2024 F1 Imola GP qualifying results: Verstappen takes pole

18/05/2024

Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing RB20

Verstappen will start ahead of McLaren’s Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris after the one-hour qualifying session, which is split into three segments with five cars each being knocked out in Q1 and Q2 before the top-10 shootout of Q3.

Imola Grand Prix grid: Verstappen on pole from Piastri

Cla	Nº	Driver	Car / Engine	Time	Delay
1	1	Red Bull/Honda RBPT	1'14.746
2	81	Oscar Piastri	1'14.820	0.074
3	4	Lando Norris	McLaren/Mercedes	1'14.837	0.091
4	16	1'14.970	0.224
5	55	Ferrari	1'15.233	0.487
6	63	Mercedes	1'15.234	0.488
7	22	/Honda RBPT	1'15.465	0.719
8	44	Mercedes	1'15.504	0.758
9	3	RB/Honda RBPT	1'15.674	0.928
10	27	Nico Hülkenberg	Haas/Ferrari	1'15.980	1.234
11	11	Sergio Pérez	Red Bull/Honda RBPT	1'15.706	0.960
12	31	/Renault	1'15.906	1.160
13	18	Aston Martin/Mercedes	1'15.992	1.246
14	23	Alexander Albon	/Mercedes	1'16.200	1.454
15	10	Alpine/Renault	1'16.381	1.635
16	77	/Ferrari	1'16.626	1.880
17	24	Sauber/Ferrari	1'16.834	2.088
18	20	Haas/Ferrari	1'16.854	2.108
19	14	Aston Martin/Mercedes	1'16.917	2.171
20	2	Williams/Mercedes	-	-

What happened in Imola Grand Prix Q1?

Piastri set the early pace at 1m15.940s, 0.073s quicker than Verstappen, before F1’s most recent race winner Norris snatched P1 by 0.025s with a 1m15.915s.

Haas’s Nico Hulkenberg briefly grabbed the top spot with 1m15.841s, before Verstappen unleashed a session-topping 1m15.762s, 0.061s ahead of Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc.

Falling at the first hurdle were Valtteri Bottas (Sauber), Zhou Guanyu (Sauber), Kevin Magnussen (Haas, who was baulked by Piastri on his final lap), Fernando Alonso (Aston Martin) and Logan Sargeant (Williams).

Alonso suffered an off at Tamburello, his Aston’s handling looked terrible after the team scrambled to rebuild it after he crashed at Rivazza in FP3. He was forced to abort his final lap with an "unknown problem".

Sargeant chose the Villeneuve chicane for his ride across the gravel trap. He had his quickest time, that was good enough for 17th, deleted due to exceeding track limits.

Imola GP Q1 results: Verstappen fastest from Leclerc

Cla	Nº	Driver	Car / Engine	Time	Delay	Laps
1	1	Max Verstappen	Red Bull/Honda RBPT	1'15.762	6
2	16	Charles Leclerc	Ferrari	1'15.823	0.061	9
3	27	Nico Hülkenberg	Haas/Ferrari	1'15.841	0.079	9
4	22	Yuki Tsunoda	RB/Honda RBPT	1'15.894	0.132	6
5	4	Lando Norris	McLaren/Mercedes	1'15.915	0.153	7
6	81	Oscar Piastri	McLaren/Mercedes	1'15.940	0.178	4
7	55	Carlos Sainz	Ferrari	1'16.015	0.253	8
8	10	Pierre Gasly	Alpine/Renault	1'16.015	0.253	8
9	3	Daniel Ricciardo	RB/Honda RBPT	1'16.060	0.298	6
10	63	George Russell	Mercedes	1'16.107	0.345	6
11	31	Esteban Ocon	Alpine/Renault	1'16.361	0.599	9
12	11	Sergio Pérez	Red Bull/Honda RBPT	1'16.404	0.642	4
13	18	Lance Stroll	Aston Martin/Mercedes	1'16.458	0.696	9
14	23	Alexander Albon	Williams/Mercedes	1'16.524	0.762	6
15	44	Lewis Hamilton	Mercedes	1'16.604	0.842	8
16	77	Valtteri Bottas	Sauber/Ferrari	1'16.626	0.864	6
17	24	Zhou Guanyu	Sauber/Ferrari	1'16.834	1.072	9
18	20	Kevin Magnussen	Haas/Ferrari	1'16.854	1.092	8
19	14	Fernando Alonso	Aston Martin/Mercedes	1'16.917	1.155	7
-	2	Logan Sargeant	Williams/Mercedes	-	-	8

What happened in Imola Grand Prix Q2?

