When you contemplate your self a fan of “one-shot qualifying,” then the F1 Dash Shootout on the São Paulo Grand Prix gave you a style of what you like.
Within the third and remaining portion of qualifying Saturday morning, the ten remaining drivers every waited a couple of minutes earlier than leaping onto the observe, giving themselves every only one shot at laying down their greatest lap of the session.
It made for fairly the frenetic end.
Winner: Lando Norris
Maybe essentially the most despondent driver following qualifying on Friday?
Lando Norris.
Norris managed only a seventh-place end in qualifying on Friday, and whereas he was bumped up into sixth following a two-place grid penalty handed right down to George Russell, it was little comfort given the tempo Norris confirmed earlier within the qualifying session.
“In no way the consequence we wished. We confirmed sturdy tempo within the dry, however we simply didn’t do a ok job of getting on observe on the proper time with the rain coming in,” stated Norris after qualifying. “An actual disgrace, it’s fairly disappointing for the staff because it’s an enormous alternative missed right now. A troublesome begin to the weekend however we’ll do our greatest tomorrow within the Dash to attain constructive factors.”
Norris certainly confirmed that tempo on Saturday, as he posted the most effective lap in SQ2 to cost into SQ3 on a constructive notice.
He stored that going to safe pole place, his first of the season.
Talking with Naomi Schiff trackside after the session, Norris admitted he was stunned. “I really feel like we made up for yesterday, my first pole in a very long time, I’m glad.”
Nevertheless, Norris does know he’ll have a problem on his arms later right now.
“The tempo has been good all weekend, the automotive’s been actually sturdy … the Pink Bulls are at all times fast, Max is at all times fast, it’s not going to be a simple race.”
Loser: Esteban Ocon
As SQ1 was drawing to an in depth, Ocon was in determined search of the lap he wanted to advance into SQ2.
As an alternative of discovering that lap, he discovered the entrance left of Fernando Alonso’s AMR23, after which he discovered the barrier.
As Ocon was working by means of the primary sector he jumped on the throttle popping out of Flip 2, and whereas Alonso seemingly left sufficient room for him to cross, Ocon fought a fast little bit of oversteer and caught Alonso’s entrance left. That brought on a puncture to Alonso’s entrance left tyre, however the greater consequence was that it spun Ocon into the barrier, and out of SQ1.
And introduced SQ1 to an early shut due to the following purple flag.
Instantly after the incident, Ocon pointed the finger at Alonso, complaining that the Aston Martin driver was him. However replay views from each angle illustrated that Ocon had snapped off the elevated curb at Flip 2, and endured a little bit of oversteer that introduced him proper into Alonso’s automotive.
Right here, you might be the decide:
Making issues worse for Alpine? They now face an uphill battle to get Ocon’s A523 prepared for each the F1 Dash race later right now, and the Grand Prix tomorrow.
Winners: AlphaTauri
Following a disappointing qualifying session on Friday for the São Paulo Grand Prix, Daniel Ricciardo stated that AlphaTauri was sooner than they confirmed.
“It’s irritating as a result of we have been positively sooner than what we confirmed, and there was the potential for Q2, and perhaps even Q3, however we didn’t get it proper on the final lap. I didn’t get the tyres in the correct spot for the beginning of the lap, so I got here too sizzling into Flip 1, and we misplaced a piece of time within the first Sector,” stated Ricciardo following Friday’s session. “From then on, the lap began to spiral just a little. Alternatively, I’m pleased with the enhancements I discovered within the automotive in comparison with the morning. I’ll take a look tonight at how we will extract the efficiency for the rest of the weekend.”
He actually extracted that efficiency on Saturday.
Ricciardo turned in a shocking lap on the finish of SQ2, ending fourth within the session behind solely Lando Norris and the Pink Bull duo of Max Verstappen and Sergio Pérez. That put Ricciardo forward of each Ferrari drivers, and each Mercedes drivers. Becoming a member of him in SQ3? teammate Yuki Tsunoda.
The 2 drivers continued that tempo in SQ3, with Tsunoda qualifying sixth — forward of each Ferraris — and Ricciardo in eighth, forward of Carlos Sainz Jr. and Oscar Piastri.
From a disappointing Friday to battling with Ferrari and McLaren on Saturday? An incredible session for AlphaTauri.
Losers: Williams
The contact between Ocon and Alonso did greater than deliver out the purple flag.
It ended any probability of Alexander Albon and Logan Sargeant advancing to SQ2.
The pair completed on the backside of the timing sheet for SQ1, with Sargeant in P20 and Albon in P19.
Brazil is shaping as much as be a troublesome weekend for the staff, because the Williams duo will even begin behind the sector within the Grand Prix tomorrow. Albon is ready to start out in P15, with Sargeant slated to start out P19. The staff is locked in a struggle with each Alfa Romeo and AlphaTauri for seventh place within the Constructors’ Championship, and whereas they’ve a 12-point benefit over each groups, they’re actually on the again foot in that struggle this weekend.
Winner: Sergio Pérez
Friday was one other disappointing day for Sergio Pérez, who didn’t get the timing proper forward of the rain and settled for a ninth-place end in qualifying for the São Paulo Grand Prix.
However he acquired issues proper throughout qualifying on Saturday.
Pérez put his RB19 into the second row, the place he’ll begin alongside George Russell of Mercedes. Maybe extra importantly, Pérez will even begin forward of Lewis Hamilton, his essential competitors for second place within the Drivers’ Championship.
Losers: Aston Martin
What a distinction a day makes.
After Lance Stroll and Alonso put their automobiles on the second row for Sunday’s Grand Prix throughout qualifying on Friday, Saturday was a a lot completely different story. We already lined what occurred with Alonso, as he was knocked out of SQ1 after Ocon clipped his entrance left. Whereas the beginning of SQ2 was delayed, Alonso was compelled to climb out of his AMR23 and watch his staff work furiously to get his automotive prepared for SQ2.
How furiously? Properly, simply have a look:
The session would happen with out him, as Alonso was left to signal autographs throughout SQ2 somewhat than assault the circuit.
As for Stroll, a day after he superior to his first Q3 for the reason that Dutch Grand Prix, and put his AMR23 into P3, he too was was a spectator beginning with SQ2. Stroll may solely handle a Seventeenth-place end in SQ1, ending his session early.
“Simply lots of site visitors on my push lap,” stated Stroll after the session. “I feel the automotive was alright, I don’t assume we have been too dangerous, I feel there was simply lots of site visitors on the market. Quick session, everybody attempting to do laps.”
Fortunately for Aston Martin, the massive factors come on Sunday.
