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And that’s everything for today. You can join Tom Lutz on Sunday for the race itself, which starts at 4pm local time and 9pm BST, unless the weather picture goes crazy and they pull it forward. It promises to be an unpredictable race, and the big test of the new regulations and how teams adapt to them. The fact we have four different teams occupying the four places on the front two rows shows that there is all to play for, and less than 0.06sec covers the places three to five on the grid. I can’t wait. Thank you for reading and good evening/good night.
Here we have our qualifying standings:
Q3
1 Kimi Antonelli (It) Mercedes GP 1:27.798secs,
2 Max Verstappen (Neth) Red Bull 1:27.964
3 Charles Leclerc (Mon) Ferrari 1:28.143
4 Lando Norris (GB) McLaren 1:28.183
5 George Russell (GB) Mercedes GP 1:28.197
6 Lewis Hamilton (GB) Ferrari 1:28.319
7 Oscar Piastri (Aus) McLaren 1:28.500
8 Franco Colapinto (Arg) Alpine 1:28.762
9 Isack Hadjar (Fr) Red Bull 1:28.789
10 Pierre Gasly (Fr) Alpine 1:28.810
Q2 exits
11 Nico Hülkenberg (Ger) Audi 1:29.439
12 Liam Lawson (NZ) RB 1:29.499
13 Oliver Bearman (GB) Haas F1 1:29.567
14 Carlos Sainz Jr (Sp) Williams 1:29.568
15 Esteban Ocon (Fr) Haas 1:29.772
16 Alex Albon (Tha) Williams 1:29.946
Q3 exits
17 Arvid Lindblad (GB) Racing Bulls 1:30.133
18 Fernando Alonso (Sp) Aston Martin 1:31.098
19 Lance Stroll (Can) Aston Martin 1:31.164
20 Valtteri Bottas (Fin) Cadillac 1:31.629
21 Sergio Pérez (Mex) Cadillac 1:31.967
22 Gabriel Bortoleto (Br) Audi 1:33.737
Leclerc says the wind was changing from run to run, making life tricky. As to tomorrow, “it looks wet, how much and when is yet to be defined.” Everyone expected Sunday’s rain to be an issue, no one was talking about Saturday’s wind.
Now Verstappen. “I feel in more control, the upgrades are working … I am already very happy with where we are.” No more moaning Max, for now.
He is hoping for a magic start on Sunday after his loss of places every time of late.
Antonelli has joined Senna and Schumacher in taking his first three poles consecutively.
A beaming Antonelli heads for his interview, this time with Martin Brundle. Let’s hope he doesn’t pass on that cold.
The championship leader’s day had begun badly with his poor start in the sprint but that was a perfect response. Only he and Verstappen broke 1:28, I think.
Pole for Antonelli!
Verstappen second, Leclerc third, Norris fourth.
Antonelli can’t go faster. Can Verstappen?
Norris fourth, Leclerc second, Hamilton sixth.
Russell stays fifth. Piastri seventh.
Verstappen will be the last man on the track.
Five minutes left. Tyres being changed. This is not over but whatever happens Antonelli’s response to the sprint race has been superb.
Here comes Antonelli, into the 1:27s! Three tenths faster than Leclerc, Verstappen and Norris.
But Verstappen goes quicker, then Leclerc!
All 10 have new tyres, in fact. Piastri comes through but Norris immediately goes half a second quicker.
Q3. Piastri and Norris on new tyres. Ted Kravitz’s verdict is that McLaren’s success yesterday left them happy and their rivals were less happy, didn’t settle and have found some more.
Zak Brown says it was not wind, but a boost problem, that was hurting Norris. He sounds confident that the Briton and Piastri can both do better in Q3, to threaten Verstappen’s pole.
Out go Hülkenberg, Lawson, Bearman, Sainz and Ocon. Colapinto makes Q3 for the first time this season. That’s what we do know. What we don’t know is how reflective of tomorrow’s race any of this will be, if it’s the vagaries of the weather that are affecting the leading cars’ performances.
Piastri up to fourth, as Norris eases up to seventh, away from danger. Relief for the world champion. It’s down to wind speed and direction, growls Brundle.
Verstappen pulls it out, and Leclerc goes third.
Antonelli, after a shabby sprint race, is back to his qualifying best. 1:28.289, faster still, now 0.188 faster than the best of Hamilton and Russell.
Norris is talking about a loss of power at turn 16, McLaren are blaming wind. Mysterious. Especially as those were, in fact, new tyres, according to Brundle, who is still running on hoarse power.
McLaren and their tyre preservation schemes are making things a little nervy but he at least comes in ninth. Hang on, were those new tyres?
Ocon, Hülkenberg, Bearman, Albon, Sainz and Norris in the drop zone, but the world champion has the track to himself.
Lando Norris in trouble – no time set. Has one real shot to get into Q3 from here.
Antonelli knocks the Ferraris off the top and Russell splits them, getting close to his teammate.
Leclerc then Hamilton go fastest. Piastri, though, is having some difficulties.
Verstappen puts in a 1:28.931. Not great, but a second better than Hülkenberg.
The Red Bulls are out, Max Verstappen dancing around to get the tyres up to speed.
Here we go again.
A weird old Q1, with leading teams conserving tyres on some drivers, making all comparisons difficult. Q2 should be less opaque but will be delayed, as the marshals recover Bortoleto’s car.
Ouch. More flames for Audi, this time Bortoleto. Not a happy weekend, though Hülkenberg did make it to 12th fastest.
Leclerc goes second, knocking down Verstappen. Piastri, though, is 16th. Still, he didn’t use any new tyres and gets through by two 10ths.
Bortoleto did make it out, but his time will not trouble the top 16.
Antonelli on new tyres goes fastest. So a second faster than Russell but it’s apples and oranges.
Oscar Piastri cannot better 11th. Russell up to 7th.
Bortoleto looks like he is coming out. Ted Kravitz, speaking at length, claims to be lost for words.
With 5 mins to go, Piastri is 11th and Russell 12th. Not near the cutoff but disappointing.
Lindblad, Alonso, Stroll, Pérez, Bottas, and Bortoleto in the drop zone.
Liam Lawson and Isack Hadjar on new tyres and so their sixth and seventh places are not exactly on the level with everyone else.
Piastri a second off Verstappen and is down in seventh, and there is a big contrast between the two Mercedes as well. Antonelli goes second, ahead of Norris, but Russell is in eighth.
Hamilton can’t catch Leclerc, and Norris can’t beat Verstappen. After all the moaning from Verstappen around the previous three races, has he got something to smile about?
It’s Max Verstappen who takes the lead from Bearman by a second and when Charles Leclerc comes through he is a third of a second behind the Red Bull.
The slower teams are coming through, setting times. Oliver Bearman leading Ocon, Lindblad, Hülkenberg, Alonso, Pérez …
