19/10/2024
NEWS STORY
Ahead of today's qualifying session, the air temperature is 29 degrees C, while the track temperature is 39 degrees. It remains bright, sunny and hot.
While Max Verstappen's win appeared to throw a spanner in Lando Norris' works so too did the revival of Ferrari after a disappointing session yesterday afternoon.
Contrary to yesterday's session the two Ferraris were very much on the pace, while McLaren - and Mercedes - struggled, the German outfit particularly affected by tyre wear.
No further action was taken over the incident involving Norris and Leclerc earlier, however a 5s penalty for Oscar Piastri merely added to McLaren's mixed weekend.
The Australian eventually came home tenth earlier, behind Sergio Perez, but both will need to raise their games in the next hour if they are to help their teammates, and indeed teams, in the respective championship fights.
While the Ferraris might be the biggest threat to Verstappen, the intra team battle between Leclerc and his teammate could well set the agenda for the rest of the season, for Sainz has a point to prove.
Of particular interest is the pace of the Haas pair, who not only qualified well but held their positions with both finishing in the points.
Whether it was the warmer temperatures or not we didn't witness as many incidents in the Sprint as we saw yesterday, nonetheless we cannot help but feel that the session will throw up a few surprises. In the shootout and again this morning we saw a number of drivers penalised for track limits violations and this is sure to be the case as the pressure builds this afternoon and tomorrow.
With Verstappen once again reigning supreme, it is up to Norris to deliver as the Dutchman gradually begins to extend his championship lead again.
Ahead of the green light there is already a queue in the pitlane. Albon leads the way, followed by Zhou, Gasly, Ocon and Bottas. Whereas this morning it was mediums all the way this afternoon its softs that are the go-to tyre.
Alonso indulging in some early silliness with Lawson, the pair having 'tangled' earlier.
Among the last to emerge are the Haas and Mercedes pairs and Perez.
As the Williams pair pit, Zhou posts a 35.479 but Alonso responds with a 34.496.
A 34.029 sees Norris go quickest, ahead of Sainz (34.104), while Leclerc can only manage a 34.913.
Piastri goes third with a 34.243 as Leclerc has his time deleted.
Verstappen stops the clock at 33.690, 0.339s up on Norris, while Perez crosses the line at 34.029 to go third.
Albon goes fourth with a 34.102, which is sure to alarm a few of the big boys.
Moments later the Thai driver is demoted by his Argentine teammate, as Russell goes tenth and Hamilton fifteenth.
Quickest in the final two sectors, Gasly goes quickest with a 33.550, Hulkenberg third and Lawson fourth ahead of his RB teammate.
Seemingly these quick times are down to fresh rubber, which is going to cause those on used softs to thing again.
Stroll improves to eleventh, which is unlikely to be enough, as Zhou and Tsunoda have times deleted.
On fresh rubber Sainz goes second (33.556) but is demoted when his teammate crosses the line at 33.241.
Norris improves to fourth with a 33.616, as Piastri posts a 33.982 to go eighth.
Stroll has been noted for impeding Hulkenberg.
With just over three minutes remaining, both Mercedes drivers are in the drop zone.
Verstappen goes quickest with a 33.046, as Russell goes third and Hamilton sixteenth following a mistake in Turn 12.
Sainz remains fifth, as Albon goes twelfth and Piastri ninth.
Tsunoda goes eighth and Lawson third.
Alonso goes tenth and Colapinto fifteenth.
Hulkenberg goes seventh but is demoted by his teammate who posts a 33.564.
Stroll goes fifteenth, thereby demoting Albon into the drop zone, while Perez goes ninth.
Quickest is Verstappen, ahead of Leclerc, Lawson, Russell, Gasly, Sainz, Magnussen, Hulkenberg, Perez and Norris.
We lose Albon, Colapinto, Bottas, Hamilton and Zhou.
The lights go green for Q2 but as ever there is no immediate rush to action.
Eventually Verstappen heads out, followed by Perez, Sainz, Gasly and Leclerc.
Again, some drivers, including Verstappen and the Ferraris, are on used rubber, while the rest are on fresh softs.
