In the wet, Max Verstappen unlocks his counter and takes pole at Imola

We therefore had to wait until the fourth Grand Prix of the season to see the reigning world champion Max Verstappen (Red Bull) sign his first pole position of the season. After having conceded twenty thousandths to Charles Leclerc (Ferrari) on his first flying lap in Q3, the Dutchman took pole in the wet just before a red flag was waved. The Batavian beat world championship leader Charles Leclerc by almost 8 tenths and the Briton Lando Norris (McLaren), author of his best qualification of the year after a complicated start to the season. 

If Max Verstappen encountered a yellow flag in the third sector on his pole lap, he lifted his foot perfectly in the micro sector in which theAlfa Romeo stopped from Valtteri Bottas. After a difficult Australian Grand Prix for Haas, Kevin Magnussen won a superb fourth position on the grid for Saturday's sprint race (16:30 p.m.), ahead of theAlpine de Fernando Alonso (5th). The Spaniard once again had a very good qualifying session. The session was largely marked by red flags, four in number, including two in Q3 with Bottas then Lando Norris at the end of the session, preventing everyone from improving, even if the rain on the track would probably not have done so. not allowed. 

No Mercedes in Q3

For the first time since the 2012 Japanese Grand Prix, no Mercedes did not appear in Q3. If Lewis Hamilton climbed into Q2 by only 4 thousandths, the Briton and his fellow teammate George Russell did not have the opportunity to defend themselves in Q2. The fault... Carlos Sainz. The Ferrari driver made a mistake on his second flying lap, in the last corner, hitting the wall and ending up in the gravel. When the red flag was raised, and the lights returned to green ten minutes from the end of Q2, the rain broke in again, preventing the five drivers in the field from improving. This is how the pilots of the brand with the star are trapped, just like Guanyu-Zhou (Alfa Romeo), yet author of a remarkable Q1. 

The two Frenchmen eliminated in Q1 

In the dry, the two Frenchmen on the field did not make it past the Q1 stage. Pierre Gasly (Alpha Tauri) actually set the 17th time, whileEsteban Ocon he signed the 19th fastest time. The two men did not take part in the last flying lap, the one on which almost everyone improved. We don't really know why regarding Gasly, although it seems that there was a gearbox problem for the driver Alpine. A session also marked by an explosion observed near the brake duct and the rear hub carrier, on the car from Alex Albon, also in Q1. 

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