Overview
- George Russell led a front-row lockout for Mercedes ahead of rookie Kimi Antonelli, with Isack Hadjar third for Red Bull and Charles Leclerc fourth for Ferrari.
- McLaren lined up fifth and sixth with Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris, while Lewis Hamilton starts seventh in his first race back with Ferrari.
- Max Verstappen crashed in Q1 after a sudden rear-axle lock, failed to set a time, and will start from the back of the grid.
- Alpine struggled to match preseason hopes, with Pierre Gasly qualifying 14th and Franco Colapinto 16th as the team signaled fixes will take weeks.
- Cadillac’s debut proved difficult as Sergio Pérez qualified 18th and Valtteri Bottas starts last due to a carried-over penalty, and rival manufacturers have reported to the FIA a suspected Mercedes power-unit loophole that remains unresolved.