FP3 – Saturday Morning

Top 5 Times

1. Charles Leclerc (Ferrari) – 1:25.498

2. Oscar Piastri (McLaren) – +0.068

3. Max Verstappen (Red Bull) – +0.087

4. Lando Norris (McLaren) – +0.108

5. Yuki Tsunoda (Red Bull) – +0.606 

Session Dynamics:

• Ferrari led the way with Leclerc topping the leaderboards, showcasing strong long- and short-run pace under cooler, gusty skies 

• Two late red flags interrupted: debris cleanup after Bearman’s incident and a high-speed spin by Bortoleto 

• Hamilton missed out after aborting a hot lap due to a stoppage—he eventually finished down in P11 for FP3 

Insights:
Ferrari regained confidence with Leclerc’s leading time. McLaren and Red Bull remained close behind, setting the stage for a fiercely competitive qualifying battle.

Qualifying – Saturday Afternoon

Q3 Final Top 5 & Grid Positions

1. Max Verstappen (Red Bull) – 1:24.892 – Pole Position

2. Oscar Piastri (McLaren) – +0.103 – P2

3. Lando Norris (McLaren) – +0.118 – P3 George Russell (Mercedes) – P4 

4. Lewis Hamilton (Ferrari) – P5 

Other Q3 runners:

• Charles Leclerc (Ferrari) – P6

• Kimi Antonelli (Mercedes) – P7 (carrying a 3-place grid penalty)

• Ollie Bearman (Haas) – P8 (will drop 10 places due to red-flag infringement)

• Fernando Alonso (Aston Martin) – P9

• Pierre Gasly (Alpine) – P10 

Qualifying Narrative:

• Verstappen secured his fourth pole of the season, narrowly defeating the McLaren duo in a thrilling Q3 finale Piastri admitted his final lap was “a little bit messy” but still managed P2

• Norris impressed his home fans by locking in P3 among fierce competition

• Russell and Hamilton rounded out a fiercely contested top five, with all six front-runners separated by under a quarter of a second 

Session Incidents & Penalties:

• Q1 delay: Franco Colapinto crashed at the final corner, triggering a red flag

• Significant eliminations in Q2 included Sainz (short by 0.035 s), Tsunoda, Hadjar, Albon, and Ocon 

• Bearman and Antonelli will start further back due to their respective grid penalties

Analysis & Highlights

Verstappen’s Pole Masterclass

Taking 1:24.892, Verstappen overcame a challenging weekend with sensitive wind conditions and car balance tweaks—Red Bull’s low-downforce setup paid off precisely when it mattered

McLaren’s Near-Miss Performance

Piastri and Norris will start second and third. Their gap (only 0.118 s off pole) signals McLaren’s growing one-lap pace. Piastri’s rooftop error highlights tight margins, but race day looks wide open 

Ferrari Bounce-Back & Mercedes Momentum

Despite not cracking the top three, Hamilton (P5) and Leclerc (P6) maintained solid positions. Russell’s P4 forms a strong five-team grid in Q3, promising an open and strategic race day

Key Takeaways for Race Watchers

• Track position will be vital—starting on the clean side could define opening lap gains.

• Watch for Antonelli’s and Bearman’s shuffled grid positions due to penalties.

• Friday’s practice pace looks to convert into Sunday’s race speed—Ferrari and McLaren will aim to challenge for the podium.