Red Bull driver Yuki Tsunoda walked away from a major crash in the first part of qualifying for the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix.

The Japanese skidded across the gravel on the exit of the Villeneuve chicane at the Imola circuit, with his car crashing into the barriers before being lifted into the air, flipping over and landing upside down before righting itself.

The 25-year-old quickly jumped out of the car, with Red Bull confirming that he was OK and heading for the medical centre.

The opening session was red-flagged while repairs were made to the tyre barrier.

It was also brought to an early halt when Franco Colapinto, in his first race back in Formula One after replacing Jack Doohan at Alpine, dipped a wheel into the gravel on the exit of Tamburello and spun into the barriers.

The start of Q2 was delayed following Colapinto’s crash.

Imola is a track steeped in history but also tragedy, with Roland Ratzenberger and Ayrton Senna dying after crashes during the race weekend in 1994. It returned to the F1 calendar in 2020 after a 14-year hiatus.