Based on the three free practice sessions, this qualifying session promised a McLaren-Ferrari battle once again, with Lando Norris and Charles Leclerc expected to take pole position. In the end, Red Bull and Mercedes also made it there.
Q1 was a similar affair, with Norris leading the stage, but Leclerc and Oscar Piastri were close behind, and Red Bull Racing was also back in its best form. In the end, Max Verstappen wedged in between Norris and Piastri and finished in the top three, while Daniel Ricciardo, who was probably running his last Formula 1 race, Lance Stroll, Pierre Gasly and the two Alfas were forced to retire from further competition.
Q2 was similar to the previous stage, with the only difference that Verstappen made a bad mistake on his first decent lap. McLaren and Ferrari, that was still what every nerve in our heads was telling us, but to be honest, in those minutes and moments it seemed as if Norris was playing in a different league. The Briton drove extremely stable and confident, but so did Lewis Hamilton and the Verstappen, who was catching up in the meantime! In the end, Piastri, Verstappen, Leclerc ended this stage in the lead, while the two Williams, Sergio Perez, Kevin Magnussen and Esteban Ocon had no further chance.
In Q3, the field was just about to jump to the first fast lap when Carlos Sainz came and on the exit lap he put the Ferrari into the wall very badly… Red flag! In the remaining time, only one shot fit in, during which Lando Norris took the first starting position with a solidly put together lap ahead of the equally resurgent Max Verstappen - Lewis Hamilton duo. An exciting race is expected tomorrow, we are looking forward to it!
