Russell topped Free Practice 3 and delivered in Q3, while Antonelli recovered from a heavy Turn 2 crash with garage heroics and Toto Wolff's encouragement to secure second. Reigning champion Max Verstappen spun out in Q1 with no time set, starting from near the back alongside others like Fernando Alonso and Sergio Perez, but Red Bull's debutant Isack Hadjar impressed in third. Ferrari's Charles Leclerc took fourth, McLaren's Oscar Piastri fifth, and Lewis Hamilton seventh; drivers voiced frustration with the new 2026 cars amid the excitement.
