Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix: Piastri Steals the Pole as Ferrari Stumbles
Qualifying calamity befalls Ferrari, Red Bull crash generates a hair-raising incident
In a rollercoaster qualifying session at the Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix, championship leader Oscar Piastri snatched pole position, leaving Ferrari reeling from another disappointing qualifying performance.
Oscar Piastri, the championship front-runner, clinched pole position for this weekend's race, outperforming his rivals with a lap time of 1:14.670. The Australian, aboard his McLaren, secured the grid's coveted top spot for Sunday's race (3:00 PM CET/RTL, RTL+, and Sky) [5]. World champion Max Verstappen (Netherlands/Red Bull) and Englishman George Russell (Mercedes) comprised the second and third positions [3].
An unfortunate disaster struck Ferrari during the qualifying round, resonating as another setback in their chase for pole position. Team principal Fred Vasseur expressed the Scuderia's sentiment, saying, "We're absolutely gutted. We couldn't deliver – we're pissed off" [2]. Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc finished 11th, with Lewis Hamilton in 12th, and Italian hopeful Kimi Antonelli (Mercedes) languishing in 13th. This performance added to the pressure on the Italian racing giants [1].
Frenzied First Lap for Piastri
Piastri's pole position marks his third such achievement this season, raising anticipation for Sunday's race [3]. His teammate, Lando Norris (England), trailed close behind in fourth position. In a close call, Piastri felt he might have lost the pole in the final corner but managed to hold on [5].
Ferrari's trio, including Leclerc, Hamilton, and Antonelli, experienced a disheartening qualifying session, falling short in their attempts to reach the third phase [2]. Nico Hulkenberg (Sauber) found himself in 17th position, making it a difficult task to rack up points [1].
Tsunoda's Scary Spin
Japanese rookie driver Yuki Tsunoda caused a scare in the opening part of qualifying after spinning off-track due to a driving error. Red Bull's Japanese driver crash-landed his car into the barriers, rolling over, leaving debris scattered [5]. Tsunoda released a heartfelt apology to his team for "causing unnecessary work" [2]. Ferrari advisor Helmut Marko harshly criticized Tsunoda's erratic driving, hinting that the costly errors had financial implications for the team [2].
Marko expressed confidence in Max Verstappen, who told reporters, "We might have found some pace – the car feels more stable now" [5]. Red Bull advisor Helmut Marko concurred, emphasizing that "Max has a lot of confidence in the car" [5].
Sources:[1] ntv.de[2] ter/sid[3] BBC[4] Dezeen[5] The Guardian
- Formula 1
- Ferrari
- Red Bull Racing
- Yuki Tsunoda
In the Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix, Red Bull Racing's Japanese driver Yuki Tsunoda experienced a concerning spin during qualifying, potentially causing additional work for his team. Meanwhile, Ferrari, another auto-racing giants, struggled in qualifying, further contributing to their pursuit of pole position in Formula 1 racing, similar to the one claimed by championship leader Oscar Piastri for this weekend's grand-prix event.
