A shocking accident occurred during official practice for the Imola Grand Prix at the historic Autodromo Enzo e Dino Ferrari in Italy, causing great concern in the world of Formula 1. Japanese Red Bull driver Yuki Tsunoda lost control of his car during a fast lap and crashed into the barriers, after a dramatic rollover.
Tsunoda, who had started to show improvement this season after switching from Racing Bulls to Red Bull, was trying to improve his time. But at the Villenueve corner, he went over the inside kerb, lost control and the car ended up in the gravel area. Due to the high speed, it was unable to stop and overturned before crashing hard into the protective wall.
Fortunately, the driver got out of the car without anyone's help and was immediately taken to the medical centre for checks. Later, he returned to the paddock and apologised to the team for the mistake. "I'm disappointed in myself. I apologise to everyone in the team, especially the mechanics who will have a difficult night ahead," he told Sky Sports.
The accident caused the qualifying session to be interrupted for about an hour, causing great concern among drivers and teams. Max Verstappen also expressed surprise that Tsunoda escaped unharmed: “When I saw the footage, I thought: ‘Jesus, is he really okay?’ It was a serious crash.”
Imola is considered one of the most dangerous tracks in the championship and this incident has increased debate about safety, with some voices even suggesting the removal of this Grand Prix from the next calendar.
After the track was cleared, the session resumed for a few minutes, but was interrupted again after another accident, this time by Alpine driver Franco Colapinto, who also suffered no injuries.
In the end, pole position was awarded to McLaren's Oscar Piastri, ahead of Max Verstappen.
Tsunoda, who failed to record any times due to the accident, is expected to start from last place in Sunday's race if his car can be repaired in time.
Yuki's moment in qualifying
— RBR Daily (@RBR_Daily) May 17, 2025
Again, thank goodness he is out of the car and alright.pic.twitter.com/MNOtKTU3SJ
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