Max Verstappen equalled the record of Ayrton Senna by achieving eight successive pole positions in the upcoming Emilia Romagna Grand Prix, keeping McLaren’s challenge at bay. This event takes place 30 years after Senna, the renowned Brazilian racer, tragically lost his life at the same Imola track.
Oscar Piastri, representing McLaren, trailed behind Verstappen by a mere 0.074 seconds, closely followed by Lando Norris, the recent Miami champion, at 0.091 seconds. However, Piastri may be penalised for obstructing Haas’s Kevin Magnussen during Q1.
Meanwhile, Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz secured the fourth and fifth positions for Ferrari. George Russell placed sixth for Mercedes, half-a-second behind and two ranks ahead of his teammate Lewis Hamilton.
Senna’s impressive streak commenced with McLaren at Jerez in 1988, concluding at Phoenix the next season. Nonetheless, on this significant anniversary of the three-time world champion’s demise, Verstappen made history with his extraordinarily fast performance.
Verstappen managed to hold the thin 0.073-second lead over Norris, further reducing his time to keep his position secure. While Norris seemed set to parallel Verstappen, Piastri surpassed him. This Australian driver may receive a penalty for hindering Magnussen in Q1, subject to ongoing scrutiny by the stewards.
In Verstappen’s own words, he was delighted by the pole position and acknowledged the special significance of matching Senna’s achievement on the 30th anniversary of his passing. He praised Senna as an extraordinary F1 driver and conveyed his happiness for himself and his team.
Norris expressed satisfaction with P3 and praised the team’s excellent performance. He also highlighted the close competition and his anticipation for the following day.
Fernando Alonso, after a messy day and significant damage to his vehicle due to a final practice crash, faces the penultimate starting position.
Despite managing to get his vehicle repaired in time for participation, Alonso demolished his odds when he drove into the gravel during his fast lap, placing him at the rear of the pack. The only participant that will position behind Alonso is Logan Sargeant, from Williams. Sargeant’s fastest lap was erased for breaching track boundaries. Also, Sergio Perez, who, similar to Alonso, had a collision in practice, did not succeed in progressing beyond Q2 and ended up qualifying in the 11th position.