Grand Prix in Imola
Imola GP: Qualifying – LIVE from 4pm
Formula 1 world champion Max Verstappen has secured pole position for the Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix in Imola despite difficulties in practice.
The Red Bull driver from the Netherlands was just faster than the McLaren duo Oscar Piastri (+0.073) and Lando Norris (+0.091) in qualifying on Saturday at the Autodromo Enzo e Dino Ferrari. This means that Verstappen will also start from the front in the seventh race of the season on Sunday (3pm).
Here is the final qualifying result:
"Difficult start"
"What a difficult start, but we turned it around. That's fantastic," Verstappen radioed to the pits, audibly relieved, after the 26-year-old was still struggling with the setup of his car on Friday. "It's a very difficult weekend and I'm very happy to be on pole. I didn't expect that." For Verstappen, it was the 39th pole of his career and the eighth in a row over the course of the season, equaling a record set by Ayrton Senna in 1988 and 1989.
For Verstappen, it was the 39th pole of his career and the eighth in a row across seasons, equaling a record set by Ayrton Senna in the McLaren in 1988 and 1989. The Brazilian motorsport icon Senna died in a fatal accident in Imola 30 years ago, as did Roland Ratzenberger from Salzburg. "It's something very special because it's been 30 years since he died. This is certainly a nice tribute to him," added Verstappen.
The Ferrari duo of Charles Leclerc (+0.224) and Carlos Sainz (+0.487) had to settle for fourth and fifth on the grid at their home race. Mercedes driver George Russell finished sixth ahead of Racing Bulls driver Yuki Tsunoda. Meanwhile, Sergio Perez in the second Red Bull and Aston Martin driver Fernando Alonso were disappointed. Perez missed out on the top 10 by 15 thousandths of a second and finished eleventh, while Alonso even had to settle for 19th and penultimate place on the grid after a trip into the gravel and several mistakes of his own.
Verstappen will spend the time before the Grand Prix a little differently than usual. The triple world champion will take part in a virtual 24-hour race at the Nürburgring. He will alternate with other sim racers in his team, and Verstappen plans to take between two and four hours on Saturday night and Sunday morning. "Of course, you have to go to bed on time to get enough sleep and start Sunday rested," said Verstappen, defending his virtual motorsport hobby: "This is my free time and I'm professional enough to decide for myself what's okay and what's not."
Verstappen leads the overall championship standings with a 33-point advantage over Perez. Leclerc is 38 points behind in third place.
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