Key events
Here are the top-10 timings
1 Kimi Antonelli Mercedes 1:44.361
2 Max Verstappen Red Bull +0.317
3 Lando Norris McLaren +0.440
4 George Russell Mercedes +0.5008
5 Charles Leclerc Ferrari +0.532
6 Lewis Hamilton Ferrari +0.534
7 Oscar Piastri McLaren +0.655
8 Arvid Lindblad Racing Bulls +0.782
9 Gabriel Bortoleto Audi +1.267
10 Isack Hadjar Red Bull no time
Russell will start third, immediately behind his teammate and alongside Charles Leclerc.
Antonelli has six poles this season. He shares the front row with a car that probably would be sixth if it hadn’t had a helping hand. Yes, he will face pressure from Verstappen but get the start right and it could be perfect for the 19-year-old.
Norris, like Verstappen half Belgian, says: “It’s nice to be standing here, not nice knowing I’ll be 10 places back.”
He continues: “I’ll see if we can hang in there.”
Verstappen asked about the tow: “It was definitely helping me, otherwise I’d be P6 … Tomorrow I’ll be looking in my mirrors. The car has been quite decent all weekend.”
Updated at 11.18 EDT
Antonelli speaks. “It’s great to be on pole. Not a very straightforward session … But tomorrow is another day and I have Max starting next to me.”
Russell more than half a second behind Antonelli.
Antonelli with the largest pole margin of the season, +0.317.
Norris drops to 13th. He can be happy with that.
Updated at 11.15 EDT
Red Bull radio tells Verstappen he should “thank Isack” for P2.
ShareAntonelli takes pole
Verstappen gets the tow and beats Norris but Antonelli beats him with 1:44.361. Verstappen +0.317, Norris left at +0.440, Russell +0.508.
Hadjar once again leading Verstappen. Bortoleto is the Audi meat in a Mercedes sandwich, which could just help Russell, suggests David Croft.
Red Bull’s Isack Hadjar takes a corner. Photograph: Alastair Staley/LAT Images/Getty ImagesShare
Updated at 11.18 EDT
We are back under way. Bernie Collins has been arguing Lando Norris should stick, as he would overtake quickly anyone in 11th to 15th that might wind up ahead, but he is going to twist.
We will be back under way shortly. Here is the test card.
Two Max Verstappen fans. Photograph: Mark Thompson/Getty ImagesShare
Hadjar did not set a time, he just did his job for Verstappen. Piastri touched the gravel, it seems, and is +0.661 on partially used tyres.
Red flag for gravel. Norris, remember, is heading for 11th as it stands.
It is so tight at the top. Antonelli +0.039, Leclerc +0.092, Verstappen +0.183. Hamilton 0.261, Russell 0.355.
Norris fastest in 1:44.801! Leclerc up to third.
Fans watch Lando Norris negotiate a corner in his McLaren MCL40. Photograph: Clive Rose/Getty ImagesShare
Updated at 11.22 EDT
First Q3 times see Verstappen 1:44.984, but Antonelli 1:44.840.
Hadjar out in front of Verstappen, able to give him a tow, as predicted.
That delay was not too bad and Q3 is on.
Karun Chandhok uses the lull to show how Antonelli is just attacking the corners much better than Russell.
Q3 delayed. Hulkenberg has a hydraulic leak and has to stop on the circuit.
ShareQ2 eliminations
Out go Lawson, Gasly, Colapinto, Hulkenberg, Sainz and Bearman. Bortoleto gets the Audi into Q3, a good result for him worth eighth on the grid, given the penalties for Norris and Hadjar.
Updated at 10.44 EDT
Russell stays eighth.
The question here is can anyone get out of the drop zone to mess up Hadjar and Red Bull.
Final runs starting and Russell is saving new tyres for Q3. Mercedes confident he is through.
Russell is more than half a second down on Antonelli but has 0.45 over Lawson in 11th.
The drop zone has Lawson, Gasly, Hulkenberg, Colapinto, Sainz and Bearman.
Norris third at 0.312 and Hamilton 0.401. Russell pushed down to eighth …
Verstappen splits the Mercedes pair. 0.447 behind Antonelli, but then Leclerc goes +0.255.