We reached qualifying, where the main question seemed to be, will there be anyone who will put pressure on Charles Leclerc?
After the first laps of Q1, it was no surprise that Charles Leclerc was expected to take the lead, but soon we could see/read the two Mercedes at the top of the displays. This did not change until the end of the stage, except that Oscar Piastri also squeezed in between George Russell and Lewis Hamilton. Q1 already brought serious leadership casualties, as in addition to the already familiar Logen Sargeant/two Stake cars, Sergio Perez and Fernando Alonso were also recorded among the eliminated drivers.
The first real shot of Q2 was taken by Max Verstappen, then Piastri showed that he could even earn pole position. Meanwhile, Leclerc tried to put together the lap that we had seen from him in free practice earlier, but McLaren delivered it all, as Lando Norris closed in second. In fact, in the end, Norris came in first, ahead of Verstappen and Piastri, while the two Haas, Esteban Ocon, Daniel Ricciardo and Lance Stroll were among the eliminated. But the real sensation of this stage was Pierre Gasly's entry into Q3!
In Q3, Leclerc showed his real pace and quickly took the lead. Verstappen chased him at a breakneck pace, but the Dutchman was still good for third place, because Piastri also set a great time, which allowed him to overtake him. After the last fast laps, there was no question, Charles Leclerc showed very serious speed and easily took pole position, ahead of Oscar Piastri and Carlos Sainz. Max Verstappen, meanwhile, was only sixth. We are looking forward to a good race, so much for that…
