Temperature: air 13, track 15
Q1. Charles and Carlos wait in order to assess the track condition. They opt for Soft compound slicks. Before they could even go for a timed lap, the red flags were out, because of debris on track from Alex Albon’s car.
The action resumes after a 10 minute break. Carlos posts a 1”20”319 while Charles stops the clocks in 1’20”590 and they improve from there, with Charles managing a 1’18”796 and Carlos a 1’19”305 to go through to Q2.
Q2. There’s a risk of rain so the Ferrari guys are straight out on track. Sainz sets a time of 1’18”990 and Charles posts a 1’19”584 (5th time), but soon after there’s another red flag. Carlos has gone off in the gravel at the last corner having clipped a kerb that was probably wet from the rain that had just arrived. His qualifying is over.
The session resumes, but the rain is quite heavy, nullifying any chance of setting quicker times, so everyone stays in the garages. Sainz thus gets through to Q3, despite going off the track and will start tomorrow’s Sprint race from 10th place. The temperature drops: 12 air, 13 track.
Q3. Charles went out on new Intermediate tyres at the start of the final part of qualifying, but Kevin Magnussen caused yet another red flag, so no one had set as time. When the action resumed, Leclerc set a time of 1’28”778 and Max Verstappen did a 1’27”999, demoting the Monegasque to second place.
Yet another red flag, this time caused by Valtteri Bottas, with just three minutes remaining. The session resumed but this time Lando Norris went off the track and the session was stopped definitively, as there was not enough time left to resume. Charles will start the Sprint from second place.