F1 has turned its sprint race into a standalone Saturday event, with sprint qualifying deciding the starting grid followed by the sprint race later in the day. Here’s how the latest sprint race format changes will work.
During qualifying for Sunday’s grand prix, Charles Leclerc grabbed pole position for Ferrari while Max Verstappen saw his fastest lap in Q3 deleted for exceeding track limits which ultimately dropped the Red Bull driver to sixth place.
That also enabled Lando Norris to jump onto the front row for McLaren, beating Lewis Hamilton in third for Mercedes, with Carlos Sainz fourth and George Russell fifth.
Behind Verstappen is the pair of Alpine drivers, with Pierre Gasly seventh and Esteban Ocon eighth, as Sergio Perez underwhelmed in ninth for Red Bull while McLaren’s Oscar Piastri completed the top 10.
It was a nightmare qualifying for Aston Martin as both of its drivers were knocked out in Q1, with Fernando Alonso 17th and Lance Stroll 19th respectively.
