Verstappen beats McLarens to take Imola pole

Red Bull’s Max Verstappen beat the McLarens in a tight battle for pole position at the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix.

Verstappen was just 0.074 seconds quicker than Oscar Piastri, who pipped Lando Norris by 0.017secs with the final lap of the session at Imola.

However, Piastri will start fifth having been given a three-place grid penalty for impeding Haas’ Kevin Magnussen during the first part of qualifying.

Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc will line up third, qualifying 0.224secs behind Verstappen but 0.263secs quicker than team-mate Carlos Sainz who is right behind him.

Mercedes’ George Russell took sixth ahead of RB’s Yuki Tsunoda and the second Mercedes of Lewis Hamilton.

Verstappen earned an eighth pole position in a row, matching the all-time record set by Ayrton Senna across the 1988 and 1989 seasons. The Dutchman’s feat came 30 years after the great Brazilian was killed on this circuit at the 1994 San Marino Grand Prix.

It also equalled the record of seven consecutive poles at the start of a season set by Senna’s arch-rival Alain Prost in 1993.

But this time pole came as a surprise, because Red Bull had appeared to be struggling all weekend – and Verstappen’s team-mate Sergio Perez could qualify only 11th.

Verstappen said: “Really difficult weekend so far, even this morning, so incredibly happy to be on pole. I didn’t expect that. We made some changes before qualifying and it seemed to feel a bit better and this track is unbelievable.

“To be so fast, so close to the gravel. I touched the gravel a little on my final lap. I’m still pumping. The adrenaline is incredible.”