Overview
- Antonelli secured grand prix pole after Russell suffered late-session issues in Q3, becoming the youngest F1 polesitter, with Hamilton third, Leclerc fourth, and Piastri and Norris on row three.
- Russell dominated sprint qualifying, topping all three segments with a 1:31.520 to head a Mercedes 1‑2 from Antonelli.
- Stewards are investigating Antonelli for allegedly impeding Lando Norris in SQ2, a decision that could hand the McLaren driver a promotion for the sprint.
- Red Bull’s difficulties under the new regulations persisted as Verstappen qualified only eighth for the sprint and complained about poor drivability, while Gasly impressed in seventh for Alpine.
- Cadillac’s Sergio Perez did not take part in sprint qualifying due to a fuel‑system problem, underscoring reliability concerns in the early phase of the 2026 era.