Verstappen faced a serious challenge from both McLaren drivers after a difficult start to the weekend for world champions Red Bull at Imola but ultimately found the speed he needed in qualifying with a final lap of 1:14.746 to pip Oscar Piastri, who initially qualified second, and Lando Norris to the head of the grid by less than a tenth of a second.
However, Piastri’s second position always appeared vulnerable after the Australian had been placed under investigation by stewards during Q1 for impeding Kevin Magnussen. A three-place penalty was later confirmed for Piastri, dropping him to fifth and promoting team-mate Norris to the front row next to Verstappen.
Verstappen’s eighth pole in a row – a sequence which dates back to the final round of the 2023 season in Abu Dhabi last November – ties Senna’s record, which the Brazilian great set in 1989. F1 has been paying tribute to the triple world champion at Imola this weekend, 30 years on from his death at the Italian circuit.
Verstappen also ties another legend of the sport, Alain Prost, with seven consecutive poles from the start of a season.
Aided by their biggest upgrade of the season so far for their home race, Ferrari had themselves looked a serous threat to Verstappen’s qualifying dominance through practice and then the early stages of qualifying but their challenge faded in Q3 with Charles Leclerc ending up fourth and Carlos Sainz fifth.
Piastri’s penalty promotes Leclerc and Sainz a place apiece though to third and fourth.
