F1 Spanish GP Live Commentary and Updates – FP3 & Qualifying
Saturday's action from the 10th round of the 2024 Formula 1 season.
Friday's action set up an intriguing battle with little to separate pace-setters Lewis Hamilton and Mercedes from the chasing pack, with McLaren, Red Bull and Ferrari all in close pursuit.
Causing a surprise in the top 10 were both Alpine drivers, with Pierre Gasly fourth and Esteban Ocon ninth.
FP3 will get under way at 12:30pm local time (11:30am BST) with qualifying following at 4pm local time (3pm BST).
Live Standings
Summary
Live Text
Six minutes remain, take a breath, regroup, the cars are back in the pits to prepare for the final run.
Russell: "What the f**k was Lewis doing prepping that lap?"
"He just... it's fine. We will talk about it afterwards, head in the game."
2:30 left on the clock and the cars are filtering out. Does anyone have an answer to Verstappen?
Piastri will be the first to answer that question as he crosses the line to start the final runs.
The Australian is up in sector one, but Verstappen has had the pace in the final two sectors...
Time has been lost in the middle sector but it should be an improvement for Piastri...
Ahhhhh! He's off three corners from home. That will leave him down in 10th.
No disruption to qualifying though as Sainz comes through and goes second.
Leclerc then usurps his team-mate but is 0.058s outside of Verstappen's time.
VERSTAPPEN GOES FASTER!
That's another two tenths fatser for Verstappen, a 1m11.403 is a tall order for the others now...
NORRIS!
What a lap that is from the McLaren driver, who snatches pole at the very end.
It's just 0.020s between them.
Simply sensational. Sensational from both drivers. Where has that come from?
It's been a heck of a day for McLaren given the fire in the paddock earlier, but it has been a happy ending on track.
Perez gave Verstappen a tow on his final lap and it still wasn't enough.
Hamilton jumped to third after the flag, with Russell fourth. Ferrari has to settle for the third row.
The gap between those four was a tenth.
Gasly was seventh, Perez eighth - though will take a three-place grid penalty - Ocon ninth and Piastri 10th.
Norris: "It was pretty much a perfect lap. It was cool. It is not just this weekend, we have been quick these last two months.
"I know it will be tough against Max, Lewis, anyone behind. We are here to win, that's my plan."
Verstappen has revealed the tow with Perez happened "by chance" given where the cars were on track.
It must be said that, whilst there are two Spaniards on the grid, the appreciation for Norris' lap there was pretty stunning from the crowd.
It's expected to be a two-stop race tomorrow. With rain also anticipated at some point during the day, a green track is the very least we could see spice proceedings up.
That is us done for the day, with coverage of the race to come tomorrow. Keep abrest of all the biggest news of the day across the website, and find the report from qualifying here!
Thanks for joining us!
By: Autosport Staff
