F1 Emilia Romagna GP qualifying results: Verstappen takes sprint pole at Imola

Verstappen will start the sprint qualifying race ahead of Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc and McLaren’s Lando Norris – who was one of many drivers to go off – following the one-hour qualifying session, which was halted on multiple occasions.

The result of Saturday’s sprint race sets the grid for Sunday’s main event. The winner of the sprint will be awarded with the event’s pole position accolade.

Emilia Romagna Grand Prix qualifying results: Verstappen on pole from Leclerc

Cla	Driver		Time	Gap	km/h
1	Max Verstappen		1'27.999		200.825
2	Charles Leclerc		1'28.778	0.779	199.062
3	Lando Norris		1'29.131	1.132	198.274
4	Kevin Magnussen		1'29.164	1.165	198.201
5	Fernando Alonso		1'29.202	1.203	198.116
6	Daniel Ricciardo		1'29.742	1.743	196.924
7	Sergio Perez		1'29.808	1.809	196.779
8	Valtteri Bottas		1'30.439	2.440	195.406
9	Sebastian Vettel		1'31.062	3.063	194.069
10	Carlos Sainz Jr
11	George Russell		1'20.757		218.834
12	Mick Schumacher		1'20.916		218.404
13	Lewis Hamilton		1'21.138		217.806
14	Zhou Guanyu		1'21.434		217.015
15	Lance Stroll		1'28.119	0.120	200.551
16	Yuki Tsunoda		1'20.474		219.603
17	Pierre Gasly		1'20.732		218.902
18	Nicholas Latifi		1'21.971		215.593
19	Esteban Ocon		1'22.338		214.632
20	Alex Albon
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What happened in Q1?

The session began on a slightly damp but quickly drying track. A red flag was required after 12 minutes for Alex Albon’s Williams when its right-rear brake overheated and caught fire, causing the tyre to explode as he toured back to the pits.

Times tumbled throughout the session, with Sainz taking the top spot with seven minutes to go with a lap of 1m20.319s, 0.03s ahead of Verstappen. Leclerc then took control with four minutes remaining with 1m19.545s, 0.015s faster than Sainz, but the Spaniard took it back with 1m19.305s before Verstappen pipped him by 0.01s on 1m19.295s. Leclerc then grabbed top spot for good by half a second with 1m18.796s.

In the battle to make it through to Q2, Lewis Hamilton only just made it through by 0.004s. Falling at the first hurdle were the AlphaTauris of Yuki Tsunoda and Pierre Gasly, Alpine’s Esteban Ocon (who had a suspected gearbox problem) and the Williams cars of Nicholas Latifi (who spun) and Albon.

Emilia Romagna Grand Prix Q1 results: Leclerc fastest from Verstappen

Cla	Driver	Chassis	Laps	Time	Gap	Interval	km/h
1	Charles Leclerc	Ferrari	10	1'18.796			224.280
2	Max Verstappen	Red Bull	11	1'19.295	0.499	0.499	222.869
3	Carlos Sainz Jr	Ferrari	10	1'19.305	0.509	0.010	222.840
4	Zhou Guanyu	Alfa Romeo	13	1'19.730	0.934	0.425	221.653
5	Sergio Perez	Red Bull	12	1'19.773	0.977	0.043	221.533
6	Daniel Ricciardo	McLaren	11	1'19.980	1.184	0.207	220.960
7	Kevin Magnussen	Haas	11	1'20.147	1.351	0.167	220.499
8	Lando Norris	McLaren	10	1'20.168	1.372	0.021	220.442
9	Fernando Alonso	Alpine	12	1'20.198	1.402	0.030	220.359
10	Lance Stroll	Aston Martin	11	1'20.342	1.546	0.144	219.964
11	Sebastian Vettel	Aston Martin	12	1'20.364	1.568	0.022	219.904
12	George Russell	Mercedes	13	1'20.383	1.587	0.019	219.852
13	Valtteri Bottas	Alfa Romeo	13	1'20.419	1.623	0.036	219.754
14	Mick Schumacher	Haas	13	1'20.422	1.626	0.003	219.745
15	Lewis Hamilton	Mercedes	12	1'20.470	1.674	0.048	219.614
16	Yuki Tsunoda	AlphaTauri	11	1'20.474	1.678	0.004	219.603
17	Pierre Gasly	AlphaTauri	11	1'20.732	1.936	0.258	218.902
18	Nicholas Latifi	Williams	13	1'21.971	3.175	1.239	215.593
19	Esteban Ocon	Alpine	9	1'22.338	3.542	0.367	214.632
20	Alex Albon	Williams	3
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What happened in Q2?

