Q1 Report:
The Mercedes have seemed to gain some more pace for Sprint Qualifying, as Russell heads his teammate after Q1. Williams is continuing their strong form with Albon in third and Sainz in fifth, with Norris between the pair. The McLaren driver’s teammate is down in sixth with Verstappen behind.
The drivers who have been knocked out in Q1 are Lance Stroll, Jack Doohan, after some frustration on the radio, Yuki Tsunoda, Gabriel Bortoleto, and Ollie Bearman, who came into qualifying after a crash in the practice session.
Q2 Report:
Q2 has brought more excitement as Norris goes quickest ahead of Verstappen and the Championship leader Oscar Piastri. Mercedes and Ferrari also seem to be in contention for a pole position in this qualifying. Williams did drop on the pace slightly, with Alex Albon eighth fastest and Sainz being eliminated after locking up in turn 11. Things could change slightly in Q3 as the soft tires come on.
The drivers eliminated are Nico Hulkenberg, Esteban Ocon, Pierre Gasly, who had a brief run-in with the wall on his lap, Liam Lawson, and Carlos Sainz, whose issue we mentioned earlier.
Q3 Report:
Verstappen and Russell were the first cars out on track, with Russell setting the faster time between the two. However, those times would soon be beaten, as Verstappen charged to provisional pole, only to have the young Kimi Antonelli snatch it away, and the McLaren drivers followed to slot into second and third. No driver could beat the Mercedes driver’s time, and Antonelli, aged 18, is now the youngest F1 driver to secure pole position. Piastri lines up next to him on the front row, and Norris is behind with Verstappen following in fourth. It’s Russell behind them, having only completed one lap early on that was not quick enough to hold up, and the Ferraris of Leclerc and Hamilton are sixth and seventh respectively. Albon could only manage eighth place in the end, and Isack Hadjar for the Racing Bulls is behind, with Fernando Alonso rounding out the top ten.
It’s all to play for in tomorrow’s Sprint Race, so be sure to tune in for all the excitement!