Verstappen posts a benchmark 33.052 while Perez responds with a 33.487.
Sainz splits the Bulls with a 33.433 only to be demoted by Gasly who crosses the line at 33.429.
Ocon goes fifth with a 33.686 having been quickest in S2.
Lawson came out, pitted and then came out again, the kiwi thought to be assisting his RB teammate with a tow.
Hulkenberg goes fourth and Magnussen fifth, but both are demoted when Norris goes top with a 32.851 And Piastri third (33.057). Norris is on fresh rubber, while Verstappen was on used.
Tsunoda goes tenth, as Russell goes fourth with a 33.142.
Verstappen is first out for the final assault, now sporting fresh rubber.
Tsunoda gives instructions to pass on to Lawson that when he aids him with a tow he is to stick to the middle of the track as the Japanese driver complains that previously he was stuck on the dirty side of the track.
Verstappen improves to 32.584, while Leclerc improves from fourteenth to third with a 32.962.
Perez goes fourth and Tsunoda ninth, despite that tow from his teammate.
Gasly remains ninth, while Sainz goes second with a 32.836.
Ocon can only manage eleventh, while Hulkenberg remains tenth and Magnussen ninth.
Gasly goes eight with drops Hulkenberg, who had a major lock-up in Turn 1 on his final flyer, into the danger zone.
By the skin of his teeth Alonso goes ninth, which is bad news for Tsunoda.
"We had a front suspension failure on the formation lap before the Sprint, which I had to drive with in the Sprint," reveals Hamilton. "I think I'll be starting from the pit lane tomorrow as the car is a nightmare."
Quickest is Verstappen, ahead of Sainz, Norris, Leclerc, Perez, Piastri, Russell, Gasly, Alonso and Magnussen.
We lose Tsunoda, Hulkenberg, Ocon, Stroll and Lawson.
Check out our Saturday gallery from COTA here.
Magnussen leads the way as Q3 gets the green light. He is followed by Russell, Norris, Piastri and Sainz.
"Trust the car, the lap time will come," Norris is told.
A number of drivers, including Perez, are on used rubber.
Magnussen crosses the line at 33.481 but Russell responds with a 32.974, Piastri a 32.950 and Norris a 32.330.
Leclerc goes third with a 32.740 but is demoted when Verstappen goes second with a 32.36, 0.031s off Norris' pace.
"I don't know what we're missing compared to yesterday," says Russell as Perez goes eighth.
However, as Alonso heads out, Perez has his time deleted.
Alonso has the track to himself and makes the most of it to claim eighth with a 33.309.
Gasly has been noted for an unsafe release. The Frenchman is the only driver on used rubber for the final run.
Verstappen goes quickest in S1, while Norris is two-tenths down.
Russell is off and in the barrier at Turn 19, as the medical car is deployed double yellows mean that there will be no improvements. Consequently, Norris has pole.
Indeed that off was doubly costly for Red Bull as Perez failed to post a time and will consequently start tenth.
All in all a little bit disappointing as that was looking to be a mega lap from the three-time world champion, while Sainz also looked set to improve.
"That was the target, to do a step in qualifying compared to yesterday," says the Spaniard. "We were P5 yesterday and we are now P3.
"I was three tenths up on my lap going into Turn 16 with only three corners left," he says of the double waved yellows, "but it's easy to say now.
"With those two guys in front, it should be a fun one."
"Unfortunately I couldn't finish the lap," adds Verstappen, "as otherwise we'd have had a really good shot, but that's how it goes.
"We made some minor changes on the car that felt nice, so I hope that will be positive for tomorrow."
"It was a beautiful lap," says pole-man Norris, "I wasn't going to go much quicker.
"You know when you do a lap and you think damn, it's going to be tough to beat that," he smiles.
"We've been on the back foot all weekend, not on the pace of the Ferrari or the Red Bull so sometimes as a driver you have to do something, which I did.
"Carlos said he was going quicker, Max said he was going quicker so maybe I was lucky but I'll take it."
And why shouldn't he.