The Briton set his best lap of Q3 in the opening runs, posting a 1m12.000s to lay down a benchmark for the final runs at the end of the session. He was joined in the top two by Lewis Hamilton after those opening laps, but fresh tyres at the end of the session looked set to change the dynamic.
Verstappen used them to set a rapid opening sector, but could not hit the heights of Russell's second sector and crossed the line to set exactly the same time as the Mercedes driver - another 1m12.000s - but was second thanks to the order their laps were set in.
