Breaking: F1 2025 Imola Grand Prix starting grid with penalties ap…read more

F1 2025 Imola Grand Prix starting grid with penalties ap…read more

 

Sunday’s Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix will roar away from the grid with an order that looks very different from the one fans have grown used to in recent seasons, thanks to a dramatic, crash-strewn qualifying session and a handful of late-night steward decisions.

Front-row fireworks

McLaren’s Oscar Piastri seized the spotlight with a breathtaking 1 min 14.670 sec lap, edging Max Verstappen by just 0.034 sec. The Australian’s first Formula 1 pole is already being hailed as a career-defining moment: he threaded the papaya-orange MCL40 through the narrow Tamburello-to-Rivazza complex with a commitment that left even the reigning world champion applauding over team radio.

Verstappen, though, is perfectly placed to strike. The Dutchman admitted that he was “right on the limit” – a rare acknowledgement that Red Bull’s RB21 did not have its usual margin in hand. The front-row pairing sets up a tantalising sprint to the Variante Tamburello braking zone, where pole can quickly turn into a P2 if the launch is anything less than perfect.

Mercedes muscle and McLaren misfire

George Russell out-qualified Lando Norris to grab third. Russell’s lap was built on Mercedes’ latest floor update, which is finally delivering the high-speed stability the team craved. Norris, meanwhile, wrestled with tyre warm-up and had to settle for fourth despite looking like a pole threat earlier in Q3.
Mid-field surprises

Fernando Alonso starts fifth, Aston Martin sneaking ahead of both Williams cars after a last-minute set-up change unlocked front-end bite. Carlos Sainz and Alex Albon will line up sixth and seventh for Williams, the Grove squad continuing its remarkable 2025 resurgence with both cars in the top 10 for the fifth time this year.

Lance Stroll’s eighth place underlines Aston’s consistency, while rookie Isack Hadjar earned a career-best ninth for Racing Bulls. Rounding out the top ten is Alpine’s Pierre Gasly, who tip-toed through yellow flags when team-mate Franco Colapinto buried his car in the Variante Alta barriers.

Ferrari falters at home

To the dismay of the tifosi, neither scarlet car made Q3. Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton will launch from 11th and 12th after struggling to switch on the soft compound in cooler-than-expected conditions. Hamilton described the session as “devastating” and hinted that bold strategy may be Ferrari’s only route forward on a circuit where overtaking is notoriously difficult.

Crash-induced chaos and steward rulings

The afternoon’s drama centred on two heavy accidents:

Franco Colapinto (Alpine) spun into the barriers in Q1. Although mechanics repaired his A525 in time for Q2, the stewards penalised Alpine for an unsafe release when they hurried him back out, dropping the Argentine rookie one grid spot to 16th.

Yuki Tsunoda (Red Bull) clipped the kerb at Acque Minerali, snapped into the wall, and failed to set a time. Red Bull successfully petitioned the stewards for permission to start, so Tsunoda will line up 20th instead of a DNQ.

Full grid (penalties applied)

Pos Driver Team Qualifying Gap

1 Oscar Piastri McLaren —
2 Max Verstappen Red Bull +0.034 s
3 George Russell Mercedes +0.137 s
4 Lando Norris McLaren +0.292 s
5 Fernando Alonso Aston Martin +0.761 s
6 Carlos Sainz Williams +0.762 s
7 Alex Albon Williams +0.803 s
8 Lance Stroll Aston Martin +0.911 s
9 Isack Hadjar Racing Bulls +1.076 s
10 Pierre Gasly Alpine +1.117 s
11 Charles Leclerc Ferrari Q2 exit
12 Lewis Hamilton Ferrari Q2 exit
13 Kimi Antonelli Mercedes Q2 exit
14 Gabriel Bortoleto Sauber Q2 exit
15 Liam Lawson Racing Bulls Q1 exit
16 Franco Colapinto* Alpine Q2 exit
17 Nico Hülkenberg Sauber Q1 exit
18 Esteban Ocon Haas Q1 exit
19 Ollie Bearman Haas Q1 exit
20 Yuki Tsunoda* Red Bull DNQ granted start

Colapinto: one-place drop for unsafe release.
Tsunoda: permitted to start after failing to set a time.
What to watch

Turn 2 crunch time: Piastri must nail his launch; Verstappen’s lightning starts are legendary.

Ferrari strategy gambles: Expect an aggressive undercut or even a risky hard-tyre opening stint to claw back positions.

Williams vs Aston Martin: Both teams are vying for “best of the rest” honours; their differing downforce levels could create a cat-and-mouse storyline through the second stint.

With overtaking at Imola still a premium commodity, today’s 63-lap contest could hinge as much on pit-lane bravery as on outright pace. Whatever unfolds, the stage is set for a thriller beneath the Italian spring sunshine.