In a qualifying session stalled by five separate red flags, Verstappen grabbed his first pole of the 2022 season, beating F1 world championship leader Charles Leclerc by 0.779s despite having to ease off under yellow flags caused by Valtteri Bottas stopping on the edge of the circuit with exhaust failure.
With Leclerc unable to fight back, the remainder of Q3 was truncated by red flags triggered by Bottas’s Alfa Romeo and McLaren driver Lando Norris going off the road at Acque Minerali, allowing Verstappen to become the official pole position holder at the Emilia Romagna GP regardless of his finishing position in Saturday’s sprint race.
