Max Verstappen claims another pole position — his 8th in a row — ahead of Sunday’s Formula 1 Emilia Romagna Grand Prix.
Three-time defending Formula 1 world champion Max Verstappen piloted his Red Bull car to a 1:14.746 lap during the final qualifying session on Saturday, claiming his eighth consecutive pole position in the process. Verstappen finished 0.074 seconds clear of McLaren’s Oscar Piastri, who later dropped back to the fifth position as a penalty for impeding Haas’ Kevin Magnussen during Q1. That moved his teammate, Lando Norris, to the front row, with the Ferraris of Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz opening the race on Row 2. Norris’ front-row start comes on the heels of his first career F1 victory two weeks ago in Miami.
How to Watch Emilia Romagna Grand Prix in Formula 1 Today:
Race Date: May 19, 2024
Race Time: 8:55 a.m. ET
TV: ESPN2
Live stream the Formula 1 Emilia Romagna Grand Prix on Fubo: Start your free trial today!
Verstappen won the last two races at Imola — officially known as Autodromo Enzo e Dino Ferrari — in 2021 and 2022 before last year’s race was scrubbed due to severe flooding in northern Italy last spring. The Red Bull standout owns four victories in six starts this season. Sainz and Norris topped the podium in Australia and Miami, respectively.
Piastri starts on Row 3 next to the Mercedes of George Russell, with RB Honda’s Yuki Tsunoda on Row 4 inside of Lewis Hamilton of Mercedes. Tsunoda’s teammate, Daniel Ricciardo, qualified ninth and Nico Hülkenberg of Haas starts from the 10th position.
Verstappen leads the driver standings by 33 points over Red Bull teammate Sergio Pérez and stands 38 points clear of Leclerc. Norris and Sainz share fourth place, 53 points behind.
Regional restrictions may apply.
