Piastri Delivers Pole, Ferrari Implodes, and Heartbreak for Haas in a Red-Flag Shocker at Imola
Imola qualifying rarely disappoints, and this year, it delivered a session filled with wreckage, redemption, and outright reversals of fortune. Oscar Piastri claimed his first career Formula 1 pole in commanding fashion, rising above a disrupted field to lead a reshuffled top 10. Yet the spotlight also fell on Ferrari’s double disaster at home, Haas’s last-second heartbreak, and the sheer unpredictability of a session defined by red flags and timing misfortunes.
Q1: Red Flags Wreak Havoc
The first blow landed early when Yuki Tsunoda lost control over the Variante Alta kerbs and crashed heavily into the barriers. His Red Bull suffered extensive damage, and with concern evident across the paddock, Red Bull opted to fully rebuild his car overnight, including replacing the chassis, suspension, and floor. The crash brought out the first red flag and immediately reset the tone of the session.
Moments after the restart, Alpine rookie Franco Colapinto suffered a similar fate, snapping sideways into the barriers and triggering a second red flag. It marked his second crash of the weekend and compounded an already challenging debut campaign. He later received a one-place grid penalty for a separate red flag infraction from earlier in the event, capping off a bruising Saturday.
Ollie Bearman, meanwhile, looked to be delivering one of the stories of the day. On his final Q1 lap, he pushed his Haas to a personal best that would have seen him safely into Q2. But as the timing screens confirmed his pace, the red flag from Colapinto’s crash had already been activated, and Bearman crossed the line 3 seconds too late for the lap to count. His time was deleted, and he was eliminated. It was a devastatingly harsh outcome for a rookie who had delivered under pressure, only to be undone by a timing technicality.
Q2: Ferrari Collapse and No Italian Hope
If Q1 was chaotic, Q2 was catastrophic for Ferrari. Both Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton were eliminated from their home Grand Prix qualifying in front of a stunned Imola crowd. It was a total collapse, not the result of bad luck or red flags but a fundamental failure to extract pace from the car when it mattered. Hamilton qualified P11, Leclerc P12, and neither showed signs of progressing even without traffic or incident.
The silence in the grandstands as both cars exited the session spoke volumes. Ferrari team boss Frédéric Vasseur summed it up bluntly: the team didn’t execute and let the fans down. What was supposed to be a celebration of Ferrari heritage became a showcase of its current shortcomings.
Also out in Q2 was Mercedes rookie Kimi Antonelli, who qualified P13. Hopes that the home-grown driver might carry Italy’s banner into Q3 were dashed by a scrappy lap that never quite came together. With Bearman out in Q1 and no Italians in the top 10, the Imola crowd was left without a home driver to cheer on in Sunday’s race.
Q3: Piastri Perfection and Aston Martin’s Shock Return
Oscar Piastri seized pole position with a flawless lap in the closing minutes of Q3. While Verstappen had looked the favorite throughout the first two segments, Piastri delivered in Sector 3, where the McLaren had been strongest all weekend. Calm, composed, and efficient, his lap showcased the kind of driver McLaren has been quietly developing into a race winner.
Max Verstappen settled for second and admitted that the final run was messy and that the car felt off-balance. The team struggled with grip during qualifying, and Verstappen appeared visibly frustrated that execution, not performance, was the limiting factor.
Behind them, George Russell slotted into third for Mercedes, continuing a solid run of qualifying form.
McLaren’s day was bittersweet, however, as Lando Norris could only manage fourth after a scrappy final run. Post-session, Norris took full accountability, stating that the missed opportunity was entirely on his shoulders. It was a brutally honest assessment from a driver who’s recently found himself under pressure to keep pace with his fast-improving teammate.
The most surprising Q3 result came from Aston Martin. After struggling in free practice, both Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll reached Q3 thanks to aggressive overnight setup changes. The team abandoned their high-downforce baseline and rolled the dice with a low-drag configuration. It worked. Alonso qualified fifth and Stroll eighth, marking the team’s best combined performance of the season and what some are calling “the miracle of Imola.”
Final Qualifying Classification – Top 10 at Imola 2025
- Oscar Piastri (McLaren)
- Max Verstappen (Red Bull)
- George Russell (Mercedes)
- Lando Norris (McLaren)
- Fernando Alonso (Aston Martin)
- Carlos Sainz (Williams)
- Alex Albon (Williams)
- Lance Stroll (Aston Martin)
- Isack Hadjar (RB)
- Pierre Gasly (Alpine)
What It All Means for Sunday
This qualifying session wasn’t just about pole, it revealed a grid in flux. Piastri and McLaren continue to build momentum, while Verstappen remains a clear race threat even without starting first. Aston Martin’s overnight transformation has given them a second wind. Williams has both cars in the top 10. And Red Bull will need to execute flawlessly if Tsunoda, starting last in a rebuilt car, hopes to salvage points.
On the other end of the spectrum, Ferrari enters Sunday under immense pressure. No drivers in the top 10, no home hero in Q3, and no margin for further error. Their strategy team will be under scrutiny. Their fans, already deflated, will expect some sort of redemption.
And for Bearman, the story is simple: he delivered the lap. He showed the potential. And despite the cruel timing, his performance will be remembered.