Pole position qualifier Max Verstappen of the Netherlands driving the (1) Oracle Red Bull Racing RB20 stops in parc ferme during qualifying ahead of the F1 Grand Prix of Emilia-Romagna at Autodromo Enzo e Dino Ferrari Circuit on May 18, 2024 in Imola, Italy. (Photo by Mark Thompson/Getty Images)
IMOLA, Italy – Charles Leclerc and Ferrari flexed their muscles in the opening two practices the day prior, but a new day brought along the final practice and qualifying for the 2024 Formula 1 Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix at the famed Autodromo Internazionale Enzo e Dino Ferrari, otherwise known as the Imola Circuit. Ferrari looked to be quick, however it was shaping up to be a close battle with McLaren and Red Bull Racing’s Max Verstappen close by.
Red Flags during the final practice punctuated another chaotic session as teams attempted to make final changes to their cars ahead of qualifying for the race. The first red flag was brought out after Fernando Alonso’s Aston Martin slid into the barriers after going through Rivazza. Later, as the session was nearing its close, Sergio Perez’s Red Bull soon found himself into the gravel and into the wall in Turn 15, bringing out a second red flag.
By the time the session eventually came to a close after the pair of red flags, a new challenger had shown their desire to fight Ferrari. Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris’s McLarens grabbed the first and second fastest times of the session, ahead of the Ferraris of Carlos Sainz and Leclerc. Meanwhile, George Russell’s Mercedes continued to show impressive pace, as he claimed the fifth quickest time.
Oscar Piastri of Australia driving the (81) McLaren MCL38 Mercedes leads Max Verstappen of the Netherlands driving the (1) Oracle Red Bull Racing RB20 during final practice ahead of the F1 Grand Prix of Emilia-Romagna at Autodromo Enzo e Dino Ferrari Circuit on May 18, 2024 in Imola, Italy. (Photo by Clive Rose/Getty Images)
Teams now turned their attention to qualifying, which was shaping up to be an interesting battle for the front row. Red Bull was seemingly nowhere to be seen so far.
As Aston Martin finished repairs to Alonso’s car, the first round of qualifying was set to begin. Multiple teams had elected to run a different compound to begin the session, such as the Ferraris and Russell, electing to start the session on the Medium compound tire.
As the tricky wind conditions from the previous day continued, drivers were still trying to find the limits of the track. Alonso’s rough day looked to get worse as he made a trip through the gravel, making it more likely that he would not move on to the next round. Elsewhere on track, replays showed Piastri seemingly blocking the Haas of Kevin Magnussen, which would turn into a three-place grid penalty for the McLaren driver.
By the time the session ended, Alonso had not been able to climb out of the bottom five and missed out on the second round for the first time in 2024. Meanwhile, he was joined by both Kick Saubers of Valtteri Bottas and Zhou Guanyu, the annoyed Magnussen and the Williams of Logan Sargeant.
As the second round got underway, attention was soon turning to the Red Bull of Verstappen as after he picked up the quickest time in the first round, he soon backed that up with another quick time to open the session, perhaps showing that the reports of Red Bull’s demise may have been exaggerated. However, on the other side of the garage, Perez was struggling and looked to be on the verge of missing the final round, much like what happened numerous times in 2023.
By the time the second round came to an end, it was once again Perez looking on the outside looking in while the Visa Cash App RBs of Yuki Tsunoda and Daniel Ricciardo were showing impressive pace at the team’s home track. Perez was joined by both Alpines of Esteban Ocon and Pierre Gasly, with Aston Martin’s Lance Stroll and the other Williams of Alex Albon on the outside looking in.
Max Verstappen of the Netherlands driving the (1) Oracle Red Bull Racing RB20 on track during qualifying ahead of the F1 Grand Prix of Emilia-Romagna at Autodromo Enzo e Dino Ferrari Circuit on May 18, 2024 in Imola, Italy. (Photo by Lars Baron/Getty Images)
With the final 10 cars set for the final round, it was looking to be Verstappen versus Piastri and Norris. The Red Bull laid down the opening gauntlet, as he had done multiple times in the previous two years, while Norris and Leclerc were slotting in just behind him on the timing sheets. Soon, as the final runs were coming in, the Red Bull laid down another quick lap that solidified pole position.
Verstappen’s pole position triumph collects him his seventh pole of the season and eighth in a row dating back to Abu Dhabi in 2023. It matches Ayrton Senna’s record in a historic manner. Following behind came both McLarens less than a tenth of a second away with Piastri and Norris, though a three-place grid penalty for Piastri drops him to fifth.
While their strong showing on Friday showed promise, Leclerc and Sainz had to settle for fourth and fifth, ahead of Russell, Tsunoda, Lewis Hamilton’s Mercedes and Ricciardo. Nico Hulkenberg’s Haas rounds out the Top 10.
Attention now turns to the Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix, where Max Verstappen looks to collect a hat-trick of Imola victories. However, a hungry McLaren team looking to collect their second victory in a row is in fast pursuit.