More rain was threatening at the start of the session, sending the remaining cars out on track immediately.

Sainz set the initial pace at 1m18.990s but that was quickly beaten by Verstappen on 1m18.793s. A second red flag was soon required when Sainz put his Ferrari into the tyres at Rivazza. Lando Norris was third fastest for McLaren, ahead of Sergio Perez (Red Bull) and Leclerc.

Rain fell during the break, meaning there would be no further improvements. Knocked out at this point were George Russell (Mercedes), Mick Schumacher (Haas), Hamilton, Guanyu Zhou (Alfa Romeo) and Lance Stroll (Aston Martin) – who didn’t get a representative lap time in before the stoppage.

Emilia Romagna Grand Prix Grand Prix Q2 results: Verstappen fastest from Sainz

Cla	Driver	Chassis	Laps	Time	Gap	Interval	km/h
1	Max Verstappen	Red Bull	3	1'18.793			224.288
2	Carlos Sainz Jr	Ferrari	3	1'18.990	0.197	0.197	223.729
3	Lando Norris	McLaren	5	1'19.294	0.501	0.304	222.871
4	Sergio Perez	Red Bull	5	1'19.296	0.503	0.002	222.866
5	Charles Leclerc	Ferrari	4	1'19.584	0.791	0.288	222.059
6	Fernando Alonso	Alpine	6	1'19.595	0.802	0.011	222.029
7	Kevin Magnussen	Haas	3	1'19.902	1.109	0.307	221.175
8	Sebastian Vettel	Aston Martin	6	1'19.957	1.164	0.055	221.023
9	Daniel Ricciardo	McLaren	3	1'20.031	1.238	0.074	220.819
10	Valtteri Bottas	Alfa Romeo	5	1'20.192	1.399	0.161	220.376
11	George Russell	Mercedes	3	1'20.757	1.964	0.565	218.834
12	Mick Schumacher	Haas	3	1'20.916	2.123	0.159	218.404
13	Lewis Hamilton	Mercedes	3	1'21.138	2.345	0.222	217.806
14	Zhou Guanyu	Alfa Romeo	3	1'21.434	2.641	0.296	217.015
15	Lance Stroll	Aston Martin	3	1'28.119	9.326	6.685	200.551
View full results

What happened in Q3?

With Sainz taking an early bath, nine cars contested the sprint pole shootout in damp conditions.

The first runs, with all cars using intermediate tyres, were halted when Kevin Magnussen spun his Haas at Acqua Minerale. Meanwhile, Verstappen had a brief grassy off on his out lap.

After the restart, Leclerc set the bar at 1m18.778s, 0.02s quicker than Verstappen.

Verstappen then grabbed the top spot with 1m27.999s, 0.779s faster than Leclerc, despite being forced to lift off for Valtteri Bottas stopping in the final sector with a broken exhaust ahead of him. This caused another red flag. Verstappen went off into the gravel on his next lap, just as the red flag came out.

The session resumed with three minutes to go, but more rain had fallen while Bottas’s Alfa Romeo was recovered. Verstappen and Leclerc will line up on the front row, ahead of Norris (who went off at Acqua Minerale to halt qualifying yet again) and Magnussen.

Alpine’s Fernando Alonso will start the sprint in fifth, ahead of Daniel Ricciardo (McLaren), Perez, Bottas, Sebastian Vettel (Aston Martin) and Sainz.

Emilia Romagna Grand Prix Q3 results: Verstappen takes sprint pole

Cla	Driver	Chassis	Laps	Time	Gap	Interval	km/h
1	Max Verstappen	Red Bull	8	1'27.999			200.825
2	Charles Leclerc	Ferrari	8	1'28.778	0.779	0.779	199.062
3	Lando Norris	McLaren	7	1'29.131	1.132	0.353	198.274
4	Kevin Magnussen	Haas	7	1'29.164	1.165	0.033	198.201
5	Fernando Alonso	Alpine	8	1'29.202	1.203	0.038	198.116
6	Daniel Ricciardo	McLaren	7	1'29.742	1.743	0.540	196.924
7	Sergio Perez	Red Bull	8	1'29.808	1.809	0.066	196.779
8	Valtteri Bottas	Alfa Romeo	5	1'30.439	2.440	0.631	195.406
9	Sebastian Vettel	Aston Martin	7	1'31.062	3.063	0.623	194.069
10	Carlos Sainz Jr	Ferrari	0
View full results