Only 21 drivers started in this session as Perez didn’t leave his garage due to fuel system issue. First times were set by Red Bull drivers Isack Hadjar and Max Verstappen. Later in this session, Verstappen reported to the pit wall that he has problems with shifting. As the session was coming to an end, Bortoleto went off track in the last turn. Bearman later followed him but neither damaged his car. All 16 qualified cars finished Q1 within 1.5 seconds. After this session, Verstappen again reported problems with his car as he asked his engineers to check car’s driveability. Eliminated were Sainz, Albon, Alonso, Stroll, Bottas, Perez.

In Q2, first times were set by Piastri. Norris’ first fast lap was ruined by Antonelli, and he is going to be investigated for impeding after the session. When Verstappen he tried to set another fast time, he radioed that one of the Alpines were blocking him in the racing line, but his time wasn’t affected by it. At the end of Q2, neither of two Red Bulls had very representative time and they almost didn’t make to Q3, finishing this session 8^th and 9^th. Eliminated were Hulkenberg, Ocon, Lawson, Bortoleto, Lindblad, Colapinto.

First fast times were set by Mercedes in Q3. Later, Verstappen went off track in the same place as Bortoleto and Bearman before, but he didn’t report any damage either. George Russell secured pole position, followed by Kimi Antonelli. McLaren’s Lando Norris finished third. That is a good result for the current champion, he definitely needed to finish in the top 3 as he was struggling last weekend in Australia. Verstappen finished 8^th with massive gap of 1.7 seconds to Russell.

Russell was interviewed right after the session: “Since Melbourne, everything that we have been working on was just to get off the line better. I think that we found some improvements. Melbourne was obviously slightly tighter in the first few laps that we would have liked, but I guess we will found out in the morning.”