Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff says he and Max Verstappen have agreed to keep communications open with a view to a potential blockbuster move in the future.

Verstappen has emerged as the dominant force in Formula One since beating Mercedes' Lewis Hamilton to his first drivers' championship title in 2021, winning two further crowns and leading Lando Norris in the standings this year.

However, the Dutchman has repeatedly cast doubt upon his long-term future with Red Bull, suggesting ahead of last week's Dutch Grand Prix that he was more than halfway through his F1 career.

When Hamilton confirmed he would join Ferrari for 2025 in January, Mercedes were strongly linked with a move for Verstappen amid a turbulent time for Red Bull.

Red Bull chief Christian Horner was accused – and later cleared – of sexual harassment and coercive behaviour by a female team employee, with his relationship with Verstappen reportedly becoming strained.

Wolff admits there was a moment where the deal seemed possible, though Mercedes are now expected to confirm Andrea Kimi Antonelli as George Russell's team-mate for 2025.

"Red Bull was the dominant car at the beginning of the season," Wolff told BBC Sport. "And that changed a bit. It's Max Verstappen dominant at the moment.

"And the relationships were dysfunctional. I'm not sure they are back in a great place, but it is what it is. 

"There was a moment, or there was an opportunity, to at least have conversations of what it could be in the future, and this is what we did."

Asked if Verstappen could join the Silver Arrows for 2026, when wide-ranging regulation changes take effect, Wolff responded: "Much too early. 

"For the benefit of our drivers next year, I don't want to have any conversations about 2026 or beyond, because we very much hope that the 2025 lineup will be the lineup going forward.

"We have not given each other any, let's say, timings.

"It is more like, keep the communication channel open, while knowing that his priority is to make it function with Red Bull and our priority will be to make it function with the two drivers we have."

Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff has blamed the Silver Arrows' struggles at the Dutch Grand Prix on an upgrade to the floor of the team's car.

Mercedes enjoyed a mid-season resurgence, triumphing at three of the last four races prior to the summer break, following a difficult start to the year.

Lewis Hamilton was victorious at the British and Belgian grands prix after team-mate George Russell triumphed in Austria, but neither driver was competitive in Zandvoort when the season resumed on Sunday.

Russell finished seventh and Hamilton was one place further back after qualifying in 12th, as McLaren's Lando Norris claimed a dominant win to close the gap to drivers' championship leader Max Verstappen.

Mercedes used a new floor for the race after abandoning the planned change at Spa, and Wolff admits the team may have got things wrong.

"I think these cars are a surprise-box. We've had six podiums in a row and that doesn't look like the car three weeks ago that was first and second," he told Sky Sports.

"You can't really end up with a result like this without any major factor playing in, and that's something we need to analyse in the next few days before Monza.

"Was it because we put something on the car that didn't help? Did we engineer something into the car that wasn't good?

"Then how do you justify these swings of performance? Sometimes we looked really good this weekend and then obviously today, in terms of degradation, that was not very impressive.

"Was it a setup? Was it the track? What is it that we got wrong? Was it the floor that we put on the car? Was it all of this together?

"So, hopefully we can sort it out until Monza and become competitive again. But the swing in performance from P1-P2 and P7-P8, there's a biggie in there. It's not something that was simply a setup decision in my opinion."

Lando Norris claimed pole for the Dutch Grand Prix but expects Max Verstappen to "put up a good fight" in his home race.

The McLaren driver had cemented himself as the favourite following promising practice sessions and produced a stunning lap to edge the Dutchman by 0.356s in the final round of qualifying.

It is the first time that Verstappen will not start on pole at Zandvoort in his career and will face stiff competition as he aims for a fourth-straight win in the Netherlands, with Oscar Piastri behind him in third and Mercedes' George Russell in fourth. Verstappen's Red Bull team-mate Sergio Perez rounds out the top five.

While Norris had been self-critical in the lead-up to the mid-season break, he was much more optimistic about his chances of claiming a second-ever Formula 1 victory at Zandvoort.

"An amazing day. It's nice to be back and start with a pole. It was a nice lap, honestly," he said after qualifying.

"The qualifying was always pretty smooth, and I put in some good laps, especially the one at the end, which is always the most important. A great job by the team, and I'm happy.

"It's not easy, but I felt comfortable out there, the car was feeling amazing. We've got some upgrades on the car for the first time in a while and everything's working very well, so a big thanks to the team too.

"I'm sure it's going to be tough. Max has been quick all weekend. I know we got him today, but he's still second, and he's going to be putting up a good fight, especially at his home race. I'm looking forward to it."

