 13th but now drops to 16th, promoting Racing Bulls’ Liam Lawson to 15th.
Tsunoda’s accident brought a hush over the circuit. The Japanese driver lost the rear of his Red Bull on cold tyres, slamming sideways into the TecPro barrier. Though he climbed unaided from the wreck, FIA medical protocol requires he obtain formal clearance to start the race, having failed to set a representative lap time. Should Tsunoda be ruled out, Red Bull reserve Ayumu Iwasaki could make an unexpected debut.
Provisional grid at a glance
1. Oscar Piastri (McLaren)
2. Max Verstappen (Red Bull)
3. George Russell (Mercedes)
4. Lando Norris (McLaren)
5. Fernando Alonso (Aston Martin)
6. Carlos Sainz (Williams)
7. Alex Albon (Williams)
8. Lance Stroll (Aston Martin)
9. Isack Hadjar (Racing Bulls)
10. Pierre Gasly (Alpine)
11. Charles Leclerc (Ferrari)
12. Lewis Hamilton (Ferrari)
13. Kimi Antonelli (Mercedes)
14. Gabriel Bortoleto (Stake)
15. Liam Lawson (Racing Bulls)
16. Franco Colapinto* (Alpine)
17. Nico Hülkenberg (Stake)
18. Esteban Ocon (Haas)
19. Oliver Bearman (Haas)
— Yuki Tsunoda† (Red Bull)
*Grid penalty applied for impeding.
†Subject to medical clearance.
With the top ten covered by less than eight-tenths of a second and weather forecasts hinting at potential showers during Sunday’s race, fans can expect a tactical battle where tyre choices, pit-lane timing, and perhaps fate itself will decide whether Oscar Piastri converts the finest qualifying lap of his young career into a maiden victory—or if Max Verstappen can spoil the McLaren party yet again.
