F1 Barcelona GP live commentary and updates - Qualifying
Follow along for updates from qualifying at the Barcelona Grand Prix
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THAT'S A WRAP FROM QUALIFYING
A fascinating race in prospect tomorrow with Lewis Hamilton on the front row, and a decently long run to the first corner – always a pinch point at this track. Charles Leclerc trying to make his way through from P10 should also be interesting.
Mercedes and Ferrari were closely matched on race pace during the long runs in practice yesterday, but there's still plenty of unknowns in terms of tyre life during the grand prix itself.
Join us tomorrow – race start is 1500 local.
"Nice to feel the groove again," said Russell on the radio after crossing the line.
Another week, another pole position margin measured in hundredths of a second. That's going to be interesting to untangle in our analysis feature for Autosport Plus subscribers. Stay tuned!
Lewis Hamilton dabbing himself with a towel before his parc ferme interview. Best nail that down before klepto-celeb Kim Kardashian saunters this way...
Norris posts a 1m15.001s to usurp his McLaren teammate, P3 for now... Verstappen is mighty through sector one – purple there – but he's asked too much of his tyres and falls off in the final sector. 1m15.021s for Max.
Can Hamilton play a part here? Yes he can, purple through sector two... 1m14.743s to push Antonelli onto the second row. P2 for Lewis.
Piastri set a 1m15.090s to go faster on his second run but it wasn't enough. P7 behind Hadjar for him.
So the top seven qualifiers are separated by 0.411s, and just 0.064s between Russell on pole position and Hamilton in P2.
Antonelli starts what will be his final flying lap. It's his best so far through sector one but still not as quick as his teammate, who now goes purple that sector.
Another personal best for Antonelli in sector two but, again, Russell is purple through there.
Antonelli snatches provisional pole with a 1m14.998s but Russell is going to be faster unless he blows the final sector... he doesn't! Russell P1 with 1m14.679s.
Piastri and Verstappen out too. Fresh tyres for them, as well as the two Mercs.
Norris now leaving on fresh softs too. Lawson and Hulkenberg on pre-used softs.
Three minutes left and Antonelli returns to the track. Now Russell and Norris follow. Hulkenberg too.
Hadjar with a 1m15.650s. Hamilton's first flier is a 1m15.710s.
No sign yet of Norris, Lawson or Hulkenberg.
Antonelli starts his first flying lap. It's a personal best in sector one, but not purple. Russell is a fraction faster, but still not quicker than Piastri's time.
And it's a similar story through sector two but this time Russell goes purple.
Across the line, Antonelli is P3 with a 1m15.414s – make that P4 as Russell goes top with a 1m15.145s. That's 0.269s quicker than his teammate.
Looks like those who didn't put a lap time on the board are using the same set of tyres they had on before the stoppage.
As Leclerc's Ferrari is pushed behind the barrier, we're back under way. Antonelli leads the field out of the pitlane.
Leclerc had a good first sector, judging by the detailed segments read-out, and was aiming to push through the second sector – he was purple in the first micro-segment, but then smote the wall.
Hamilton and Norris will rue that red flag. Both had to abort their laps, and Hamilton had gone purple in sector one, while Norris was purple in sector two.
DRAPEAU ROUGE!
It's Leclerc indeed. Looks like he drifted onto the dirty line at the exit of Turn 4, got a twitch of the rear axle, caught it but then the car gripped up and speared straight into the barrier. He hit hard enough for the medical car to be deployed, but he is out of the car and walking.
Verstappen first to set a time. It's purple in sector one - but Piastri now tops that. Verstappen purple in sector two – but Norris beats that. Verstappen stops the clock at 1m15.328s but Piastri immediately tops that with a 1m15.176s.
And that's it! Charles Lecerc has crashed somewhere, bringing out a red flag.
Antonelli and Russell now joining the action. Everybody on track.
Hadjar and Hamilton also getting ready to launch from the pit exit. Hulkenberg leaving the garage too. Only the Merc drivers yet to manifest themselves.
Q3 IS GO!
And, again, there's not much of a rush to get on track.
Norris, Piastri, Lawson, Leclerc and Verstappen are first out.
Ocon reporting an electrical deployment issue, report our spies in the media 'pen'.
Today's polesitter will receive their Pirelli trophy from legendary cyclist Sir Chris Hoy – no slouch behind the wheel himself, having competed in the British GT Championship, as well as entering Le Mans in an LMP2 a few years ago.
So eliminated in Q2: Lindblad, Bortoleto, Colapinto, Gasly, Bearman and Sainz.
1m15.585s for Lawson to demote Hadjar to P9. Hulkenberg gets a 1m15.768s which puts him P10, pushing Lindblad down into P11.
Norris and Piastri both doing personal bests in the opening sector. Sainz too.
Piastri goes P6, 1m15.518s. That becomes P7 as Norris pumps in a 1m15.361s, P4.
Sainz improves to 1m17.827s but that doesn't elevate him beyond P16. Hulkenberg has been shown a black-and-white flag for driving unnecessarily slowly...
Lets see who in the top 10 is willing to risk dodging a final run. At the moment Russell, Leclerc, Antonelli, Hamilton, Verstappen and Hadjar – your top six – are staying in the garage.
Norris and Piastri both had two push laps on their previous set of tyres in their opening run. They're now back out on a fresh set of softs each.
So, again, a brief pause in the track action ahead of the final runs. Five minutes to go...
Hulkenberg has had his first push lap deleted for a track-limits infringement.
Hamilton also pumps in a faster lap than Verstappen – 1m15.418s. But neither McLaren has really rung the bell here: Norris currently P8 with 1m16.021s, Piastri P10 with 1m16.352s.
So Norris is nearly eight tenths off P1, Piastri over a second.
Norris complaining of rear locking.
Leclerc deposes Verstappen with a 1m15.281s but his reign is short as Russell flashes past in 1m15.228s.
Hadjar with a 1m15.754s, just a little more than two tenths off his teammate. More good work from Isack.
Verstappen's opening salvo is more like it: 1m15.484s
The first runs are in: Gasly's first effort is a 1m17.626s, not even as quick as his Q1 best.
All remaining drivers now out on track.
Leclerc and Antonelli also heading out, along with Hamilton.
Two and a half minutes into Q2 and we have drivers heading out. Hulkenberg, Verstappen, Lindblad, Colapinto, Gasly, Lawson, Sainz and Piastri.
All dawdling at the pit exit before launching, in an effort to maintain gaps.
Gain, frugality with the rubber is the name of the game here. You will probably only get one shot at a push lap with each set.
Q2 IS GO!
Nobody out on track yet, though.
Yes, Hulkenberg inserts himself into P5 with a 1m16.066s, splitting the McLarens.
Bearman, Colapinto and Gasly also improve on their final runs and slot into P11, P12 and P13.
Sainz also heaves himself out of the drop zone in the final moments! P16 with a 1m16.881s That was the threshold.
Well, must have been some nerves in the RB garage as Lawson ended up P15.
Eliminated in Q1: Ocon, Albon, Perez, Bottas, Stroll and Alonso.
Well, Hamilton, Russell, Leclerc, Antonelli, Piastri, Norris, Verstappen, Lindblad, Hadjar, Bortoleto and Lawson stay in the garages for the final minutes. That was the top 10...
Russell and Antonelli currently P2 and P4 with a 1m15.717s and 1m15.977s. They're probably safe but anyone half a second or more off Antonelli will be getting jittery right now.
By: Stuart Codling
