Norris had led SQ1 and SQ2, with a time in the middle segment that would have been good enough to top SQ3, but on the switch to the soft tyres for the final segment he fell out of contention on the red-walled rubber – the Briton particularly paying for losing 0.8s compared to Verstappen in the opening sector.
Verstappen’s sprint race pole-clinching lap was not perfect as he had to wrestle his RB20 through the tight chicane at the end of the final sector, but he nevertheless posted a 1m27.641s that was good enough to clinch the top spot.