Charles Leclerc, in sixth, is Ferrari's sole representative in the top 10, while Alex Albon finished eighth, in between the two Aston Martin drivers, with Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll seventh and ninth respectively.

Pierre Gasly finished 10th, while Lewis Hamilton will start 12th after being knocked out in the second session after a mistake on the penultimate corner of his final lap.

The seven-time champion also faces a stewards' investigation to see whether he impeded Perez in the first qualifying session. 

Top 10

1. Lando Norris (McLaren)

2. Max Verstappen (Red Bull)

3. Oscar Piastri (McLaren)

4. George Russell (Mercedes)

5. Sergio Perez (Red Bull)

6. Charles Leclerc (Ferrari)

7. Fernando Alonso (Aston Martin)

8. Alex Albon (Williams)

9. Lance Stroll (Aston Martin)

10. Pierre Gasly (Alpine)

Red Bull team principal Christian Horner insisted Max Verstappen is not available to fill Mercedes' vacant seat for 2025, having watched the world champion finish second to Lando Norris in first practice at the Dutch Grand Prix.

Verstappen has dominated Formula One since beating Lewis Hamilton to his maiden drivers' championship in 2021, winning a further two titles and topping the standings again this year.

However, the Dutchman has struggled of late amid rumours his future could lie elsewhere, failing to win any of his last four races – his longest drought since an 11-race run in 2020.

With Hamilton agreeing to join Ferrari for 2025, Mercedes are one of just three teams yet to finalise their driver pairings for next season.

They were strongly linked with a move for Carlos Sainz, but he will join Williams next year after being displaced by Hamilton at Ferrari.

Mercedes have repeatedly refused to rule out an ambitious move for Verstappen, and ahead of taking part in his 200th race this weekend, the Dutchman suggested he will not remain in F1 for another 200 outings.

Horner, though, says there is no chance of Verstappen joining the Silver Arrows next year.

"It's just like we've been stating all the way through the year: we know what our agreement is with Max and Max knows what his agreement with us is," he told Sky Sports.

"He's certainly not available to Mercedes for 2025, he never was. 

"I'm sure whatever options they choose to take, they've thought carefully about. If they choose to give [Kimi] Antonelli the seat, you have to commend them for taking a risk with a youngster."

Verstappen fell narrowly short of topping the timesheets in FP1 on Friday, as high winds and rain produced difficult conditions upon his Zandvoort homecoming.

McLaren's Norris beat Verstappen by two tenths of a second with a fastest time of 1:12:322, after the inclement weather resulted in limited running for the first 30 minutes.

Hamilton was third ahead of Sainz, with Mercedes' George Russell fifth-fastest and Williams' Alex Albon sixth.

Red Bull team boss Christian Horner is expecting a "flat-out" fight for supremacy in Formula One over the next 18 months.

Austrian constructor Red Bull have been the dominant force in F1 over the past few years, with Max Verstappen winning three straight drivers' titles and the team taking the constructors' trophy in 2022 and 2023.

The early stages of the 2024 season followed a similar pattern with flying Dutchman Verstappen winning four of the opening five races but there have now been seven different victors through 14 rounds.

Verstappen still holds a healthy 78-point lead from second-place Lando Norris in the driver standings but McLaren are only 42 points adrift of Red Bull in the constructor table, with Ferrari 63 back and improving Mercedes 142 behind.

Horner, in quotes reported by F1's official website, thinks there is going to be a battle between all four of those F1 heavyweights in the near future.

"I think it’s great for the sport, and it was almost inevitable when you get consistency of regulations, you always get convergence," he said.

"I remember when I first came into Formula 1, Ron Dennis banging that drum back in 2005. Convergence has always brought the teams together. 

"Of course we have a big regulations change in 2026 that will cause divergence but, between now and then, the next 18 months I think it will be flat-out between the four teams."

F1 returns after a near month-long break with the Dutch Grand Prix this weekend, Verstappen's home race.

Red Bull technical director Pierre Wache has said the Austrian-based teams RB20 "didn't deliver what was expected" in every area this season. 

Red Bull claimed a sixth Constructors' Championship in 2023, with Max Verstappen winning his third World Drivers' Championship in a row, scoring 575 points, which was more than double of second placed team-mate, Sergio Perez. 

Despite their dominance, the team wanted to remain at the top of the grid and made significant changes to this year's RB20. 

Verstappen and Perez would secure three one-two finishes in the first four Grand Prix's of the season, but performances of late have seen the team's around them close in.

Both McLaren and Mercedes have continually improved and have looked competitive since May, with Wache saying the cars' performance this year has fallen below expectations. 

