Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix: Oscar Piastri beats Max Verstappen to pole after Yuki Tsunoda crash in Imola

The session featured two purple flags, the primary for a terrifying accident for Tsunoda, who misplaced management on the entry to the Villeneuve chicane and spun throughout the gravel earlier than the automotive was launched into the air off the tyre barrier.

It somersaulted and landed the other way up, earlier than righting itself upon touchdown. The Japanese was unhurt and in a position to stroll away from the crash.

Tsunoda was not the one driver to hit the limitations, as Alpine debutant Franco Colapinto additionally spun into the limitations, this time on the Tamburello chicane.

Colapinto’s was a much less dramatic accident, as he misplaced management on the exit kerb and spun throughout the grass earlier than going nose-first into the barrier. The Argentine was additionally unharmed.

The pole combat all the time appeared to be between the McLarens and Verstappen, and the Crimson Bull driver laid down the gauntlet with the quickest time on the primary runs in last qualifying.

Piastri ran first on the ultimate runs, and was wanting good after the primary two sectors, solely to return throughout a run of about 5 automobiles getting ready their laps as he reached the 2 Rivazza left-handers that finish the lap.

He couldn’t enhance his time in that sector of the lap however the first two sectors had been sufficient to vault him forward of Verstappen.

The Dutchman did enhance on his last lap, however solely by 0.07secs and he simply fell in need of pole.

Norris, third quickest on his first run, was unable to enhance and was leapfrogged by Russell, who used the medium tyres on his last lap, echoing the broader use of mediums by Aston Martin by way of the session.

Piastri mentioned: “Very robust session with the purple flags and in addition the tyres. Immediately the C6 (compound, the smooth) was an actual thriller.

“The workforce did a pleasant job getting the automotive into an excellent place. The final lap was good, I had about 4 automobiles within the final nook which did not assist nevertheless it was sufficient.”

Verstappen mentioned: “The whole lot was going rather well, simply the softest compound, it is extremely tough to maintain them alive across the lap. Sector one was good after which the tyres fell away from me. George set his time on a medium. The smooth was perhaps a bit too smooth for this monitor.”

Norris mentioned: “I suppose I simply wasn’t fast sufficient. None of my performances in Q3 have been robust sufficient this yr, so similar factor.”