With one week to go until the Summer break, the silly season was in full force. It didn't feel like there was much more to say after Sir Lewis announced his departure from Mercedes to Ferrari. However, Perez' Red Bull seat was being intensely discussed. Bearman and Ocon look likely to be the next Haas line-up, with Magnussen having to look at Sargeant's Williams' seat. Hulkenberg is off to Sauber/Audi (Saudi??) but his team mate is not yet confirmed.
To more immediate problems, the weather was throwing itself about. The pit lane was flooded earlier in the week, followed by 35 degree, or higher, heat for the Free Practice sessions. As Qualifying began it started to rain again though and set-up for these conditions had not been explored.
Having put in a good first lap, better than Verstappen, Sargeant ran off the track, rattled along and went into the wall. Just as Verstappen was complaining about tyre temperatures and being told by the team to stop talking over the radio about it, the rain started coming down again and caught his team mate out. It was a biggish hit into the wall and Perez had to go to the medical centre. Despite renewing his contract, this did nothing to stop the questions about his future. As the session had been stopped and the track was no longer dry, once restarted the drivers were unlikely to find a quicker time and the bottom five drivers would probably be out. Ricciardo had been having trouble with his brakes and was in danger.
Despite doom predicted for those at the bottom, those drivers came out and the track was drier, hotter and quicker. Ricciardo went fastest. Out went Perez (predictably), then Russell (big scalp, hero to zero etc.), Zhou, Ocon and Gasly (a major mistake not sending either driver out by Alpine). You have to be in it to win it. I don't know why Russell both apologised and then discussed why the team didn't fuel the car for the whole session.
Most of the second session was fairly boring then all the bottom teams came out for a second push. Hamilton was lucky not to be out but scraped through in tenth. The Williams cars were too soon out and got pushed down into 13th and 14th as the track got quicker. Hulkenberg was 11th, then Bottas, with Magnussen in 15th. Sargeant blamed the traffic.
Once again, rain fell in the final session. Teams had put in a quick lap already and Norris was sat in pole position. Cars came out early for their final attempt. Drivers were putting in quick laps in an effort to beat the clouds but then a yellow flag and then the session was stopped as Tsunoda had a big off, scooping through bollards, into the wall and over the grass. Again, it was large enough that the medical car came out.
There was 2 minutes and 13 seconds to put in a suit for pole and 7 cars took the opportunity. Piastri had been instructed not to go too slowly away from his position in the front of the queue; as the McLarens were then 1st and 2nd, they wanted to hold everyone up but without incurring any penalties. Tsunoda wasn't able to go out again and Verstappen and Alonso chose not to, perhaps because they only had old tyres left. Sainz did not get round to the start line in time and went into the pits. Norris and several others aborted their laps. Ricciardo was the only person to better their time and took 9th. Ahead of him was Stroll, Alonso, LeClerc, Hamilton, Sainz, Verstappen, with the McLarens taking the front row. Norris was happy with his pole position.
If the weather is like this tomorrow, it will be a great race. If teams mess up their strategies like today, it will be a great race. If the McLarens are allowed to battle each other, it will be a great race.
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