In the early part of the Formula 1 season, the field effectively split into two. The top five teams held a sizeable advantage over the bottom five, limiting opportunities to reach the top 10.
But in qualifying for the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix on Saturday, there were some unexpected wildcards. Midfield teams have been targeting Lance Stroll, aware that there may be a valuable result on offer if he fluffs his lines.
But while Stroll did suffer a Q2 elimination in 13th, he wasn’t the only early casualty. His Aston Martin teammate Fernando Alonso will start the race from 19th after a ‘nightmare’ day.
Alonso made it out for qualifying after a heavy crash in final practice, but struggled to make an impression. On one of his laps, he ran wide and into the gravel trap.
There was an even bigger upset in Q2 as Red Bull Sergio Perez ended up in 11th place. Perez was also coming off an accident in FP3 and made a mistake on his final run to miss out on the top 10 shoot-out.
All of this was music to the ears of teams further down the field. They knew they could take a big step towards some valuable points on Sunday.
Damon Hill lavishes praise on Nico Hulkenberg performance at Imola GP
Nico Hulkenberg was among those to benefit. The Haas driver was able to reach Q3, a tenth and a half ahead of Perez.
It’s the fourth time this season Hulkenberg has progressed to the final segment, and he’s now extended his streak to three. He leads teammate Kevin Magnussen 5-2 in the Haas head-to-head.
The highlight of Hulkenberg’s afternoon arguably came in Q1. The German driver lit up the timing screens on a new set of soft tyres and briefly topped the charts before Max Verstappen improved.
Speaking to the 209-race veteran live on Sky Sports F1 after the session, Damon Hill was full of praise for his efforts. The 1996 world champion couldn’t quite believe what he saw at the end of Q1.
“It’s the sort of circuit where you build up, you’re finding out all the time, you’re learning,” he said. “Those laps you put in the last few qualifying sessions were just astonishing. We expect you to be in the top 10, but not that far up!”
Why Kevin Magnussen is surprised by Nico Hulkenberg Audi move
Hulkenberg has once again shown Haas what they’ll be missing next year as he prepares to join Sauber. He’s signed a multi-year deal with the team ahead of their transition to Audi in 2026.
F2 driver and Ferrari academy starlet Oliver Bearman is set to replace the 36-year-old. The young Briton logged the first of six FP1 outings with the team this year on Friday.
It’s a move that’s caught Magnussen off guard. The Dane admits he expected to be partnering Hulkenberg again next year, particularly as their teamwork has been strong.
Magnussen’s defensive driving has helped his teammate score points at two separate weekends this year. However, he’s picked up penalties on both occasions.
He now stands on the verge of a race ban and will have to keep his nose clean for the remainder of the year. Any missteps could have both short and long-term ramifications as he fights for a contract extension.
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