We saw a truly exciting and twisty qualifying session, where there was also a surprise: Carlos Sainz will start from pole position tomorrow!
After the first few flying laps of Q1, Max Verstappen took the lead, but drivers constantly alternated behind him. Pierre Gasly, Nico Hülkenberg, and later Verstappen were also involved, as Lando Norris took the lead from them. Ultimately, Norris won the first part, beating Carlos Sainz and Verstappen, while Oscar Piastri, Sergio Pérez, Franco Collapinto, Esteban Ocon, and Guanyu Zhou were surprisingly eliminated.
Q2 was also dominated by the Norris and Verstappen duo, although the Mercedes drivers closed in on them. However, Scuderia Ferrari seemed to be struggling at this point. On their second attempts, the Reds improved significantly, allowing Sainz to join the Norris and Verstappen pairing, who won Q2. Many weren't as lucky, as those who started late on their second attempt were unable to finish due to a crash and a red flag. At this stage, both Aston Martins, both VISA Racing Bulls, and Valtteri Bottas were eliminated.
After the first attempts in Q3, we surprisingly read the names of Sainz, Leclerc, and Russell at the top, while Norris and Verstappen occupied only fifth and tenth places. However, Carlos Sainz focused seriously and found no rivals on this evening. The Spaniard secured a clear pole position ahead of Max Verstappen and Lando Norris, giving himself a great opportunity to bid farewell to the Italian team with a victory.
