Verstappen Equals Senna’s Pole Record at Imola

Max Verstappen clinched his eighth consecutive pole position in qualifying for the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix at Imola on Saturday, matching the legendary Ayrton Senna’s record. 

The Red Bull three-time world champion’s exceptional performance in qualifying drew him level with Senna’s run of eight poles, marking a poignant milestone three decades after Senna’s tragic death at the Italian circuit in 1994.

“It’s a great start to the year, but also very special 30 years since he passed away at this track,” said Verstappen. “Of course, very pleased to get pole here, and in a way, it’s a nice memory to him (Senna). He was an incredible Formula 1 driver, especially in qualifying laps as well, so a great day for me and a great day for the team. I’m very, very happy.”.

Oscar Piastri’s McLaren will start alongside Verstappen on Sunday after posting the second-fastest time, just 0.074 seconds behind, in a closely contested qualifying session.

Teammate Lando Norris, winner of the previous race in Miami, secured the third-best time, setting up the second row alongside Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc.

The race for the top spots was intense, with Carlos Sainz in the other Ferrari starting on the third row alongside Mercedes’ George Russell.

Yuki Tsunoda’s Red Bull, Lewis Hamilton’s Mercedes, Daniel Ricciardo’s Red Bull, and Nico Hulkenberg’s Haas rounded out the top 10.

Notably absent from the first five rows was Sergio Perez’s Red Bull, who went out in the second qualifying session, expressing frustration on the team radio.

Piastri expressed his satisfaction with his performance, saying, “My lap was a bit scruffy in the final corner, but it is so difficult to do a perfect lap at this circuit, but I’m very happy.”

Norris commented on the tight margins, stating, “P3 is not a bad job, and both of us are within a tenth of P1, so it is all about tiny margins. We’ve had a good day and a good weekend so far.”

Verstappen’s dominance was evident from the beginning of the qualifying session, as he swiftly set the pace, followed closely by Piastri and Norris.

The day saw some challenges, including Fernando Alonso’s difficult outing when his Aston Martin went off track, and Perez missing out on the top-ten shootout.

However, it was Verstappen who shone brightest, delivering a dazzling lap in 1:14.746 to secure pole position, showcasing exceptional talent and determination.