Max Verstappen answers the call in qualifying at F1 Emilia Romagna Grand Prix

May 18, 2024

In a week when the F1 world was put on pause to honor two legends at the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix, it seems fitting that Saturday’s qualifying session was captured by one of the sport’s newest legends. It will be done.

Max Verstappen.

Despite struggling in Friday’s dual practice session, which the reigning drivers’ champion called a “bad day”, Verstappen put in an incredible performance at Imola on Saturday to take pole position and make history in the process. It was Verstappen’s eighth consecutive Grand Prix pole position since last year’s Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.

As a result, both often stoic parties were elated and surprised when the session ended.

“Well, it’s been a really difficult weekend so far, including this morning,” Verstappen told Davide Valsecchi trackside. “So I’m really happy to get pole position here.”

8 consecutive pole positions equals record It was set by Ayrton Senna, one of the legends the sport is celebrating this week. Verstappen spoke after qualifying about what the mark meant to him, with this week marking 30 years since the 1994 San Marino Grand Prix at Imola, where Senna and Roland Ratzenberger lost their lives.

“So of course I was very happy to get pole position here,” Verstappen said trackside. “And in a way, it’s a good memory.” [Senna]As you know, he was a great F1 driver.

Beyond that mark, Verstappen took seven consecutive pole positions to start the season. Equals the record set by Alain Prost in 1993.

Verstappen’s performance on Saturday is another chapter in the driver’s book of greatness. Given the contrast between Verstappen’s struggles and the pace shown by teams such as Ferrari and McLaren, the storyline heading into Saturday was that the qualifying session was a real make-or-break affair. But as we’ve seen many times before, when Verstappen is truly threatened, drivers can answer the call by pushing themselves and their cars to the limit and beyond. .

That’s what great people can do.

Now we wait to see what chapter Verstappen will write next in that great book.

Here are the full results of Saturday’s qualifying in Imola, along with the other winners and losers.

Winner: McLaren

Heading into Saturday’s qualifying session, the main storyline was whether Verstappen and Red Bull had really left the front door open and, if so, which team would break through it.

Verstappen closed the door with his incredible performance, but McLaren certainly opened it for Verstappen.

Oscar Piastri finished second in Saturday’s qualifying, with teammate Lando Norris third. Not only does this ensure McLaren will be in the front row at lights out on Sunday (more on this later), but in the battle behind Red Bull between McLaren, Ferrari and Mercedes, Team Papaya is certain to It shows that there is a possibility of fighting. Keep current edges.

“The last corner was a little dirty. But I think it’s very difficult to do a perfect lap around here. So I’m really happy,” Piastri said trackside after his qualifying efforts. “I felt really comfortable with this car from the moment I got in the car.” [it] Yesterday I was very close to pole position on the track, so I’m very happy. It’s been a while since I’ve been back here. ”

Norris hailed the result as part of a “very good weekend” so far for McLaren.

“But as a team, I think we’ve had a very good day and a very good weekend so far. Oscar has done a great job and so have I. It’s very exciting,” Norris said of Valsecchi. He spoke trackside. “Yes, we still need to get used to it, but we are getting closer to Red Bull and beating Ferrari would also be a great result for us, but it will be close. Tomorrow will be a good race.

“I hope it’s exciting to watch.”

Still, it’s possible that Norris instead of Piastri will be on the front row alongside Verstappen. 2nd year driver called up Due to an accident near the end of Q1 in which Piastri appeared to have held off Kevin Magnussen, he was scheduled to meet with race officials after qualifying. If authorities decide Piastri interfered with the Haas driver, he could face a three-place grid drop, with Norris promoted to second.

In any case, on Saturday McLaren proved that they really do have the pace to put pressure on Verstappen and perhaps challenge Red Bull in the upcoming races.

Loser: Fernando Alonso

Following a crash in Saturday’s FP3, the Aston Martin team fought until the final seconds before qualifying to ensure that Fernando Alonso secured a spot on the Q1 grid.

