Q2 – Verstappen leads Leclerc for pole shootout

When the remaining 15 drivers returned to the track for the start of Q2, Verstappen and Perez stepped up a gear to form a provisional Red Bull one-two – the Dutchman setting a time of 1m 42.042s – while Piastri took third place ahead of Russell, Bearman and Sainz.

Albon, Hamilton, Leclerc and Hulkenberg occupied the final top 10 positions at that point, leaving Colapinto, Alonso, Gasly, Tsunoda and Stroll with work to do in the final, decisive runs, which would again produce a slew of purple and green sector times.

Ferrari were slightly out of step with their race plans at this point, allowing Leclerc to finish second on a clear track and Sainz fourth, while Perez was the only driver to remain in his garage and watch the rest of the action as the minutes ticked by and the chequered flag fell.

There were no further improvements at the sharp end in the closing laps, with Verstappen remaining in P1, ahead of Leclerc and Perez, followed by Russell, Alonso and an inspired Colapinto, who brilliantly secured safe passage into the pole position shootout in only his second weekend.

Sainz, Piastri, Hamilton and Albon’s other Williams also got through, denying Bearman, who described himself as “an idiot” on the radio after an apparent mistake, Tsunoda’s RB, Gasly’s Alpine, Hulkenberg’s other Haas and Stroll’s Aston Martin.

Eliminated: Bearman, Tsunoda, Gasly, Hulkenberg, Stroll