After a short break, Formula 1 roared back to life at the iconic Autodromo Enzo e Dino Ferrari for the 2025 F1 Emilia-Romagna GP—the sixth round of the season and the first race of the year on European soil. The paddock returned to the land of the Tifosi with high expectations and emotional weight, as speculation loomed that this might be Imola’s final appearance on the F1 calendar.
Max Verstappen claimed a measured victory, fending off both McLarens, while Ferrari staged a home comeback after a challenging qualifying. Two Safety Cars, Colapinto’s comeback, and the heartbreak of a DNF for local hero Kimi Antonelli all shaped a race that felt every bit as historic as the track itself.
The Paddock Headlines
- Max Verstappen secured a dominant win at the 2025 F1 Emilia-Romagna GP, holding off both McLarens in a strategic race featuring two Safety Cars.
- Mechanical failures for Esteban Ocon and Kimi Antonelli brought out Safety Cars—Antonelli’s DNF a heartbreak in his first home Grand Prix.
- Franco Colapinto made his long-awaited F1 comeback, stepping in for Jack Doohan at Alpine.
- Red Bull’s Yuki Tsunoda suffered a heavy crash in Q1, flipping his car at Villeneuve corner. He walked away unscathed, but the session was red-flagged.
- Colapinto also crashed in Q1 and received a three-place grid drop for prematurely entering the pit lane fast lane before the session restart.
- Ferrari recovered well at their home race, climbing to P4 and P6 after a disappointing qualifying session.
- Williams continued their rise with both cars finishing in the points, showing outstanding pace.
McLaren leads while Alpine and Williams show promise in Free Practice
The 2025 Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix weekend kicked off under clear skies and dry conditions, setting the stage for a classic sprint-infused at the Autodromo Enzo e Dino Ferrari. McLaren wasted no time asserting themselves, topping all three sessions with Oscar Piastri leading FP1 and FP2, and Lando Norris taking over in FP3.
Red Bull’s form continued to be a question mark. The team looked off-pace for much of the weekend, though Max Verstappen salvaged some hope with the third-fastest time in the final practice. Ferrari also had issues—this time with brakes—though the overall pace was encouraging. Charles Leclerc, notably absent from media day due to illness, sat out early interviews but still contributed to the team’s data gathering.
Alpine and Williams In Great Shape
Alpine showed signs of upward momentum. Pierre Gasly put in a standout effort, finishing P6 in FP1 and an impressive P3 in FP2. Meanwhile, Franco Colapinto, the new kid on the block, gradually got to grips with his new machinery, improving from P17 to P13 across the first two sessions. Their long-run pace still leaves room for doubt, but Alpine looks in good shape to make impressive moves.
Williams continued to surprise. Carlos Sainz clocked the third-fastest time in FP1, and both he and Alex Albon remained inside the top 10 throughout the weekend’s early sessions—an encouraging sign for the Grove-based team.
A Bit of Rookie Drama
Elsewhere, incidents brought drama to the sessions. Gabriel Bortoleto ended FP1 early with a crash at Turn 18, bringing out the red flag after launching over the kerbs in the final corner. In FP2, Isack Hadjar slid off at the Tamburello Chicane and beached his car despite rejoining the track, cutting the session short once again.
Kimi Antonelli, racing at home for the first time in F1, took a while to settle in. The local hero struggled for pace early on—possibly distracted by the added pressure of a home crowd and a paddock visit from his schoolmates—but found his rhythm in FP3, finishing a strong fourth. George Russell, meanwhile, was the more consistent of the Mercedes pair, ending FP1 and FP2 in P4.
The final practice session saw Lando Norris top the charts ahead of Oscar Piastri and Max Verstappen. Antonelli gave the Tifosi something to cheer for with his best session yet. Sainz was solid in P6, with Hadjar, Russell, Albon, and Hamilton rounding out the top 10.
Alpine’s earlier promise faded slightly in FP3, with Gasly in P15 and Colapinto in P18. Yuki Tsunoda also had a rough run, finishing 17th and declaring his car had “zero pace.”
On a more technical note, Pirelli’s new C6 compound made its Grand Prix debut this weekend. The ultra-soft tyre gave teams their first glimpse of its potential, though early feedback suggested grip levels left much to be desired.
Piastri on Pole as Qualifying Delivers Drama at Imola
Oscar Piastri claimed pole in a chaotic and high-stakes qualifying session at Imola, beating Max Verstappen by just 0.034s and George Russell by 0.137s. The McLaren driver looked composed under pressure and delivered when it mattered most, in a session marked by red flags, hard crashes, and heartbreak for the locals.
The drama kicked off in Q1 with a terrifying crash from Yuki Tsunoda at the Villeneuve chicane— the very spot where Roland Ratzenberger lost his life 31 years ago. Tsunoda lost control and rolled over in a dramatic shunt that destroyed the car. Thankfully, he walked away unscathed, but the Red Bull driver’s quali came to an early end.
After a lengthy red flag delay, the session resumed—but not without more issues. Franco Colapinto brought out another red flag late in Q1 with a spin and crash at Tamburello, cutting short his own flying lap. His crash wasn’t as heavy as Tsunoda’s, and he passed to Q2, but it wasn’t a great start for the new Alpine rookie.
Among the Q1 exits were Liam Lawson, Nico Hülkenberg, Esteban Ocon, Ollie Bearman, and Tsunoda.
Sainz Goes Fastest in Q2
Q2 offered more surprises, but in a positive way. Carlos Sainz stunned the paddock by going fastest ahead of the McLarens, Russell, and Verstappen. But it was a nightmare for the home heroes: both Ferraris were eliminated, with Leclerc and Hamilton failing to break into the top 10. Local favourite Kimi Antonelli also missed the cut, as did Bortoleto and Colapinto, whose earlier crash limited his running.
