In Q1, Lewis Hamilton set the pace with a time of 1m12.143s followed by Charles Leclerc’s Ferrari and Max Verstappen’s Red Bull, all of them separated by less than two tenths of difference although with the Englishman requiring two sets of tires soft to ensure their passage to Q2.
Lando Norris was the best of the McLarens, placing fourth with Carlos Sainz in fifth.
Sergio Pérez also required two sets of soft tires to ensure his place in Q2 in eighth place with a best time of 1m12.477s.
For Q2, Max Verstappen set his conditions with a record of 1m11.653s from the start of the session, so a second attempt was not necessary. Contrary to that of Lewis Hamilton who in his first stint was out with the used tire in his final turn to eventually jump to second with George Russell in third place.
Norris and Sainz repeated the Q1 positions, while Piastri and Leclerc were sixth and seventh.
Checo Pérez ended his bad streak of being eliminated from Q3 by advancing eighth, just ahead of the two Alpine cars, although the Mexican had to use two sets of tires again.
Arriving in Q3, Max Verstappen immediately went to the top with a time of 1m11.673s to surpass Carlos Sainz and Oscar Piastri. Lando Norris jumped into second place at 0.123s with Lewis Hamilton and George Russell in third and fourth.
Race Control erased Piastri’s first lap by exceeding the track limits, placing him tenth, just behind Pérez who had run on the used rubber.
In the final attempt, Piastri complicated the entire peloton after having an exit on the track that left gravel on the circuit. Leclerc jumped to second place, improving just 0.058 seconds behind Verstappen’s first time, but the Dutchman improved to 1m11.403s to convert his advantage over the Monegasque to three tenths.
But Lando Norris in the end sealed the pole with a lap of 1m11.383s to surpass Verstappen by 0.020s in the end to get his second pole position in his Formula 1 career.
Lewis Hamilton placed third on the starting grid, just 0.318s ahead of Russell and Leclerc.
Carlos Sainz will start sixth ahead of Pierre Gasly. Sergio Pérez achieved eighth place, but will start 11th to serve the pending sanction from Canada.
