Max Verstappen’s early fast lap proved crucial as he later experienced a spin on the uphill exit of Turn 9, compromising his final lap. However, he had already secured a competitive time.
In a surprising turn of events, both Aston Martins were eliminated in SQ2, with Alex Albon pushing Fernando Alonso into the drop zone with his final run. Daniel Ricciardo claimed the 11th spot, Esteban Ocon in 13th, Lance Stroll in 14th, and Zhou Guanyu in 15th.
SQ3 saw the drivers switch to soft tires for the final eight minutes to determine the grid for the Sprint later on Saturday. The top four drivers made it an exhilarating showdown, with Max Verstappen setting a benchmark time of 1:34.538. He was closely followed by Norris, Piastri, and Leclerc, with only 0.1 seconds separating them in a highly competitive Sprint Shootout at COTA.
