Q2 – Verstappen strikes to the fore as Alonso misses out
As Q2 received beneath approach, Stroll was fast to go out and get a banker lap on the board, however his effort of 1m 13.630s was quickly overwhelmed by the gaggle of Q1 pace-setters – Verstappen main on a 1m 11.653s from Norris, Sainz, Piastri, Leclerc and Russell.
Gasly stored Alpine firmly within the top-10 in seventh, adopted by Perez, Hulkenberg and group mate Ocon, whereas a number of world champions Alonso and Hamilton – the latter complaining that “this tyre was dangerous” – might solely place twelfth and thirteenth, becoming a member of Bottas, Zhou and Stroll within the drop zone.
Stroll once more ran out of sequence along with his second timed run, squeezing his approach again into the Q3 spots on the expense of Ocon, solely to be bumped out once more as the rest of the sphere accomplished their last efforts and took the chequered flag.
Whereas Verstappen, Norris, Sainz and Leclerc all stayed within the pits, Hamilton received himself out of hazard as soon as extra by going P2 behind his 2021 title rival, whereas Russell made it two Mercedes machines within the top-three positions.
Perez, Gasly and Ocon all delivered when it mattered to fit behind the McLaren and Ferrari drivers, with Alonso lacking out on Q3 in entrance of his house followers by an agonising margin of 0.019s – Bottas, Hulkenberg, group mate Stroll and Zhou being the opposite eliminees.
Knocked out: Alonso, Bottas, Hulkenberg, Stroll, Zhou