Piastri takes pole after captivating qualifying

OSCAR Piastri claimed pole position in a dramatic qualifying session for the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix as Lewis Hamilton suffered an early exit in his first home race for Ferrari and Yuki Tsunoda walked away from a major crash.

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Piastri delivered a flawless lap when it mattered to beat Max Verstappen’s time by just 0.034 seconds, after the Dutchman surged to the top of the charts in pursuit of a third successive pole.

Lando Norris could manage only fourth for McLaren - over three tenths off the pole pace - after being edged out at the last by George Russell, who will start from third for Mercedes.

Piastri holds a 16-point lead over Norris in the drivers’ championship heading into this weekend after winning the last three races and four of the first six this season.