Overview
- Lando Norris won the sprint and took grand prix pole, extending his championship lead over Oscar Piastri to nine points.
- Andrea Kimi Antonelli will start alongside Norris after finishing second in both the sprint and qualifying, with Charles Leclerc third and Piastri fourth.
- Max Verstappen was eliminated in Q1 and is set to start P16, a rare setback described as his first such exit on pure pace, as Red Bull evaluates radical changes that could trigger a pit-lane start and new components.
- Lewis Hamilton was knocked out in Q2 and will start 13th, attributing his struggles to failing to get the rear tyres into their operating window.
- The sprint featured multiple crashes in low-grip conditions, including Piastri’s lap-six DNF and a heavy late accident for Sauber’s Gabriel Bortoleto, who walked to the medical centre; Norris now leads Verstappen by 39 points heading into the race.