Overview

• Max Verstappen delivered a track-record lap of 1m27.294s to take pole, narrowly beating McLaren's Oscar Piastri by 0.010 seconds.
• Lando Norris, who leads the championship by three points, crashed in Q3 at Turns 4 and 5 and will start 10th on the grid.
• George Russell qualified third for Mercedes, while Charles Leclerc secured fourth place for Ferrari on the second row of the grid.
• McLaren showcased dominant pace in practice, with Norris and Piastri consistently leading the field by significant margins.
• Verstappen's Red Bull showed improved performance in cooler conditions, but he acknowledged the challenge of holding off McLaren in Sunday's race.