Scuderia Ferrari driver Charles Lecrec (L), Red Bull driver Max Verstappen and McLaren's Lando Norris pose for a photo after the Qualifying session of the Imola Grand Prix on April 22, in Imola, in the Emilia-Romagna region of Italy. (Photo by DPPI/Panoramic via CFP)
Red Bull's Max Verstappen secured pole position on Friday ahead of Saturday's F1 Sprint Race of the Imola GP.
The Dutch driver clocked a best time of 1:27.999 under wet conditions ahead of Ferrari's Charles Lecrec, who set a time of +0.779.
McLaren's Lando Norris will start in third place after clocking the third-best time in qualifying.
Verstappen expressed his satisfaction with the pole position, noting that it was a good way to bounce back after his DNF in the Australian GP.
"It was tricky out there. It was very slippery. I'm very pleased with pole position. It's a good start to the weekend," he said.
On his part, Lecrec reiterated Verstappen's comments on the tricky outing.
"It was very tricky, especially on the slicks. There was quite a lot of wet patches, so it was all about putting the laps in," the Ferrari driver pointed out.
Haas' Kevin Magnussen will line up in fourth place, with Alpine's Fernando Alonso in fifth.
McLaren's second car driven by Daniel Ricciardo will start in sixth, with VErstappen's teammate Sergio Perez lining up in seventh.
Alfa Romeo's Valtteri Bottas locked eighth place, with Aston Martin's Sebastian Vettel securing ninth.
Carlos Sainz will position the second Ferrari car in tenth place.
Seven-time Formula 1 world champion Lewis Hamilton will start in thirteenth place, two places behind Mercedes' team mate George Russell as the team's season continues to be plagued with struggles.
Saturday's Sprint Race will be the first this season, and will determine the starting grid for Sunday's Grand Prix.