Q2 – Sainz and Hamilton eliminated while Norris quickest by just 0.009s
As the action continued into Q2, radio replays highlighted Perez’s unhappiness at his alleged impeding incident with Hamilton, with the Mexican claiming that he had “wasted a set” of tyres due to this. The stewards will investigate the incident after the session.
The Ferraris of Leclerc and Sainz were the first to put times on the board, both running used tyres, before a flurry of laps from their rivals saw Norris go fastest in the initial runs, a mere nine thousandths of a second ahead of McLaren team mate Piastri, with Russell five hundredths back in third.
With the gaps remaining small, Sainz may have been a little nervous at being safe by less than one tenth in P10, while Magnussen, Gasly, Tsunoda, Hulkenberg and Albon were all in the danger zone as the second runs began.
After improvements from Gasly and Tsunoda put them into the top-10 – followed by an impressive showing by Albon to go into P5 – Sainz was pushed out. The Spaniard could only improve to P10 on his own effort and was soon eliminated when Leclerc moved up to P6.
The Ferrari man wasn’t the only high-profile casualty, with Hamilton making a surprise exit in P12. Also out were Tsunoda in 13th and the Haas cars of Hulkenberg and Magnussen in 14th and 15th.
Knocked out: Sainz, Hamilton, Tsunoda, Hulkenberg, Magnussen
Daniel Miller is a sports fanatic who lives and breathes athletics. His coverage spans from major league championships to local sports events, delivering up-to-the-minute updates and in-depth analysis for sports enthusiasts.
