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Imola’s Formula One history is tinged with tragedy, and the circuit’s future looks uncertain – but it has still delivered some extraordinary moments:
The grid
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Oscar Piastri (McLaren)
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Max Verstappen (Red Bull)
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George Russell (Mercedes)
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Lando Norris (McLaren)
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Fernando Alonso (Aston Martin)
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Carlos Sainz (Williams)
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Alex Albon (Williams)
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Lance Stroll (Aston Martin)
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Isack Hadjar (RacingBulls)
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Pierre Gasly (Alpine)
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Charles Leclerc (Ferrari)
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Lewis Hamilton (Ferrari)
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Kimi Antonelli (Mercedes)
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Gabriel Bortoleto (Sauber)
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Liam Lawson (RacingBulls)
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Franco Colapinto (Alpine)
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Nico Hülkenberg (Sauber)
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Esteban Ocon (Haas)
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Oliver Bearman (Haas)
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Yuki Tsunoda (Red Bull) – pit lane
Preamble
Welcome to Imola, where Oscar Piastri continues his world title tilt on pole after just pipping the defending champion, Max Verstappen, in qualifying. The Thunder from Down Under (as I’m christening Piastri in the hope it catches on) has won four of the season’s first six races, including the last three in Bahrain, Jeddah and Miami.
The Australian appears to have overtaken Lando Norris as McLaren’s leading man, but can he continue his red-hot grand prix form as F1 begins its European swing? Norris has endured another frustrating weekend trailing his teammate, and starts fourth on the grid today, with Mercedes’ George Russell alongside him in third.
Verstappen, pole-sitter in the last two races but beaten by Piastri, will be eager to respond in kind with a third straight win at Imola; his Red Bull teammate, Yuki Tsunoda, starts from the pit lane after a big crash in qualifying. Aston Martin impressed, with Fernando Alonso fifth and Lance Stroll eighth, sandwiching the Williams of Carlos Sainz and Alex Albon.
As for Ferrari, returning to home turf has been a chastening experience, with Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton both failing to make it out of Q2 and starting 11th and 12th today. Can they give fans at Imola anything to cheer, or will Italy have to start claiming Piastri as one of their own? We’ll find out soon enough; lights out at 2pm BST.
