The grid for the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix of Formula 1 has been changed due to a penalty and a pitlane start. McLaren driver Oscar Piastri, who was Max Verstappen’s main rival in qualifying, will not be alongside him. Instead, Piastri’s teammate Lando Norris will take that place. Additionally, Fernando Alonso will start from the pitlane after intentionally violating parc ferme rules, giving up his 19th position on the grid.
The qualifying results were as follows:
1. Max Verstappen (Red Bull)
2. Lando Norris (McLaren)
3. Charles Leclerc (Ferrari)
4. Carlos Sainz (Ferrari)
5. Oscar Piastri (McLaren)
6. George Russell (Mercedes)
7. Yuki Tsunoda (RB)
8. Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes)
9. Daniel Ricciardo (RB)
10. Nico Hulkenberg (Haas)
11. Sergio Perez (Red Bull)
12. Esteban Ocon (Alpine)
13. Lance Stroll (Aston Martin)
14. Alex Albon (Williams)
15. Pierre Gasly (Alpine)
16. Valtteri Bottas (Sauber)
17. Zhou Guanyu (Sauber)
18. Kevin Magnussen (Haas)
19. Logan Sargeant (Williams)
PL. Fernando Alonso (Aston Martin)
Alonso had already hinted at the possibility of starting from the pitlane after his disappointing performance in qualifying. He believed it would be a strategic move considering the slim chances of scoring points. Alonso mentioned the accident that occurred in the F2 on Saturday and the need to avoid similar incidents, taking into account the limited availability of spare parts for all Formula 1 teams. He acknowledged that starting from the pitlane could have its benefits in this situation.
