Amid chaos and controversy surrounding the Red Bull T-Tray case, Max Verstappen emerged victorious by securing the Sprint Pole Position with a 1m32.833s .

The Sprint Shootout capped off a particularly heated Friday. Despite the noise and speculation in the paddock, Verstappen managed to stay focused, sending a strong message to his title rival, Lando Norris, who qualified fourth, 0.250s behind him.

While it’s ‘just’ a Sprint Qualifying, Verstappen has the chance to maintain his advantage over Norris in the championship battle. The Dutchman stated after the session: “We had a good day. Sprint qualifying is always tough; you never know how much you can push. The car was working quite well”.

George Russell, who struggled during FP1 with two spins, delivered an impressive lap and came close to pole, finishing just 0.012s behind Verstappen in second place. Lewis Hamilton, however, ended up seventh.

Charles Leclerc rounded out the top three, while his teammate Carlos Sainz, who was fastest in FP1, secured fifth. Given Ferrari's strong performance in practice, they expected more. Leclerc made a significant mistake in the Esses though, while Sainz also made a similar mistake at the final corner. After the session, the Monegasque stated: “For some reason, with the soft tires, Mercedes gained something we didn't have. My lap was a bit messy, but not too much. My third place isn't bad for the sprint race”.

There were plenty of surprises in this Sprint Qualifying. Both Haas drivers, at the team's home weekend, made it into the top 10, taking sixth and eighth places on the grid. Yuki Tsunoda qualified ninth, and the impressive Franco Colapinto claimed tenth in his very first Sprint Qualifying session, beating Alex Albon, who finished eighteenth.

The drama continued with Sergio Perez starting eleventh and Oscar Piastri eliminated in SQ3 after his time was cancelled for track limits. This does not help either Red Bull or McLaren in the fight for the Constructors' Championship battle. 
Liam Lawson, back in F1 for the final six rounds, performed well under pressure of having to prove he deserves a place in the category, qualifying fifteenth.

Sprint Qualifying results 
P1) Max Verstappen - 1.32.833
P2) George Russell +0.012
P3) Charles Leclerc +0.226
P4) Lando Norris +0.250
P5) Carlos Sainz +0.256
P6) Nico Hulkenberg +0.350
P7) Lewis Hamilton +0.545
P8) Kevin Magnussen +0.565
P9) Yuki Tsunoda +0.969
P10) Franco Colapinto +1.573