Although the track did not produce many wheel-to-wheel battles, fans were treated to several outstanding individual performances, strategic duels, and costly mistakes that significantly shaped the final classification.
Qualifying already gave a clear indication of who the favorites would be. For the second time this season, Ben Grossbi secured pole position for Benetton, leaving the competition behind and beating Jan Pospíšil by more than half a second. Such a commanding advantage around the demanding Imola circuit was clear evidence of the French driver's outstanding form.
Qualification
| Pos | No | Co | Driver | Team | Performance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 21 |  |
Ben Grossbi | Benetton F1 Team | 1:20.694 |
| 2 | 26 |  |
Jan Pospíšil | Ferrari F1 Team | 1:21.357 |
| 3 | 32 |  |
Mateusz Szymczyk | Footwork Arrows | 1:21.440 |
| 4 | 29 | |
Daniel Jelínek | Ligier F1 Team | 1:21.462 |
| 5 | 27 | |
Jaroslav Kloupar | Williams F1 Team | 1:21.503 |
| 6 | 19 |  |
Feyyaz Sonbudak | Ferrari F1 Team | 1:21.576 |
| 7 | 15 | |
Nils Dervinke | Benetton F1 Team | 1:22.803 |
| 8 | 11 |  |
Waldemar Wald | Jordan Grand Prix | 1:23.016 |
| 9 | 30 | |
Giuseppe Sorbello | Tyrell F1 Team | 1:23.037 |
| 10 | 22 | |
Salvo Pizzimento | Tyrell F1 Team | 1:23.301 |
| 11 | 14 | |
Gunther Otto | Forti Corse | 1:23.318 |
| 12 | 7 | |
Marco Bongiovanni | Minardi F1 Team | 1:23.337 |
| 13 | 33 |  |
Arthur Leclunk | 1:25.499 | |
| 14 | 38 | |
Lukáš Baculík | Sauber Petronas F1 Team | 1:27.210 |
When the lights went out, the front runners initially held their positions, but the opening chicane immediately delivered some drama. In the confusion, Sonbudak's Ferrari made contact with Szymczyk's Footwork. Fortunately, both drivers managed to keep their cars on track and continue the race, despite losing valuable positions.
Daniel Jelínek in the Ligier was the biggest beneficiary of the incident, quickly moving into the leading group. The opening laps featured an exciting battle between Jelínek, Grossbi, and Pospíšil. The decisive moment came when Grossbi made a small mistake, allowing Jelínek to seize the opportunity and take the race lead. Shortly afterward, Pospíšil also overtook the Benetton driver.
However, Grossbi's troubles were far from over. A few laps later, he made another mistake—this time a much more costly one—that dropped him well down the order. Within moments, the pole sitter had gone from being the favorite for victory to fighting his way back toward the podium.
The battle for victory ultimately came down to Daniel Jelínek and Jan Pospíšil. The opening stint clearly belonged to the Ligier driver, who steadily built a comfortable advantage. After the pit stops, however, the momentum briefly shifted. At the beginning of the second stint, Pospíšil significantly reduced the gap and began putting the race leader under heavy pressure. Ferrari's aggressive pace, however, came at the cost of excessive tire wear. As the race entered its closing stages, Pospíšil could no longer maintain his attack and had to settle for second place.
Daniel Jelínek crossed the finish line to claim a well-deserved victory after a flawless performance, while Pospíšil collected another valuable haul of points with second place. Sonbudak secured the final podium position for Ferrari after successfully fending off relentless pressure from Ben Grossbi. Following an impressive recovery drive, the Benetton driver minimized the damage but ultimately fell just short of returning to the podium.
Race
| Pos | No | Co | Driver | Team | Performance | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 29 | |
Daniel Jelínek | Ligier F1 Team | 31 laps | 25 |
| 2 | 26 | |
Jan Pospíšil | Ferrari F1 Team | +26.623 | 20 |
| 3 | 19 | |
Feyyaz Sonbudak | Ferrari F1 Team | +42.460 | 18 |
| 4 | 21 | |
Ben Grossbi | Benetton F1 Team | +44.260 | 15 |
| 5 | 27 | |
Jaroslav Kloupar | Williams F1 Team | +1:06.211 | 12 |
| 6 | 11 | |
Waldemar Wald | Jordan Grand Prix | +1:06.405 | 10 |
| 7 | 30 | |
Giuseppe Sorbello | Tyrell F1 Team | +1:21.253 | 8 |
| 8 | 32 | |
Mateusz Szymczyk | Footwork Arrows | +1 LAP | 6 |
| 9 | 22 | |
Salvo Pizzimento | Tyrell F1 Team | +1 LAP | 4 |
| 10 | 7 | |
Marco Bongiovanni | Minardi F1 Team | +1 LAP | 3 |
| 11 | 15 | |
Nils Dervinke | Benetton F1 Team | +2 LAPS | 2 |
| 12 | 14 | |
Gunther Otto | Forti Corse | +2 LAPS | 1 |
| 13 | 33 | |
Arthur Leclunk | +3 LAPS | 0 | |
| 14 | 38 | |
Lukáš Baculík | Sauber Petronas F1 Team | DNF | 0 |
The result at Imola also had a major impact on the Constructors' Championship standings. Thanks to a double points finish, Ferrari moved into the championship lead and gained an important psychological advantage heading into the next rounds. However, the season is still in its early stages, and it is already clear that the battle for both championship titles will continue right through to the final race of the year.
