Oscar Piastri snatched a sensational pole position for the 2025 Emilia Romagna Grand Prix in a nail-biting end to a chaotic qualifying session, putting his McLaren at the front by just 0.034s over Max Verstappen. The championship leader delivered under pressure in Q3, lighting up the final sector to edge out the Red Bull driver at the end and continue his imperious form in the 2025 F1 season.
What To Know?
- Piastri on Pole: Oscar Piastri edged Max Verstappen by just 0.034s to take pole in a tense Q3 shootout, continuing his strong 2025 F1 season form.
- Ferrari Collapse at Home: Leclerc and Hamilton both missed Q3, marking Ferrari’s worst Imola qualifying since the circuit returned to the calendar.
- Crashes and Chaos: Huge shunts for Yuki Tsunoda and Franco Colapinto in Q1 brought red flags and drama, with both drivers walking away unscathed.
Verstappen had looked set to claim top spot after the opening Q3 runs, but Piastri’s 1:14.670 lap at the chequered flag flipped the script — and added another layer to what is fast becoming a thrilling title battle. George Russell put in a bold effort on medium tyres to take third for Mercedes, just ahead of Lando Norris, who couldn’t find the pace to match his teammate on his final push and would line up fourth.
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2025 Emilia Romagna Grand Prix: F1 Race, Qualifying & Winners
The drama didn’t stop with the fight at the front. Ferrari endured a disastrous home qualifying, with Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton both eliminated in Q2 after struggling all weekend with braking instability. The Tifosi were left stunned as their scarlet cars failed to even make the top ten, Leclerc and Hamilton stranded in 11th and 12th respectively — Ferrari’s worst qualifying result at Imola since the circuit’s return in 2020.
Elsewhere, Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso delivered his strongest Saturday of the year with P5, while Williams enjoyed a standout session with Carlos Sainz and Alex Albon locking out sixth and seventh. Lance Stroll also made medium tyres work to grab eighth, ahead of Racing Bulls rookie Isack Hadjar and Alpine’s Pierre Gasly, who completed the top 10.
But the session wasn’t without carnage. Q1 was interrupted by two major incidents: Red Bull’s Yuki Tsunoda suffered a terrifying high-speed crash that sent his car flipping into the gravel, though he walked away unharmed. Moments later, Alpine newcomer Franco Colapinto also found the barriers, ending his session early after initially setting a lap good enough for Q2 — though he couldn’t take part due to the damage.
Home favourite Kimi Antonelli failed to match the highs of his earlier weekend form, bowing out in 13th, while Kick Sauber’s Gabriel Bortoleto and Colapinto filled the last Q2 slots. Liam Lawson and Nico Hulkenberg just missed the cut in 16th and 17th, the latter’s final lap ruined by a trip through the gravel.
It was another rough day for Haas as both Esteban Ocon and Ollie Bearman dropped out in Q1. Bearman’s fate was sealed by a red flag timing call, his potentially quicker lap disqualified after a review confirmed he didn’t cross the line in time before Colapinto’s crash stopped the session.
With McLaren locking out the front row for most of the weekend and Piastri now perfectly placed to extend his championship lead, Sunday’s race promised fireworks at one of F1’s most unforgiving circuits. But with Verstappen lurking on the front row and Russell threatening from third, nothing was guaranteed.
