It was a truly exciting qualifying session, full of twists and turns, and one surprising result also emerged: Carlos Sainz will start from pole position tomorrow!
After the first fast laps of Q1, Max Verstappen took the lead, but behind him there were frequent changes of drivers. Pierre Gasly, Nico Hülkenberg and then Verstappen as Lando Norris took the lead. Ultimately, Norris won the first segment ahead of Carlos Sainz and Verstappen, while Oscar Piastri, Sergio Perez, Franco Collapinto, Esteban Ocon and Guanyu Zhou surprisingly joined the group of eliminated drivers.
Q2 also involved the Norris/Verstappen duo, but Mercedes were also closing in behind them. The Scuderia Ferrari seemed to be suffering at this point, however. However, the reds improved significantly in the second attempt, allowing Sainz to catch up with the Norris/Verstappen duo, who won Q2. Many were not so lucky, as those who started their second fast laps late were unable to complete them due to an accident and a red flag. Two Aston Martins, two VISA Racing Bulls and Valtteri Bottas were eliminated in this stage.
After the first few attempts in Q3, Sainz, Leclerc and Russell surprisingly came out on top, while Norris and Verstappen could only manage fifth and tenth. Carlos Sainz, however, really pushed himself and found no rivals that night. The Spaniard took a clear pole position ahead of Max Verstappen and Lando Norris, giving him a serious chance of saying goodbye to the Italian team with a victory.
