Key events
5h ago
Antonelli takes pole
6h ago
Q2 eliminations
6h ago
Q1 eliminations
7h ago
Preamble
And here is Giles’s report:
Right, that’s all from me. Giles Richards’ report will be along shortly, and Yara El Shaboury will be with you tomorrow to see if Antonelli can get back to extending his championship lead. Enjoy the rest of your Saturday.
Karun Chandhok explains that a yellow flag for the pit lane was in Leclerc’s line of sight on the track.
Leclerc says fifth was in line with what was expected. Disappointed by his last lap due to an issue with a yellow flag.
Wolff is hoping for two cars that can drive in front, saying Russell was mysteriously losing time on the straights. He worries about the start and cars breathing down Antonelli’s neck.
Toto Wolff says Antonelli had overheating tyre problems to start with: “Slowly but surely he comes back and at the end he is dominant.”
Here are the top-10 timings
1 Kimi Antonelli Mercedes 1:44.361
2 Max Verstappen Red Bull +0.317
3 Lando Norris McLaren +0.440
4 George Russell Mercedes +0.5008
5 Charles Leclerc Ferrari +0.532
6 Lewis Hamilton Ferrari +0.534
7 Oscar Piastri McLaren +0.655
8 Arvid Lindblad Racing Bulls +0.782
9 Gabriel Bortoleto Audi +1.267
10 Isack Hadjar Red Bull no time
Hadjar goes to the back and Norris drops 10 places.
Russell will start third, immediately behind his teammate and alongside Charles Leclerc.
Antonelli has six poles this season. He shares the front row with a car that probably would be sixth if it hadn’t had a helping hand. Yes, he will face pressure from Verstappen but get the start right and it could be perfect for the 19-year-old.
Norris, like Verstappen half Belgian, says: “It’s nice to be standing here, not nice knowing I’ll be 10 places back.”
He continues: “I’ll see if we can hang in there.”
Verstappen asked about the tow: “It was definitely helping me, otherwise I’d be P6 … Tomorrow I’ll be looking in my mirrors. The car has been quite decent all weekend.”
Antonelli speaks. “It’s great to be on pole. Not a very straightforward session … But tomorrow is another day and I have Max starting next to me.”
Mercedes driver Kimi Antonelli waves to the fans after pulling into Parc Fermé. Photograph: Geert Vanden Wijngaert/APRussell more than half a second behind Antonelli.
Antonelli with the largest pole margin of the season, +0.317.
Norris drops to 13th. He can be happy with that.
Red Bull radio tells Verstappen he should “thank Isack” for P2.
Antonelli takes pole
Verstappen gets the tow and beats Norris but Antonelli beats him with 1:44.361. Verstappen +0.317, Norris left at +0.440, Russell +0.508.
Mercedes’ Kimi Antonelli steers his car whilst on his way to pole position. Photograph: Geert Vanden Wijngaert/APHadjar once again leading Verstappen. Bortoleto is the Audi meat in a Mercedes sandwich, which could just help Russell, suggests David Croft.
Red Bull’s Isack Hadjar takes a corner. Photograph: Alastair Staley/LAT Images/Getty ImagesWe are back under way. Bernie Collins has been arguing Lando Norris should stick, as he would overtake quickly anyone in 11th to 15th that might wind up ahead, but he is going to twist.
We will be back under way shortly. Here is the test card.
Two Max Verstappen fans. Photograph: Mark Thompson/Getty ImagesHadjar did not set a time, he just did his job for Verstappen. Piastri touched the gravel, it seems, and is +0.661 on partially used tyres.
Red flag for gravel. Norris, remember, is heading for 11th as it stands.
It is so tight at the top. Antonelli +0.039, Leclerc +0.092, Verstappen +0.183. Hamilton 0.261, Russell 0.355.
Norris fastest in 1:44.801! Leclerc up to third.
Fans watch Lando Norris negotiate a corner in his McLaren MCL40. Photograph: Clive Rose/Getty ImagesFirst Q3 times see Verstappen 1:44.984, but Antonelli 1:44.840.
Hadjar out in front of Verstappen, able to give him a tow, as predicted.
That delay was not too bad and Q3 is on.
Karun Chandhok uses the lull to show how Antonelli is just attacking the corners much better than Russell.
Q3 delayed. Hulkenberg has a hydraulic leak and has to stop on the circuit.
Q2 eliminations
Out go Lawson, Gasly, Colapinto, Hulkenberg, Sainz and Bearman. Bortoleto gets the Audi into Q3, a good result for him worth eighth on the grid, given the penalties for Norris and Hadjar.
Russell stays eighth.
The question here is can anyone get out of the drop zone to mess up Hadjar and Red Bull.
Final runs starting and Russell is saving new tyres for Q3. Mercedes confident he is through.
Russell is more than half a second down on Antonelli but has 0.45 over Lawson in 11th.
The drop zone has Lawson, Gasly, Hulkenberg, Colapinto, Sainz and Bearman.
Norris third at 0.312 and Hamilton 0.401. Russell pushed down to eighth …
Verstappen splits the Mercedes pair. 0.447 behind Antonelli, but then Leclerc goes +0.255.
