Leclerc recorded a stunning final lap in qualifying to secure top spot from Oscar Piastri in the lead McLaren.

His team-mate was eliminated in Qualifying 1, Norris set to start just 17th after appearing to be caught out by yellow flags in the dying seconds of the segment.

Max Verstappen will start sixth, two spots behind his Red Bull Racing team-mate Sergio Perez, while Daniel Ricciardo was also a Qualifying 1 casualty in 16th.

It was a busy start, with a queue at pit exit before the session even began, all 20 drivers filtering out immediately.

Mercedes fitted the medium tyres for George Russell and Lewis Hamilton having run a second set of hard tyres through practice.

That saw the pair complete two build laps versus the one needed for those on the soft rubber.

Championship leader Max Verstappen managed a 1:43.644s with his first lap, two-tenths slower than team-mate Sergio Perez was capable of with his first lap.

Russell’s first lap was good enough for 13th, a 1:44.548s, while Hamilton mustered a 1:44.341s.

It left them precariously close to the drop zone, Daniel Ricciardo holding 16th place after the initial laps with a 1:44.881s.

Verstappen was displeased with his performance, complaining he was “nowhere” as he sat seventh after the first round of laps.

With six minutes remaining in Qualifying 1, Leclerc banged home a 1:42.775s, more than four-tenths up on Perez’s best to that point.

On a set of softs, Russell also improved to second fastest, though still more than three-tenths away from the leading Ferrari.

With four minutes remaining, Ricciardo has slipped to 19th, over half a second away from safety.

Track evolution was significant, prompting McLaren to send both Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri back out in the final three minutes of the session.

The need for that was demonstrated by Ricciardo, who recorded a 1:43.547s to rise to seventh, eighth once Yuki Tsunoda slotted himself into fourth in the other RB.

He’d been rapid through the middle sector, highlighting the improving grip.

Inside the final minute, Verstappen sat 15th. He was on a personal best, but well off the pace of Leclerc.

As others improved, he slipped to 16th as the chequered flag waved, doing enough to climb to third and safety.

Missing out were Ricciardo, Norris, Valtteri Bottas, Esteban Ocon, and Zhou Guanyu.

Norris was sensationally knocked out after he pitted at the end of his final flying lap.

His effort was ruined by a yellow flag, triggered by Esteban Ocon, forcing Norris to lift to ruin a lap he felt would have left him second fastest.

As Qualifying 2 began, Ferrari fitted used tyres to both its cars, Carlos Sainz getting the better of them to log a 1:43.225s.

At McLaren, Piastri had a set of new tyres on, having used worn tyres at the end of Qualifying 1, enabling him to claim provisional pole with a 1:42.598s.

He was quickly bundled to third as both Red Bull Racing drivers went quicker, Perez with a 1:42.263s proving two-tenths slower than Verstappen.

A second run for the Scuderia midway through the segment saw Sainz improve to third, ahead of Piastri, which became fourth when Leclerc completed his lap.

They recorded their times out of sequence with the rest of the field, the only two cars on track as they completed their laps.

It was a conservative approach, covering the risk that accounted for Norris in Qualifying 1.

They remained on track for a cool lap before a final push lap in the closing minutes of the segment.

That saw Sainz begin his lap as the field headed out to begin their final runs.

With two minutes remaining, Franco Colapinto, Fernando Alonso, Pierre Gasly, Tsunoda, and Lance Stroll sat in the bottom five.

The Ferrari pair aborted their second flying laps after failing to orchestrate a tow, completing another slow lap before going once more, starting their laps in the final seconds.

Hamilton’s effort left him vulnerable in seventh, becoming eighth when Colapinto went fifth fastest as the flag flew – four tenths faster than team-mate Albon could manage.

Hamilton held on, progressing in ninth, while Oliver Bearman, Tsunoda, Pierre Gasly, Nico Hulkenberg, and Lance Stroll were all eliminated.

Piastri completed his first Qualifying 3 run on used tyres, logging a time good enough for third behind the two Ferraris.

A wild moment for Verstappen exiting Turn 16 saw the Dutchman slew sideways as he mounted the exit kerb.

It was an error that cost him all the way down the straight, leaving him only sixth, six-tenths to Leclerc on provisional pole.

A mistake from Williams saw Albon released with an airbox fan still mounted to his car.

It caught the eye of Piastri as he headed out.

Albon was able to pull the fan out from above his head, throwing it to the side of the car as he sat stopped in the pit exit.

Importantly, the yellow flags that covered the Williams were withdrawn as those on track began their flying laps.

Albon was able to get going though didn’t have enough time to get to the line in time for the chequered flag.

Piastri was rapid, fastest of anyone on his final lap, the third placed McLaren improving by one spot to second.

He couldn’t overhaul Leclerc, who went fastest himself on his final lap, with Sainz in third.

Russell fell to fifth behind Perez, then came Verstappen, Hamilton, Alonso, Colapinto, and the luckless Albon – the first time he’d been outqualified by a team-mate since the 2022 British Grand Prix.