Aston Martin, meanwhile, looked reinvigorated with both Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll making it into Q3—perhaps a sign their weekend upgrade package is beginning to work.
“We are just P nowhere at the moment. There’s not enough performance in the car and I keep repeating myself,” said Charles Leclerc disconsolately after Ferrari’s disappointing Q2 exit.
Piastri Leads Again
In Q3, Verstappen briefly held provisional pole, but Piastri had the final word with a stunning lap that put him just ahead. Russell followed in third, with Norris narrowly behind in fourth after a scrappy final lap. Alonso impressed with P5, continuing his quiet resurgence, ahead of Sainz, Albon, Stroll, Hadjar, and Gasly.
After the session, Colapinto got a grid penalty for entering the fast lane before the Q1 session restart time had been confirmed after Tsunoda’s accident.
TOP 5 QUALIFYING RESULTS – 2025 F1 Emilia Romagna GP:
P1: Oscar Piastri (McLaren) – 1:14.670
P2: Max Verstappen (Red Bull Racing) – 1:14.704
P3: George Russell (Mercedes) – 1:14.807
P4: Lando Norris (McLaren) – 1:14.962
P5: Fernando Alonso (Aston Martin) – 1:15.431
Verstappen Back on Top in Tactical Imola Triumph
Max Verstappen returned to the top step in Imola with a flawless lights-to-flag drive, resisting mild pressure from both McLarens to take his second win of the season. The race featured two Safety Cars triggered by retirements for Esteban Ocon and Kimi Antonelli—the latter heartbreakingly bowing out of his first home Grand Prix.
Ferrari mounted a strong recovery on home soil to finish P4 and P6 after a subdued qualifying, while Williams continued to impress, with both cars scoring points and Alex Albon threatening the podium from early in the race.
Under clear skies, the race got off to a clean start, but the action was immediate. Verstappen snatched the lead from pole-sitter Oscar Piastri with a bold move at Turn 2. Behind them, Pierre Gasly tangled with Lewis Hamilton and ran off into the gravel, dropping down the order.
Pit stops began early, with teams trying to undercut rivals on what became a strategic race. Piastri attempted to jump Verstappen but got stuck behind Tsunoda, who was told on the radio to hold him up—giving Red Bull time to manage the race from the front.
Saved By The Safety Cars
Just as the race was starting to go a bit flat, Esteban Ocon pulled over with a mechanical failure on lap 29, triggering a Virtual Safety Car. It offered Verstappen and Albon a chance to pit with minimal time loss, while Ferrari finally began to come alive, carving through the field with the kind of pace that had been missing in qualifying.
Piastri eventually cleared Albon for third, while the Aston Martins faded dramatically from their strong race start showing. Meanwhile, Sainz made a feisty overtake on Tsunoda, complete with wheel-banging and an investigation that ultimately went nowhere.
“Yeah, it’s going to be torture, it’s a wreck. I’m the unluckiest driver in the ******* world!”—Fernando Alonso on a desperate radio message after Aston’s fading moments.
Then, on lap 46, Kimi Antonelli’s first home race ended in silence as his Mercedes lost power. This time, a full Safety Car gave some drivers a free stop, shuffling the order again. On the restart, Verstappen held firm, while Norris leapt past Piastri and hunted in vain for the win.
Albon continued his charge, briefly battling Leclerc for P4 before being forced wide. That opened the door for Hamilton, who eventually finished ahead of both. Despite late drama, Leclerc clung to P6 after being told to hand a position back to Albon.
Verstappen crossed the line 6.109s ahead of Norris, with Piastri completing the podium 12.956s behind. Hamilton and Albon followed, then Leclerc, Russell, Sainz, Hadjar, and Tsunoda—who charged from the back to take the final point.
The four-time world champion expressed his satisfaction and pride after his victory:
“The start itself wasn’t particularly great, but then I was still on the outside line, basically the normal line, and I was like, ‘Well, I’m just going to try and send it around the outside’. It worked really well!
“That VSC was quite handy to pit, and even on the hard compound, I think our pace was very strong. Then there was the Safety Car, so the field was all back together. But even then on the restart, I think we managed it all really well and brought it home.
“I’m incredibly proud of everyone. It’s been a very important week for us, the car has performed really well, and also I think the whole execution of the whole race, when to pit, the pit stops themselves, were all very good.”
While Piastri, who still leads the standings, showed disappointment:
“I just braked too early, it was a good move by Max as well. It’s disappointing obviously, but I think we made a few wrong calls after that anyway. Not our best Sunday, so definitely a lot of things to look at and review from that one.
“Well done to Max and Red Bull. It was a good move, but also they had pace today. We’ll look back on that one and see what we can do a bit better.”
TOP 5 RACE RESULTS – 2025 F1 Emilia Romagna GP:
P1: Max Verstappen (Red Bull Racing) – 1:31:33.199
P2: Lando Norris (McLaren) – +6.109s
P3: Oscar Piastri (McLaren) – +12.956s
P4: Lewis Hamilton (Ferrari) – +14.356s
P5: Alex Albon (Williams) – +17.945s
Up Next
The paddock heads straight into the second leg of the triple-header: the Monaco Grand Prix, running from May 23–25. One of the most iconic races on the calendar, Monte Carlo brings tight corners, unforgiving barriers, and no room for error. After an intense weekend in Imola, the pressure only intensifies on the streets of the Principality.
Feature Image Credit: Red Bull Content Pool