Yuki Tsunoda's Red Bull car after crash during qualifying for 2025 Emilio Romagna Grand Prix. Photo: AFP
Kiwi driver Liam Lawson will start 15th on the grid for Monday's Emilia Romagna Grand Prix at Imola in Italy.
Lawson, who is yet to score any points so far this season, failed to get out of Q1 in his Racing Bulls car, but he wasn't helped, when the session finished early, after a big crash involving Red Bull's Yuki Tsunoda.
Tsunoda smashed backwards into the tyre wall at turn five, the car lifting into the air with the impact. It then flipped, before landing upside down on the roll hoop and righting itself again.
Tsunoda climbed out of the car and appeared unhurt, but was taken to the circuit medical centre for checks, while the session was halted for repairs to the tyre barriers.
"Oh my god! I just saw the video. Is he OK?" Lawson exclaimed over the team radio, after images were shown on the big screens. Lawson lost the Red Bull seat to Tsunoda earlier this season.
"Not getting to do the last lap was a shame," Lawson said afterwards. "We unfortunately missed out, due to the red flag, and it ruined our qualifying.
"We did one run with a compromised out-lap and we never got the opportunity to go again - it's just one of those sessions."
The session resumed after a 15-minute break, but red flags were waved again, when Argentinian Colapinto crashed, as he prepared for his Alpine debut as replacement for dropped Australian Jack Doohan.
Colapinto went onto the grass approaching Tamburello and lost control right at the end of the initial session, spinning and hitting the barrier head-on with the front suspension smashed.
Lawson posted the 16th-fastest time during the first qualifying session, but will start in 15th place on the grid, after Colapinto was handed a one-place grid penalty.
Championship leader Oscar Piastri put his McLaren on pole position, with Red Bull's Max Verstappen joining the Australian on the front row.
Brit George Russell qualified third for Mercedes, with McLaren countryman Lando Norris fourth.
With a time of 1m 14.670s, the pole was Piastri's third of the season, as he chases a fifth win in seven races and fourth in a row to stretch his 16-point lead over Norris.
Ferrari suffered a new low in front of their home fans, with Charles Leclerc qualifying 11th and Lewis Hamilton 12th in the seven-time world champion's first race in Italy for the Maranello-based team.
"My God, my God," Leclerc exclaimed over the team radio, as the realisation sunk in.
"Sorry guys, I can't improve for some reason," Hamilton said.
Mercedes' Italian rookie and local hero Kimi Antonelli also failed to make the top 10 and will line up only 13th.
Fernando Alonso will line up fifth for Aston Martin, an impressive turnaround for a team that have struggled this season, and Williams pair Carlos Sainz and Alex Albon were sixth and seventh fastest.
Canadian Lance Stroll made it two Astons in the top 10, with eighth on the grid, followed by Racing Bulls' Isack Hadjar and Alpine's Pierre Gasly.
- Reuters / RNZ
