07/10/2023
NEWS STORY
Today's shootout has been delayed by twenty minutes in order that a special ten-minute "familiarisation" session can be held after Pirelli discovered that the kerbs had caused damage to its tyres.
Other measures include the possibility of three mandatory pit stops during tomorrow's race, while the track limits at Turns 12-13 have been revised.
Even before this, yesterday threw up a few surprises with Sainz and Perez both failing to make in into Q3 and then both McLaren drivers having their best Q3 times deleted for track limits violations.
Ahead of the shootout the air temperature is 36 degrees C, while the track temperature is 43 degrees.
Sadly the rescheduling of the session appears to have caused the live timing to go down.
Of the first wave Russell goes quickest (26.359), ahead of Gasly, Norris, Perez and Hamilton.
A 25.510 sees Verstappen go top, 0.849s up on Russell, as Sargeant and Gasly have their times deleted, both having gone wide at the infamous Turn 13.
Norris gores second and Piastri third, while Bottas goes fifth and Hulkenberg sixth.
Zhou and Hamilton have their times deleted as Norris asks if he is safe - shades of Marathon Man.
The McLaren driver is advised to remember what happened on Friday.
Alonso goes fifth with a 26.362, as Leclerc and Stroll are still down in the drop zone.
"Wind in to Turn 5," Leclerc is advised, the Ferraris particularly wind sensitive at this track.
Sainz goes eighth but is demoted when Hamilton goes seventh and Russell goes quickest with a 25.413.
Ocon goes seventh and Lawson ninth.
Leclerc improves to eleventh, but is it enough?
Sainz improves to fifth with a 25.872.
Tsunoda goes fifteenth at the death.
Quickest is Russell, ahead of Verstappen, Norris, Gasly, Sainz, Alonso, Piastri, Ocon, Perez and Lawson.
We lose Stroll, Albon, Tsunoda, Magnussen and Sargeant.
Once again a number of drivers have been noted for failing to adhere to the maximum time, including Hamilton and Tsunoda who both got away with it yesterday.
Russell heads out to get SQ2 underway, he is followed by Hamilton, Sainz, Perez and Leclerc.
Russell posts a 26.232, while his teammate responds with a 26.069.
Perez crosses the line at 25.824 as Hamilton's time is deleted.
No sooner has Leclerc gone second than Piastri then Verstappen (25.199) go top.
A 24.947 sees Norris go top as Leclerc's time is deleted.
It is the right-handers at 5 and 13 where the wind is causing drivers to go wide.
Hulkenberg goes firth with a 26.138 as Lawson goes seventh.
Ocon goes fifth as Hamilton improves to seventh with a 25.962.
Alonso goes seventh with a 25.874 as Leclerc posts a 25.538 to go fourth.
Sainz drops to 13th as his latest time is deleted.
As the clock ticks down, all bar Norris and Verstappen are on track.
Bottas can only make 11th, while Zhou goes 12th.
Piastri goes quickest in S1 as Ocon goes fourth overall.
Russell goes second as Hamilton once again has his time deleted.
Alonso goes fourth and Sainz fifth which drops Hamilton into the danger zone.
Perez goes third and Leclerc fifth, while Hulkenberg posts a 25.499 to go ninth, which is bad news for Gasly.
Quickest is Norris, ahead of Russell, Perez, Verstappen, Alonso, Leclerc, Sainz, Piastri, Hulkenberg and Ocon.
We lose Gasly, Hamilton, Bottas, Lawson and Zhou.
Check out our Saturday gallery from Lusail here.
Verstappen is first out for SQ3, the world champion - who could add a third title this evening - followed by Sainz, Leclerc and Perez.
Verstappen crosses the line at 24.543, while Sainz can only manage 26.961... as the Dutchman's time is deleted after exceeding track limits at Turn 5.
Leclerc's time is also deleted.
"Are you sure?" asks Verstappen when told his time has been deleted.
Perez goes quickest with a 25.382.
Norris goes quickest (24.536) and Piastri second, as Leclerc has his time deleted again. "Oh, come on," he sighs.
Verstappen goes fifth and Leclerc sixth with ludicrously experimental times.
Russel goes third as Perez has his latest time deleted and slips to fourth.
Ocon goes fifth while Verstappen improves to third as Hulkenberg goes fifth. However, the Frenchman subsequently has his time deleted.
Piastri goes quickest with a 24.454 as Alonso goes fifth.
However, as was the case yesterday (Why??) several minutes later the Spaniard has his time deleted for exceeding the limits at Turn 14.
Piastri has pole for the Sprint, ahead of Norris, Verstappen, Russell, Sainz, Leclerc, Hulkenberg, Perez, Alonso and Ocon.
Gasly qualified eleventh, ahead of Hamilton, Bottas, Lawson, Zhou, Stroll, Albon, Tsunoda, Magnussen and Sargeant.
"Very, very happy," says the Australian. "It was a pretty good lap, I saw Lando on the big screen made a mistake, I don't know how his lap was looking.
"Great work from the team. Verstappen is starting third so he's not a million miles away but we'll try our best.
Check out our Saturday gallery from Lusail here.