Overview
- George Russell set a 1:18.518 to top qualifying, with Kimi Antonelli second hours after walking away from a heavy FP3 crash.
- Max Verstappen crashed on his first Q1 lap and will start from the back after failing to set a time.
- Stewards fined Mercedes €7,500 for releasing Antonelli’s hastily rebuilt car in an unsafe condition after cooling-fan parts fell off and damaged Lando Norris’s McLaren.
- Red Bull rookie Isack Hadjar qualified third on debut ahead of Charles Leclerc, with Oscar Piastri fifth, Norris sixth and Lewis Hamilton seventh as Racing Bulls placed both cars in the top 10.
- The shake-up follows sweeping 2026 technical rules that prioritize energy management, while U.S. viewers will now watch F1 exclusively on Apple TV under a rights deal through 2032.