Leclerc set the bar at 1m15.328s, 0.03s faster than Yuki Tsunoda’s RB, with Verstappen another 0.03s further back.

But Verstappen restored normal service with a session-topping 1m15.176s late on to top Q2 by 0.152s.

Knocked out at this point were Sergio Perez (Red Bull), Esteban Ocon (Alpine), Lance Stroll (Aston Martin), Alex Albon (Williams) and Pierre Gasly (Alpine).

Imola GP Q2 results: Verstappen fastest from Leclerc

Cla	Nº	Driver	Car / Engine	Time	Delay	Laps
1	1	Max Verstappen	Red Bull/Honda RBPT	1'15.176	6
2	16	Charles Leclerc	Ferrari	1'15.328	0.152	6
3	22	Yuki Tsunoda	RB/Honda RBPT	1'15.358	0.182	3
4	4	Lando Norris	McLaren/Mercedes	1'15.371	0.195	6
5	81	Oscar Piastri	McLaren/Mercedes	1'15.407	0.231	5
6	55	Carlos Sainz	Ferrari	1'15.512	0.336	6
7	27	Nico Hülkenberg	Haas/Ferrari	1'15.569	0.393	6
8	63	George Russell	Mercedes	1'15.671	0.495	6
9	44	Lewis Hamilton	Mercedes	1'15.677	0.501	6
10	3	Daniel Ricciardo	RB/Honda RBPT	1'15.691	0.515	6
11	11	Sergio Pérez	Red Bull/Honda RBPT	1'15.706	0.530	6
12	31	Esteban Ocon	Alpine/Renault	1'15.906	0.730	6
13	18	Lance Stroll	Aston Martin/Mercedes	1'15.992	0.816	6
14	23	Alexander Albon	Williams/Mercedes	1'16.200	1.024	6
15	10	Pierre Gasly	Alpine/Renault	1'16.381	1.205	6

What happened in Imola Grand Prix Q3?

On the first runs, Verstappen set the pace at 1m14.869s, 0.073s faster than Norris and Leclerc 0.147s off the provisional pole.

On the final runs, Leclerc improved to within 0.101s but stayed third. Verstappen found even more time, with 1m14.746s, to extend his advantage.

Norris got to within 0.091s of pole, but Piastri pipped his team-mate to the front row with a 1m14.820s, 0.074s away from Verstappen – who would have started on the second row if he hadn’t improved on his final push lap.

The Ferraris of Leclerc and Carlos Sainz will start fourth and fifth respectively, ahead of George Russell (Mercedes), Yuki Tsunoda (RB), Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes), Daniel Ricciardo (RB) and Hulkenberg.

Imola GP Q3 results: Verstappen takes pole

Cla	Nº	Driver	Car / Engine	Time	Delay	Laps
1	1	Max Verstappen	Red Bull/Honda RBPT	1'14.746	6
2	81	Oscar Piastri	McLaren/Mercedes	1'14.820	0.074	6
3	4	Lando Norris	McLaren/Mercedes	1'14.837	0.091	6
4	16	Charles Leclerc	Ferrari	1'14.970	0.224	6
5	55	Carlos Sainz	Ferrari	1'15.233	0.487	6
6	63	George Russell	Mercedes	1'15.234	0.488	6
7	22	Yuki Tsunoda	RB/Honda RBPT	1'15.465	0.719	6
8	44	Lewis Hamilton	Mercedes	1'15.504	0.758	6
9	3	Daniel Ricciardo	RB/Honda RBPT	1'15.674	0.928	3
10	27	Nico Hülkenberg	Haas/Ferrari	1'15.980	1.234	6

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