2025 Imola Qualifying Report – By Luke Pons
Q1 started with both Ferrari drivers out on track within the first minutes looking to warm up the Tiffosi crowd but Hamilton’s 1:16.258 was even slower than Fernando Alonso’s pacesetting time. Charles Leclerc was even slower than Lewis Hamilton, a whopping 0.360s off Albon in fifth. However, the grid was stunned into silence as Yuki Tsunoda spun at high-speed and the car then flipped as it approached the barrier, landing upside down before the roll hoop turned him back over. Thankfully, he hopped out the car himself and, on first look, doesn’t appear to have suffered any serious injury. The crash proved once again how vital the Halo safety piece is on the car to saving the drivers lives. About 15 minutes later we continued Alpine set to be in trouble after sending Franco Colapinto out into the pit lane before a session restart time was formally confirmed, only when there was an estimated one. Only half the grid set times before the red flag, so it was set to be a chaotic end. 6 minutes to go Max Verstappen lodged his challenge to Mclaren setting a 1:15.175 three tenths quicker than Oscar Piastri. Hamilton couldn’t find much improvement on his used tyres and only goes 11th. Yet another crash on the chequered flag Colapinto got into the grass on his way into Tamburello and then spun as a result. It was a heavy impact into the barrier, as he ultimately hit it front on. Bearman foiled by red flag he did a lap that was good enough for 10th, but the red flag was thrown just before he crossed the line. He loses the lap and is therefore out in P19.
Drivers eliminated: 16) Liam Lawson, Racing Bulls17) Nico Hulkenberg, Sauber 18) Esteban Ocon, Haas 19) Oliver Bearman, Haas 20) Yuki Tsunoda, Red Bull
Unsurprisingly, with more barrier repairs required after that second crash of Q1, the start of Q2 was slightly delayed. Max Verstappen the first of the front-runners to set a time. with a 1:15.400. 11 minutes to go It’s second and third for Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton respectively at the end of their opening laps. Leclerc 0.2s away from Verstappen, with Hamilton a further tenth adrift. No one has gone as quick as Max Verstappen managed in Q1, but it’s Oscar Piastri who takes the early advantage in the second phase with a lap of 1:15.241. The gap between Piastri and Lando Norris just a mere 0.020s. Verstappen is third, 0.159s back, with Russell fourth and Leclerc fifth with Hamilton sixth. Hometown hero Kimi Antonelli struggling in 10th and will need to find some more speed to advance. Aston Martin brought a big upgrade here to Imola to try and turn around their underwhelming season and, so far, things were going nicely for Fernando Alonso who set eighth quickest after the first laps in this session. Lance Stroll also in contention for Q3 in 11th. Disaster struck Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton qualified 11th and 12th at Imola. Neither driver improved on their final soft-tyre lap, and they were then jumped by a host of other runners behind them on the timesheet who did, including the Aston Martins on the theoretically slower medium tyres! A bad day for the Italians all round with Kimi Antonelli out in 13th. OUT in Q2 11) Charles Leclerc, Ferrari 12) Lewis Hamilton, Ferrari 13) Kimi Antonelli, Mercedes14) Gabriel Bortoleto, Sauber 15) Franco Colapinto, Williams
Whether it was a bold tyre strategy or the effect of their latest upgrades, Aston Martin certainly have taken a surprising step forward in form. Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll both made it through in P6 and P7, showing strong pace. Pierre Gasly and Isack Hadjar also impressed, securing spots in P8 and P9, respectively. And to round it all off Carlos Sainz topped the Q2 timesheets!
The remaining cars wasted no time all 10 heading straight for the track.
Lando Norris delivered a 1:14.962, but he’s immediately beaten by Oscar Piastri, who’s a tenth quicker. 6 minutes left George Russell is the best of the rest in P4. Carlos Sainz can’t reproduce his Q2 pace as he edges out Williams team-mate Alex Albon for eight, but both of them were on used tyres. inspired by that Aston Martin gamble in Q2, a few cars heading out on mediums. The Astons using them again, while Mercedes’ George Russell followed suit. In the final minute Lando Norris went on the radio to say that something inside the cockpit is getting in the way of his leg. As the Chequered flag came down provisional pole position for Oscar Piastri as he lowered Max Verstappen’s benchmark by a tenth. Lando Norris couldn’t improve from third. Max Verstappen can’t do it this time. Oscar Piastri, despite that traffic in the final sector snatches Imola pole away from the world champion by 0.034s. Verstappen improved his own time but not by enough as he can’t improve on what became second. Russel landed a further blow to Norris taking P3 pushing him down to P4.
The real big story of today was certainly Aston Martin as Alonso in FIFTH It was again the medium tyres at the end of Q3 that helped make the difference for that heavily upgraded car. Alonso’s best GP starting spot this season had been 12th fifth is his best since April 2024 in China.
Will Aston Martin cause an upset and can Oscar Piastri better his teammate yet again this season? We shall certainly find out at “The Temple of Speed” later this afternoon
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