Live: F1 French GP commentary and updates - Qualifying | Live text

By: Stephen Lickorish, Lewis Duncan, Megan White

Summary


	Summary Leclerc grabs F1 French GP qualifying pole after using tow from Ferrari team-mate Sainz Red Bulls of Verstappen and Perez are second and third Norris splits Hamilton and Russell in best of the rest battle Sainz and Magnussen to start from back of grid after taking engine penalties
	Leaderboard Leclerc, Ferrari Verstappen, Red Bull Perez, Red Bull Hamilton, Mercedes Norris, McLaren Russell, Mercedes Alonso, Alpine Tsunoda, AlphaTauri

Status: Stopped

18:15 That's all for today folks. Stay tuned to Autosport.com for all of the post-qualifying reaction this evening.

We will be back tomorrow for live coverage of the race, which will get underway at 2pm BST.

18:14 Here is the full qualifying report for the French Grand Prix: https://www.autosport.com/f1/news/f1-french-gp-leclerc-pips-verstappen-to-pole-after-sainz-tow/10342232/

18:03 The penalties for Sainz and Magnussen will promote Ricciardo up to ninth and Ocon to 10th.

18:02 Verstappen's crew chief tells him he might have had "an unfavourable wind" on his final lap.

18:02 Leclerc praises Sainz on the radio for that pole. "Grande Carlos," he tells his team.

18:01 Russell is sixth from Alonso, Tsunoda, Sainz and Magnussen - the latter two not setting lap times.

18:01 Perez holds onto third ahead of Hamilton as Norris splits the Mercedes drivers in fifth.

18:00 Verstappen cannot dethrone the Ferrari driver on his last lap, he is 0.304s adrift.

18:00 Leclerc takes pole with a 1m30.872s!

18:00 Chequered flag is out.

18:00 Leclerc has found even more time in sector two thanks to that tow from Sainz!

17:59 Verstappen is slow through sector one on this lap.

17:59 Leclerc goes purple through sector one as he closes in on Sainz to get the tow.

17:56 Sainz returns to the track on used rubber again ahead of Leclerc.

17:56 Red Bull has set Perez out on a fresh set of softs, so that suggests the team is letting him do his own thing.

17:55 Now, does Red Bull sacrifice Perez to do the same to give Verstappen a help to negate Ferrari's strategy?

17:54 Ferrari's plan worked on the first lap, but 0.008s isn't a massive advantage to have over Red Bull.

17:53 After the first flying laps, Leclerc, Verstappen, Perez, Russell, Hamilton, Norris, Alonso, Tsunoda, Sainz (who hasn't set a time) and Magnussen (who hasn't set a time) is your top 10 with just over six minutes to go.

17:53 Leclerc now goes top with a 1m31.209s, with Verstappen second - 0.008s behind the Ferrari. Hamilton goes fourth.

17:52 Perez sets the benchmark at 1m31.6s at the top of the timesheet.