The team did a great job getting Alonso out on the track, but unfortunately his day ended in Q1. Alonso failed to advance to Q2 for the first time all season, finishing 19th in Q1 and being eliminated.

Alonso’s struggles in FP3 continued in Q1, when he went off the racing line after one lap and fell into the gravel while driving around the winding Tamburello section of the track.

Will things get complicated for Alonso? Overtaking is so important at Imola that starting from the back of the grid could turn a long Saturday into an even longer Sunday for veteran drivers.

Winner: VCARB

After Friday’s practice session, Visa Cash App RB F1 Team sporting director Alan Permane declared that Saturday’s goal was for both Yuki Tsunoda and Daniel Ricciardo to advance to Q3 for the first time all season.

Mission complete.

Tsunoda showed amazing speed in the RB01, and showed an amazing performance by finishing Q2 in 3rd place. He is scheduled to start seventh in the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix. As for Ricciardo, he struggled a bit with the car during practice on Friday, but made the most of the day on Saturday, holding off Sergio Perez in Q2 to advance to Q3 and finishing ninth.

On social media, the team praised both drivers for their performance as they made it to Q3.

With Tsunoda scheduled to start seventh and Ricciardo ninth on Sunday, VCARB has a chance to score a lot of points at the Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix. The team currently sits in sixth place in the constructors’ championship standings with 19 points, 12 points behind Haas in seventh place. Lance Stroll and Fernando Arons started behind them on Sunday, trailing fifth-placed Aston Martin by 23 points, but VCARB has the potential to not only extend its lead over Haas, but also have a strong lead over Aston Martin. There is also an opportunity to narrow the current gap.

Loser: Kevin Magnussen

On his first race weekend at Imola, Nico Hulkenberg achieved an impressive third place in the first qualifying session, advancing to Q2.

Things were very different for his Haas teammates, with Kevin Magnussen missing out on a place in Q1 and finishing 18th.

Magnussen may be unhappy with Oscar Piastri as replays show the Haas driver was likely stranded by the McLaren while Magnussen was doing a push lap . Race officials immediately flagged the incident for “further investigation”, but Magnussen, who is scheduled to start Sunday’s Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix from last place, is unlikely to face a three-place grid penalty against Piastri. That would be of little consolation.

Winner: Fan

Going back to the Miami Grand Prix, F1 fans had a fun few weeks.

Miami gave Norris his first F1 victory. This is the result that many fans have been waiting for, whether they are McLaren fans or not. Norris’ victory was celebrated across the paddock, from fellow drivers to journalists and fans of the sport.

But this week, it’s delivered in a different, but equally thrilling way.

Saturday might have ended like many other recent qualifying sessions, with Verstappen at the top of the timesheets, but not only was the Red Bull driver pushed to the brink by the chasing pack, but also the McLarens and Ferraris. The team achieved results similar to those seen in the past. For three days we drove with a real ability to put the car where we needed it and a real pace winding around Imola.

Yesterday’s practice session was thrilling, and it was thrilling again on Saturday as Verstappen claimed his eighth consecutive pole position.

Verstappen may be able to hold off the rest of the pack tomorrow and continue his strong run toward his fifth Grand Prix victory of the season. But what we’re seeing now is Field doing everything he can to involve him and slowly chipping away at his advantage up front.

There may not be a true title fight, at least not this season, but that day is getting closer. And there’s something special about seeing athletes pushed to their limits time and time again and responding when needed.

That’s what we saw from Verstappen on Saturday, and it couldn’t be more convincing.

Loser: Logan Sargent

Logan Sargent’s weekend began with Williams team principal James Vowles revealing that his second-year driver’s place with the team in 2025 is “at risk” due to his struggles this season.

All Q1 laps were deleted due to exceeding the track limit, and Saturday ended with no lap times recorded.

It’s going to be a frustrating day in a frustrating season, especially considering how Sargent looked in FP3 on Saturday morning. In the final practice session at Imola, Sargent moved up to 10th on the timesheets, but finished the session in 15th. That gave Williams hope that Sargent could make it to Q2, but Sargent reported during FP3 that the car was in a very good position for him.