Overview
- Qualifying on Saturday was halted after heavy rain and aquaplaning checks and stopped for about 84 minutes before action resumed on a drying track.
- Lando Norris set the fastest Q3 lap (1:27.470) to claim pole in the changing conditions while George Russell was second fastest on the timesheet.
- Race direction and teams confirmed power‑unit penalties for multiple front‑running drivers, including five places for Russell and grid drops for Charles Leclerc, Max Verstappen, Lewis Hamilton and Sergio Perez, which will significantly alter the effective starting order.
- Two crashes disrupted the session: Gabriel Bortoleto damaged his Audi in Q1 and was unable to continue, and Rafael Câmara hit the tyre barrier in Q2, triggering a red flag and delaying Q3.
- Nico Hülkenberg delivered a standout wet‑weather performance that moved him up the revised grid and the combination of rain, penalties and tyre strategy makes Sunday’s Grand Prix highly unpredictable.