Oscar Piastri claimed pole position in a dramatic qualifying session for the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix as Lewis Hamilton suffered an early exit in his first home race for Ferrari and Yuki Tsunoda walked away from a major crash.
Piastri delivered a flawless lap when it mattered to beat Max Verstappen’s time by just 0.034 seconds, after the Dutchman surged to the top of the charts in pursuit of a third successive pole.
Lando Norris could manage only fourth for McLaren – over three tenths off the pole pace – after being edged out at the last by George Russell, who will start from third for Mercedes.
Hamilton had expressed excitement and expectation ahead of his first home race weekend as a Ferrari driver, but his Saturday ended in bitter disappointment after he was knocked out in the second part of qualifying.
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F1 driver standings after Imola GP
1. Oscar Piastri – 146 points
2. Lando Norris – 133 points
3. Max Verstappen – 124 points
4. George Russell – 99 points
5. Charles Leclerc – 63 points
6. Lewis Hamilton – 53 points
7. Kimi Antonelli – 48 points
8. Alex Albon – 38 points
9. Esteban Ocon – 14 points
10. Lance Stroll – 14 points
11. Carlos Sainz – 11 points
12. Yuki Tsunoda – 10 points
13. Isack Hadjar – 7 points
14. Pierre Gasly – 7 points
15. Nico Hulkenberg – 6 points
16. Ollie Bearman – 6 points
17. Liam Lawson – 0 points
18. Fernando Alonso – 0 points
19. Jack Doohan – 0 points
20. Gabriel Bortoleto – 0 points
F1 constructor standings – TBC
1. McLaren – 246 points
2. Mercedes – 141 points
3. Red Bull – 105 points
4. Ferrari – 94 points
5. Williams – 37 points
6. Haas – 20 points
7. Aston Martin – 14 points
8. Racing Bulls – 8 points
9. Alpine – 7 points
10. Sauber – 6 points
