04/10/2025
NEWS STORY
Ahead of Q1 the air temperature is 30 degrees C, while the track temperature is 36 degrees. Humidity is 68%.
Verstappen set the pace earlier in a session in which the Top 5 - the Dutchman and the McLaren and Mercedes duos - were covered by just 0.089.
While it is likely that this session will be equally hard-fought there is also the prospect of traffic, not to mention clashes with the barriers - both of which have been regular occurrences so far this weekend.
The promise shown by Alonso and Aston Martin has faded away, however Williams is looking good as is Hadjar, whose teammate has had an absolute nightmare, crashing out in FP2 and FP3.
We've yet to see the true pace of the Ferraris though the Italian will be boosted by the fact that Hamilton wasn't penalised for his red flag infringement in FP3.
At the best of times it's hard to make predictions at a track lime this, but with two unrepresentative sessions and FP2 compromised by two red-lag stoppages even more so.
So best we sit back and watch as the drama unfolds.
Talking of drama, there is frantic activity in the RB garage in a bid to get Lawson on track.
Colapinto gets things underway, the Argentine followed by his teammate, Hulkenberg, Stroll and Albon. Lawson is among the early risers.
Colapinto posts a 32.096 as Hamilton aborts following a mistake in Turn 1.
Hulkenberg posts a 31.689 but is leapfrogged by Stroll and then Albon (31.474).
Sainz goes top with a 31.015 but is immediately demoted by his former teammate who stops the clock at 30.940.
A 30.826 from Hadjar.
Norris goes top with a 30.572, 0.254s up on Hadjar.
Verstappen posts a 30.317 as his teammate goes eleventh with a 31.745.
Quickest in S3, Hamilton goes second with a 30.562 as Piastri aborts his lap following a mistake. Indeed, the Australian pits for fresh rubber.
Replay shows that Piastri didn't make a mistake but in fact slow for a yellow flag shown to warn him that a car was getting out of the way. He is not happy.
Bearman goes second with a 30.420 ahead of Russell.
Alonso goes sixth with a 30.772 while his teammate is eleventh.
Hamilton retakes second with a 30.319, 0.002s off Verstappen's best.
Leclerc goes third, but is demoted when Hadjar goes top with a 30.214.
Hulkenberg can only manage fourteenth, as Piastri posts a 30.440 to go sixth.
Antonelli has yet to post a time.
Lawson goes tenth as Norris goes purple in the opening two sectors. The McLaren driver crosses the line at 29.932.
Back on track after4 being cleared of impeding Sainz, Antonelli goes quickest in S1. At the line the Italian posts a 30.036 to go second.
With just over three minutes remaining, Bortoleto, Hulkenberg, Ocon, Gasly and Tsunoda compromise the drop zone, with Stroll, Colapinto and Albon hovering.
Hamilton goes quickest with a 29.765, much to the crowd's delight.
Stroll goes 14th And Verstappen third.
Piastri remains sixth as Alonso goes twelfth.
There's a yellow flag as Gasly stops at Turn 11. "I've lost everything," he reports. "The steering is heavy."
Russell goes second, Tsunoda tenth and Hulkenberg thirteenth.
Bortoleto can only manage sixteenth while Ocon also misses the cut.
Quickest is Hamilton, ahead of Russell, Norris, Verstappen, Antonelli, Hadjar, Piastri, Leclerc, Bearman and Tsunoda.
We lose Bortoleto, Stroll, Colapinto, Ocon and Gasly.
The start of Q2 is delayed as Gasly's Alpine is recovered.
Bortoleto, Hulkenberg, Tsunoda and Russell are to be investigated for a yellow flag infringement.
Verstappen heads the queue at the end of the pitlane, the Dutchman clearly eager to get things underway. However, no sooner has the pitlane opened than there is a further two-minute delay.
Behind the world champion it's Bearman, Hadjar, Albon and Sainz.
Verstappen posts a benchmark 29.747, Bearman responding with a 30.278 and Hadjar a 30.122.
Albon, who scraped into Q2 by the skin of his very nice teeth, posts a 30.746.
Russell is quickest in S1 as Alonso goes third overall (30.128).
As Russell goes fourth, Hamilton can only manage eleventh.
Antonelli goes second and Norris third, but the Italian has his time deleted.
Piastri goes second, 0.076s off Verstappen's pace.
Hamilton improves to third (29.936), while Leclerc - on fresh rubber - can only manage thirteenth (30.742).
There's a brief lull before the final assault, Antonelli yet to post as time and Leclerc still in the drop zone.
It's a poor opening sector for Antonelli, as teammate Russell goes quickest in the same sector. Antonelli goes purple in S2, finally crossing the line at 29.649 to go top.
Russell leapfrogs his teammate with a 29.562 as Verstappen goes second.
Everyone is on fresh softs.
Albon goes ninth, but is it enough?
Bearman goes twelfth, Alonso eighth and Hadjar seventh.
Bearman improves to eighth as Norris goes fourth with as 29.809.
Alonso consolidates eighth, as Hulkenberg goes tenth.
Leclerc crosses the line at 29.914 to go sixth, which means curtains for Hulkenberg.
Quickest is Russell, ahead of Verstappen, Antonelli, Norris, Piastri, Leclerc, Hamilton, Hadjar, Alonso and Bearman.
We lose Hulkenberg, Albon, Sainz, Lawson and Tsunoda.
Bearman leads the way when the lights go green, the Haas driver followed by Russell, Antonelli, Alonso and Hadjar.
Bearman, Leclerc and Alonso on used rubber, the rest on fresh.
Russell posts a 29.165 despite clouting the wall at Turn 18. Antonelli goes second ahead of Bearman.
A 30.359 sees Alonso go fourth however he is demoted when Norris goes third and Hadjar fourth.
A 29.784 sees Leclerc go fourth, but he is instantly demoted by his teammate, while Piastri splits the Mercedes pair with a 29.524 to claim second.
Verstappen goes second with a 29.340, 0.175s off Rusell's pace.
The final assault gets underway, once again Bearman is first out. He is followed by Norris, Hadjar, Leclerc and Russell.
Norris has a poor opening sector, unlike Bearman and Hadjar.
Norris remains fifth despite improving his time.
Bearman remains ninth, as Leclerc can only manage seventh.
Russell consolidates the top spot with a 29.158.
Alonso remains tenth as Antonelli and Hamilton remain fourth and sixth.
A poor S2 for Verstappen who subsequently aborts his lap having held on to his front row spot alongside pole-man Russell.
So, Russell is on pole, ahead of Verstappen, Piastri, Antonelli, Norris, Hamilton, Leclerc, Hadjar, Bearman and Alonso
Hulkenberg will start eleventh, ahead of Albon, Sainz, Lawson, Tsunoda, Bortoleto, Stroll, Colapinto, Ocon and Gasly.
Let's be honest, few of us expected to see Russell on pole, especially having lost out on the soft running yesterday not to mention clouting the wall on his first run. However, with teammate Antonelli in fourth it is clear that Mercedes is a threat here.
Verstappen - who appears to have been impeded by Norris on his final run - will be keen to get the jump on Russell at the start and leave the Mercedes and McLaren drivers to sort it out among themselves.
As much as the Mercedes drivers surprised their Ferrari counterparts disappointed, as did Williams, though the midfield fight should be fun tomorrow.