For the first time this season, no Mercedes driver claimed pole position in
Formula 1. Defending world champion
Lando Norris stormed to pole on Friday, becoming the only driver to go under 1:29 on the soft tyres. The McLaren driver finished around two tenths ahead of Mercedes'
Kimi Antonelli, while
Oscar Piastri completed the top three.
George Russell could only manage the sixth quickest time.
It was a disappointing session for Ferrari, with
Charles Leclerc and
Lewis Hamilton finishing fourth and seventh respectively.
Max Verstappen took fifth for Red Bull Racing. After the session, the
four-time world champion said:
"It feels more together. Of course, there are still things that we are working on, but it's been a really positive step for us. Last few races we were like over a second behind. I would say we have almost halved that gap now, so that's positive." Further down the grid, Alexander Albon was relegated to P19 after he qualified to SQ2 with a lap time that should have been deleted from track limits. As a result, Carlos Sainz, Arvid Lindblad, Liam Lawson, Esteban Ocon and Sergio Perez all gained a position.
The first points of the weekend can be earned on Saturday. A total of eight points will be up for grabs in the Sprint, which begins at 17:00 UK time (12:00 local time).