Verstappen Outpaces McLarens for Imola Pole Position.

Posted 5 months ago

Max Verstappen from Red Bull secured pole position at the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix after a closely contested battle against the McLarens.

Max Verstappen edged out Oscar Piastri by just 0.074 seconds to claim pole position at the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix. Piastri had a stellar final lap, beating Lando Norris by a mere 0.017 seconds to secure second place in qualifying.

However, Piastri received a three-place grid penalty for impeding Kevin Magnussen during the initial part of qualifying, which pushes him down to fifth on the starting grid.

Charles Leclerc from Ferrari qualified third, with Carlos Sainz right behind him, followed by George Russell from Mercedes in sixth place, Yuki Tsunoda from Red Bull in seventh, and Lewis Hamilton from Mercedes in eighth.

Verstappen's pole position marks his eighth consecutive pole, equaling Ayrton Senna's record from the late 1980s.

This achievement is particularly poignant as it coincides with the 30th anniversary of Senna's tragic accident at the 1994 San Marino Grand Prix, which occurred on the same circuit.

Despite Red Bull's perceived struggles throughout the weekend, Verstappen expressed surprise and happiness at securing pole position, especially after making changes to his setup before qualifying. He credited these adjustments for improving his performance on what he described as an "unbelievable" track.