2025 Emilia Romagna GP Qualifying Results
2025 Emilia Romagna Grand Prix Qualifying, 17 May 2025
| Pos | No | Driver | Car | Q1 | Q2 | Q3 | Laps |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 81 | Oscar Piastri | McLaren Mercedes | 1:15.500 | 1:15.214 | 1:14.670 | 18 |
| 2 | 1 | Max Verstappen | Red Bull Racing Honda RBPT | 1:15.175 | 1:15.394 | 1:14.704 | 17 |
| 3 | 63 | George Russell | Mercedes | 1:15.852 | 1:15.334 | 1:14.807 | 17 |
| 4 | 4 | Lando Norris | McLaren Mercedes | 1:15.894 | 1:15.261 | 1:14.962 | 19 |
| 5 | 14 | Fernando Alonso | Aston Martin Aramco Mercedes | 1:15.695 | 1:15.442 | 1:15.431 | 19 |
| 6 | 55 | Carlos Sainz | Williams Mercedes | 1:15.987 | 1:15.198 | 1:15.432 | 21 |
| 7 | 23 | Alexander Albon | Williams Mercedes | 1:16.123 | 1:15.521 | 1:15.473 | 20 |
| 8 | 18 | Lance Stroll | Aston Martin Aramco Mercedes | 1:15.817 | 1:15.497 | 1:15.581 | 21 |
| 9 | 6 | Isack Hadjar | Racing Bulls Honda RBPT | 1:16.253 | 1:15.510 | 1:15.746 | 17 |
| 10 | 10 | Pierre Gasly | Alpine Renault | 1:15.937 | 1:15.505 | 1:15.787 | 17 |
| 11 | 16 | Charles Leclerc | Ferrari | 1:16.108 | 1:15.604 | 14 | |
| 12 | 44 | Lewis Hamilton | Ferrari | 1:16.163 | 1:15.765 | 14 | |
| 13 | 12 | Kimi Antonelli | Mercedes | 1:15.943 | 1:15.772 | 13 | |
| 14 | 5 | Gabriel Bortoleto | Kick Sauber Ferrari | 1:16.340 | 1:16.260 | 15 | |
| 15 | 43 | Franco Colapinto | Alpine Renault | 1:16.256 | 5 | ||
| 16 | 30 | Liam Lawson | Racing Bulls Honda RBPT | 1:16.379 | 6 | ||
| 17 | 27 | Nico Hulkenberg | Kick Sauber Ferrari | 1:16.518 | 9 | ||
| 18 | 31 | Esteban Ocon | Haas Ferrari | 1:16.613 | 9 | ||
| 19 | 87 | Oliver Bearman | Haas Ferrari | 1:16.918 | 8 | ||
| NC | 22 | Yuki Tsunoda | Red Bull Racing Honda RBPT | DNF | 2 | ||
| Note – Tsunoda failed to set a time in Q1 and races at the Stewards’ discretion. Colapinto was handed a one-place grid drop for failing to follow the Race Director’s instructions. | |||||||
2025 Emilia Romagna Grand Prix Starting Grid
The Grand Prix starting grid, with or without penalties, after the 2025 Emilia Romagna Grand Prix Qualifying session.
| Pos | No | Driver | Car | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 81 | Oscar Piastri | McLaren Mercedes | 1:14.670 |
| 2 | 1 | Max Verstappen | Red Bull Racing Honda RBPT | 1:14.704 |
| 3 | 63 | George Russell | Mercedes | 1:14.807 |
| 4 | 4 | Lando Norris | McLaren Mercedes | 1:14.962 |
| 5 | 14 | Fernando Alonso | Aston Martin Aramco Mercedes | 1:15.431 |
| 6 | 55 | Carlos Sainz | Williams Mercedes | 1:15.432 |
| 7 | 23 | Alexander Albon | Williams Mercedes | 1:15.473 |
| 8 | 18 | Lance Stroll | Aston Martin Aramco Mercedes | 1:15.581 |
| 9 | 6 | Isack Hadjar | Racing Bulls Honda RBPT | 1:15.746 |
| 10 | 10 | Pierre Gasly | Alpine Renault | 1:15.787 |
| 11 | 16 | Charles Leclerc | Ferrari | 1:15.604 |
| 12 | 44 | Lewis Hamilton | Ferrari | 1:15.765 |
| 13 | 12 | Kimi Antonelli | Mercedes | 1:15.772 |
| 14 | 5 | Gabriel Bortoleto | Kick Sauber Ferrari | 1:16.260 |
| 15 | 30 | Liam Lawson | Racing Bulls Honda RBPT | 1:16.379 |
| 16 | 43 | Franco Colapinto | Alpine Renault | |
| 17 | 27 | Nico Hulkenberg | Kick Sauber Ferrari | 1:16.518 |
| 18 | 31 | Esteban Ocon | Haas Ferrari | 1:16.613 |
| 19 | 87 | Oliver Bearman | Haas Ferrari | 1:16.918 |
| 20 | 22 | Yuki Tsunoda | Red Bull Racing Honda RBPT |
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