IMOLA, ITALY – MAY 18: Max Verstappen, from the Netherlands, driving the (1) Oracle Red Bull Racing RB20 on the track during the final practice before the F1 Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix at the Autodromo Enzo e Dino Ferrari Circuit on May 18, 2024 in Imola, Italy. (Photo by Mark Thompson/Getty Images)
According to Christian Horner’s comments on the team radio, Verstappen’s pole position was hard-fought as he struggled with the grip of his RB20 throughout the weekend.
In the final stage of qualifying, ten drivers had the opportunity to secure pole position, with Leclerc, Verstappen, Norris, Piastri, and Sainz being the main contenders.
After the first set of laps, Verstappen held provisional pole position, with Norris close behind in second and Leclerc in third, 0.147 seconds adrift.
Piastri was the fourth fastest driver, followed by Sainz in fifth, Russell in sixth, Tsunoda in seventh, Hamilton in eighth, and Hulkenberg in ninth.
Ricciardo did not take part in the first run and opted for a single flying lap, putting him in tenth place without setting a time.
The Ferraris were the first to head out for their final laps, with Leclerc leading the way, followed by the Mercedes drivers and then Verstappen. The McLarens were further back.
In Q2, the Mercedes drivers were the first to hit the track, with Verstappen following suit while the other drivers took their time.
The initial timed laps resulted in the following top ten positions: Leclerc – Tsunoda – Verstappen – Piastri – Norris – Sainz – Perez – Ricciardo – Hulkenberg – Hamilton.
Tsunoda had an impressive first race in Q2, while Norris had an awkward lap. With a projected cutoff time of 1:15.8 seconds, any driver from seventh position downwards was at risk of elimination. Tsunoda chose to stay in the garage.
With less than four minutes remaining, the second and final races to determine the top ten positions began. Verstappen emerged as the fastest driver, setting a time of 1:15.176.
Leclerc secured second place, 0.152 seconds behind Verstappen, while Tsunoda’s time remained in third place. Norris and Piastri respectively clinched fourth and fifth positions.
The surprise of the session was Sergio Perez failing to qualify in the top ten, losing out by just 0.015 seconds to Ricciardo. Perez will start in 11th position.
Esteban Ocon finished in 12th with Alpine, 0.200 seconds behind Perez and 0.086 seconds ahead of Lance Stroll, who was the 13th fastest driver in the Aston Martin.
Alex Albon’s qualifying session ended in Q2 as he finished in 14th with Williams, 0.181 seconds ahead of Pierre Gasly, who came in 15th in the second Alpine.
Compared to the second practice session on Friday, the track temperature was higher as the drivers prepared for the start of the first qualifying session (Q1). The asphalt reached a scorching 43 degrees Celsius, while the ambient temperature was cooler at 24 degrees.
Q1 was always expected to be intriguing due to the notorious traffic, with 20 cars fighting for a spot in Q2.
Fernando Alonso, who had crashed his Aston Martin in the third practice session (FP3), remained in his car as the team continued to work on it. Meanwhile, other drivers were already out on the track.
Both Ferrari drivers and George Russell at Mercedes started their Q1 laps on medium tires, but Russell quickly returned to the pits without setting a time.
As Q1 began with 12 minutes remaining, Alonso finally got into action. At the same time, Alex Albon had a moment at Turn 18, running wide over the curbs and onto the gravel but managed to continue.
The last corner of the track continued to cause problems for the drivers.
Alex Albon became the latest driver to run off into the gravel 😮#F1 #ImolaGP pic.twitter.com/BW37eQrBDI
— Formula 1 (@F1) May 18, 2024
Logan Sargeant briefly brought out the yellow flag after going off track and into the gravel but managed to continue. Alonso also had his own off-road moment at the Villeneuve chicane.
Before the final laps, the top 15 drivers were classified as follows: Norris – Piastri – Verstappen – Sainz – Gasly – Leclerc – Russell – Tsunoda – Perez – Stroll – Ocon – Hamilton – Bottas – Ricciardo – Kevin Magnussen.
With less than three minutes remaining, the final laps began. In the end, it was Verstappen who set the fastest time with 1:15.762, 0.061s ahead of Leclerc, who qualified on medium tires. Hulkenberg secured third place.
Valtteri Bottas was the first driver to miss out on Q2, falling behind Hamilton by just 0.022s.
Sargeant finished 17th, behind Bottas by 0.105s and leading Zhou Guanyu in 18th place by 0.103s. Kevin Magnussen ended up in 19th place.
Alonso finished in 20th place and failed to qualify as he struggled to find his rhythm.
⏪ Back to Q1
Magnussen finds Piastri slow on the racing line at Turns 2 and 3
Will this hinder the Australian’s chances?#F1 #ImolaGP pic.twitter.com/LNQ4ji4IHY
— Formula 1 (@F1) May 18, 2024
Piastri was being investigated for impeding Magnussen at Tamburello. This could potentially weigh on the mind of the Australian driver as he advances to Q2 and Q3.
© 2024
Something unbelievable happened in the world of sports today, when an underdog surprised everyone and won the world championship in football. The team that no one expected to go so far showed an incredible performance and clinched the title.
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The players of the underdog celebrated the victory with great emotion. They could not believe they could go so far and win the championship. The fans were also ecstatic, celebrating in the streets and stadiums.
This surprising victory shows that in sports, anything is possible. The underdog proved that with determination and teamwork, great achievements can be reached. This inspiring story will be remembered in football history and will serve as an example for future generations of players.
The 2024 world football championship will be remembered as the year the underdog became the hero. Congratulations to all the players and coaching staff for this incredible achievement. May it serve as motivation for all who dream of achieving great feats in sports.
