Piastri flies and beats a magnificent Verstappen as Norris underperforms again!

During the first runs it was Alexander Albon’s Williams which could be found at the top of Q1, with Fernando Alonso and Hamilton completing the top three.

As the major players, Max Verstappen, Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri found themselves on their push laps, Yuki Tsunoda found the wall on the outside of Turn 5 after he came off the kerbs, the car became decompressed losing aerodynamic load from the floor, spinning him around and launching him forcefully into the wall. After rolling on its side, the car rolled back and hit the ground hard.

Q1 was resumed to see Alonso take the top spot, albeit momentarily as Verstappen improved the Spaniard’s time by half a second. Norris failed to make an impression placing P7 with teammate Piastri shooting straight up to P2. Russell himself was pipped by Alonso, whose pace did indeed turn a few heads.

As the session reached its end, Franco Colapinto already en route to a rather certain grid drop, found the wall coming out of Tamburello as he pushed too hard bit the grass, did not let off the gas and spun into the wall on the outside of Turn 4.

As the drivers set out on the first runs it was Piastri who took spot ahead of teammate Lando Norris, with Verstappen in P3. Russell found himself in P4 ahead of both Ferraris led by Leclerc. Local hero Andrea Kimi Antonelli’s best effort was only good enough for P10 leaving him at risk not to make it to Q3 at all. Fernando Alonso confirmed his pace as he found himself P8 less than 2 tenths off to Racing Bulls’ Isack Hadjar.

For the last set of flying laps in Q2 Antonelli only improved to P8 with Hamilton staying in P7, much like teammate Leclerc who failed to improve as Hadjar leapfrogged them all to P5. Sainz then took P1 ahead of Piastri and Norris, as Albon only managed P7.

Gasly went up to P6, with Stroll and Alonso taking over the same position demoted Leclerc, Hamilton and Antonelli to the elimination zone.

Max Verstappen proved quick enough to beat both McLarens in the first runs of the last part of qualifying, with Russell’s effort good enough to P4 and Hadjar surprising friend and foe putting his VCARB02 in P5. Stroll, Alonso, Sainz, Albon and Gasly completed the top 10.