Updated22 avril 2022, 19:33
Qualifying for the Emilia-Romagna GP has often been interrupted. The Dutchman managed to get ahead of Charles Leclerc. Mercedes not in Q3.
Max Verstappen will be in the lead at the start of the sprint race on Saturday.
AFP
Dutchman Max Verstappen (Red Bull) took his first pole position of the year in qualifying for the Formula 1 Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix on Friday and will start the sprint race on Saturday at the Enzo circuit and Dino Ferrari from Imola (Italy).
The Monegasque Charles Leclerc (Ferrari), leader in the championship, will accompany him on the front line. But nothing is decided for the starting grid of the GP on Sunday, which will be determined by the results of the sprint race on Saturday at 4:30 p.m. local time, during which Verstappen might lose his rank.
In the rain, which was invited during qualifying, the Briton Lando Norris (McLaren) and the Dane Kevin Magnussen inherited the second row, the Spaniard Fernando Alonso (Alpine) and the Australian Daniel Ricciardo (McLaren) of the third. Mexican Sergio Pérez (Red Bull), Finn Valtteri Bottas (Alfa Romeo), German Sebastian Vettel (Aston Martin) and Spaniard Carlos Sainz (Ferrari) complete the top 10.
First since 2012
The last qualifying session (Q3) was marked by the absence of the Mercedes, a first since 2012. George Russell only snatched the eleventh time, his teammate Lewis Hamilton the thirteenth in the second qualifying session (Q2), while only the first ten are qualified for Q3.
As in 2021, the premier category of motorsport is renewing its qualifying sprint race format on Saturday, the time of three Grands Prix, while introducing some new features. For example, the official pole position – the one that will count for Formula 1 statistics – is now awarded to the fastest driver in qualifying on Friday and no longer at the end of the sprint race.
The classic qualifications disputed on Friday fix the starting positions of this sprint race, of which the first eight will also score additional points in the championship (from eight for the first to one for the eighth).
In addition to Emilia-Romagna, the format is also expected in Austria on the weekend of July 10 and in Brazil on the weekend of November 13.
(AFP)
