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Q2 – Verstappen heads Leclerc ahead of pole shootout
When the remaining 15 drivers returned to the track for the start of Q2, Verstappen and Perez moved up a gear to form a provisional Red Bull one-two – the Dutchman posting a 1m 42.042s – as Piastri slotted into third from Russell, Bearman and Sainz.
Albon, Hamilton, Leclerc and Hulkenberg held the final top 10 spots at this point, in turn leaving Colapinto, Alonso, Gasly, Tsunoda and Stroll with work to do on the final, decisive runs, which would bring another heap of purple and green sector times.
Ferrari went slightly out-of-sync with their run plans at this point, enabling Leclerc to go second and Sainz fourth on a clear track, while Perez was the only driver to sit in his garage and watch the rest of the action as the minutes ticked down and the chequered flag came out.
There were no further improvements at the sharp end on the final laps, with Verstappen remaining P1 over Leclerc and Perez, followed by Russell, Alonso and an inspired Colapinto, who brilliantly secured safe passage to the pole position shootout in only his second weekend.
Sainz, Piastri, Hamilton and the other Williams of Albon also made it through, denying Bearman, who described himself as “an idiot” over the radio after an apparent mistake, the RB of Tsunoda, the Alpine of Gasly, the other Haas of Hulkenberg and Stroll’s Aston Martin.
Knocked out: Bearman, Tsunoda, Gasly, Hulkenberg, Stroll
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