FIA announce Red Bull F1 decision after Imola Grand Prix request submitted

christian horner, red bull, fia — Photo: © IMAGO

Imola Grand Prix

FIA announce Red Bull decision after Imola Grand Prix request submitted

Red Bull F1 team submitted a request to the FIA after qualifying in Imola

Kerry Violet F1 News Editor

F1 editor and journalist covering motorsport since 2024.

Sunday 18 May 2025 09:56 Updated: 17:58

The FIA have announced an official decision following a request from Red Bull Formula 1 team ahead of this weekend's Imola Grand Prix.

The seventh round of the 2025 campaign kicks off today (Sunday, May 18, 2025) in the Emilia-Romagna region where Red Bull star Max Verstappen could claim his second victory of the season having looked promising during Saturday's qualifying.

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Christian Horner's F1 outfit have got off to a disappointing start this season, initiating a driver swap for Verstappen's team-mate already and only managing one grand prix victory.

Yuki Tsunoda replaced Liam Lawson from the Japanese GP onwards in the infamously tricky second Red Bull seat but is still getting to grips with the RB21 heading into the first Italian event of the year.

Having been an official Red Bull driver for four race weekends already, the Japanese racer's best result has been a P9 finish in Bahrain, with Horner and F1 advisor Helmut Marko in desperate need of a points overhaul to boost them up the constructors' championship.

Tsunoda Imola GP position confirmed after major crash

Tsunoda's new Red Bull team currently sit third in the team standings but the 25-year-old has his work cut out for him if he hopes to add more points to their tally in Imola.

During Saturday's qualifying, Tsunoda was involved in a shocking incident which saw him flip his Red Bull car, hurtling straight into the catch fence having taken a huge amount of kerb.

Thankfully Red Bull later confirmed that the young driver escaped the huge accident unharmed but having crashed out of Q1 so early in proceedings, Tsunoda registered a DNQ meaning he was not given an official starting position ahead of Sunday's race.

Now however, the FIA have released a statement confirming Red Bull's request for their driver to be allowed to start from the back of the pack in Imola with an official verdict having been announced.

An official statement from the FIA read: "The stewards have received a request from Oracle Red Bull Racing to allow car 22 to start the race despite failing to set a lap time in Q1.

"In accordance with Article 39.4 b) of the FIA Formula One sporting regulations, the stewards grant permission for car 22, Yuki Tsunoda, to start the race, as the driver has set satisfactory times in practice at this competition. The car will be placed on the grid in accordance with Article 42.1 of the FIA Formula One sporting regulations."

As per the provisional starting grid for Sunday's race, the decision means that Tsunoda will officially start the Imola Grand Prix from P20 instead of the pit lane.