Overview
- Andrea Kimi Antonelli secured pole with a 1:27.798 lap, his third straight, with Max Verstappen alongside in their first shared front row.
- Race organizers moved lights-out up by three hours because forecasters expect severe thunderstorms over the circuit.
- The earlier slot creates a larger window to complete the Grand Prix under F1’s rule that limits active racing to two hours.
- Antonelli has struggled off the line this season, which could hand Verstappen an early edge into the first corner.
- Audi’s Gabriel Bortoleto was disqualified after post-sprint checks found illegal intake air pressure, following a Q1 brake failure and small fire.