This is the final starting grid for the 2024 Imola Grand Prix

Not 20, but 19 F1 cars will be on the grid for the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix on Sunday afternoon, it is definite after the FIA announced the final starting grid for the race in Imola. It was announced earlier on Sunday that Fernando Alonso will start from the pits. Who certainly will not be doing so is Max Verstappen. The Red Bull Racing driver will start the race from first place.

After an exceptionally exciting qualifying session, Verstappen found himself at the top of the timesheet, just ahead of Oscar Piastri. However, McLaren's Australian has already been pushed back three places on Saturday. Namely, the youngster had got in Kevin Magnussen's way too much. Piastri will therefore not start second, but fifth in Imola. Because of the Australian's penalty, Lando Norris moved up one place. The McLaren driver is next to Verstappen on the front row.

The biggest negative surprise of qualifying was Sergio Perez. He failed to reach Q3 with Red Bull's RB20. The Mexican will therefore start from the 11th position. Painful: even the two drivers of Visa Cash App RB - Red Bull Racing's sister team - start ahead of Perez. Yuki Tsunoda even starts the home race for the Italian team - which has its factory 30 kilometres from the circuit - from place seven. In doing so, he does one place better than Lewis Hamilton, the most successful F1 driver of all time.

The final starting grid for the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix