The session featured two crimson flags, the primary for a terrifying accident for Tsunoda, who misplaced management on the entry to the Villeneuve chicane and spun throughout the gravel earlier than the automobile was launched into the air off the tyre barrier.
It somersaulted and landed the wrong way up, earlier than righting itself upon touchdown. The Japanese was unhurt and in a position to stroll away from the crash.
Tsunoda was not the one driver to hit the boundaries, as Alpine debutant Franco Colapinto additionally spun into the boundaries, this time on the Tamburello chicane.
Colapinto’s was a much less dramatic accident, as he misplaced management on the exit kerb and spun throughout the grass earlier than going nose-first into the barrier. The Argentine was additionally unharmed.
The pole combat at all times appeared to be between the McLarens and Verstappen, and the Purple Bull driver laid down the gauntlet with the quickest time on the primary runs in remaining qualifying.
Piastri ran first on the ultimate runs, and was wanting good after the primary two sectors, solely to return throughout a run of about 5 automobiles getting ready their laps as he reached the 2 Rivazza left-handers that finish the lap.
He couldn’t enhance his time in that sector of the lap however the first two sectors had been sufficient to vault him forward of Verstappen.
The Dutchman did enhance on his remaining lap, however solely by 0.07secs and he simply fell wanting pole.
Norris, third quickest on his first run, was unable to enhance and was leapfrogged by Russell, who used the medium tyres on his remaining lap, echoing the broader use of mediums by Aston Martin via the session.
Piastri mentioned: “Very powerful session with the crimson flags and in addition the tyres. Immediately the C6 (compound, the mushy) was an actual thriller.
“The staff did a pleasant job getting the automobile into a great place. The final lap was good, I had about 4 automobiles within the final nook which did not assist nevertheless it was sufficient.”
Verstappen mentioned: “Every part was going very well, simply the softest compound, it is rather tough to maintain them alive across the lap. Sector one was good after which the tyres fell away from me. George set his time on a medium. The mushy was perhaps a bit too mushy for this monitor.”
Norris mentioned: “I assume I simply wasn’t fast sufficient. None of my performances in Q3 have been robust sufficient this 12 months, so similar factor.”
Pirelli introduced the three softest tyres of their vary to this race within the hope of stopping the race being the locked-in one-stop technique it has historically been at Imola.
That appears unlikely to work, with the medium compound working properly, and Aston Martin leaned into it all through qualifying.
The Aston Martin has a serious improve on it this weekend, with a brand new ground and engine cowl influenced by design legend Adrian Newey, who joined the staff as managing technical associate in March.
Alonso and Stroll clearly had a technique to make use of the mediums, as they turned to them for his or her remaining runs in every session.
Although the staff had no model new mediums to make use of within the prime 10 shootout, Alonso vaulted up from the seventh place he had secured with mushy tyres on his first run to a superb fifth on his second.