"I would say not really. We improved compared to last year, without doubt, but we didn’t deliver what we expected in some areas," Wache told Motorsport.com. 

"Especially in the high-speed corners we expected a little bit more than what we have. Without thinking about the competitiveness of the car, so just based on our own references, we expected a little bit more with our tools.

"In medium-speed and low-speed we improved quite a lot compared to last year. We were a little bit weaker in the high-speed corners compared to last year relative to the competition.

"In kerb riding we are clearly weak, but we were already last year. I think we didn’t make the improvement we expected in that aspect."

While Verstappen still holds a comfortable advantage over McLaren's Lando Norris in the Drivers' Championship, the same cannot be said for the Constructors'.

McLaren are now just 42 points behind Red Bull, with Ferrari just 11 points behind the British-based team. 

That subsequent dip in results has largely been down to the form of Perez, who is yet to finish on the podium since the Chinese Grand Prix in April. 

Verstappen's fourth placed finish at the Belgian Grand Prix last time out was also the first time since 2020 that the Dutchman had failed to win a race in four attempts. 

Despite their recent form, it did not come as a surprise to Wache, who said he expected the rival teams to catch up as the season went on. 

"We expected the opposition to come earlier, to be honest with you," Wache added. "When we started the 2022 season, we didn’t have the quickest car. 

"Ferrari had the quickest car in the beginning of 2022. We expected a massive competition in 2023, but that didn’t happen.

"In 2024 we also expected the competition to be there more or less from the start, because the performance you can find with the car is limited under the same regulations.

"After the first four or five races the others came back, maybe with a bit of delay, but we expected that from the start.

"The limitations you have with these regulations are quite high and what you can find to make more steps is getting more difficult. Then it is almost sure that the opposition will come back at some point."

Red Bull technical director Pierre Wache has said the Austrian-based teams RB20 "didn't deliver what was expected" in every area this season. 

Red Bull claimed a sixth Constructors' Championship in 2023, with Max Verstappen winning his third World Drivers' Championship in a row, scoring 575 points, which was more than double of second placed team-mate, Sergio Perez. 

Despite their dominance, the team wanted to remain at the top of the grid and made significant changes to this year's RB20. 

Verstappen and Perez would secure three one-two finishes in the first four Grand Prix's of the season, but performances of late have seen the team's around them close in.

Both McLaren and Mercedes have continually improved and have looked competitive since May, with Wache saying the cars' performance this year has fallen below expectations. 

"I would say not really. We improved compared to last year, without doubt, but we didn’t deliver what we expected in some areas," Wache told Motorsport.com. 

"Especially in the high-speed corners we expected a little bit more than what we have. Without thinking about the competitiveness of the car, so just based on our own references, we expected a little bit more with our tools.

"In medium-speed and low-speed we improved quite a lot compared to last year. We were a little bit weaker in the high-speed corners compared to last year relative to the competition.

"In kerb riding we are clearly weak, but we were already last year. I think we didn’t make the improvement we expected in that aspect."

While Verstappen still holds a comfortable advantage over McLaren's Lando Norris in the Drivers' Championship, the same cannot be said for the Constructors'.

McLaren are now just 42 points behind Red Bull, with Ferrari just 11 points behind the British-based team. 

That subsequent dip in results has largely been down to the form of Perez, who is yet to finish on the podium since the Chinese Grand Prix in April. 

Verstappen's fourth placed finish at the Belgian Grand Prix last time out was also the first time since 2020 that the Dutchman had failed to win a race in four attempts. 

Despite their recent form, it did not come as a surprise to Wache, who said he expected the rival teams to catch up as the season went on. 

"We expected the opposition to come earlier, to be honest with you," Wache added. "When we started the 2022 season, we didn’t have the quickest car. 

"Ferrari had the quickest car in the beginning of 2022. We expected a massive competition in 2023, but that didn’t happen.

"In 2024 we also expected the competition to be there more or less from the start, because the performance you can find with the car is limited under the same regulations.

"After the first four or five races the others came back, maybe with a bit of delay, but we expected that from the start.

"The limitations you have with these regulations are quite high and what you can find to make more steps is getting more difficult. Then it is almost sure that the opposition will come back at some point."

Mercedes have revealed George Russell's own weight loss during the Belgian Grand Prix contributed to his disqualification.

Russell had pulled off a remarkable victory from sixth on the grid by using a one-stop strategy, edging to victory ahead of team-mate Lewis Hamilton by half a second.

However, the 26-year-old's car failed a post-race weight check, coming in at 1.5kg below the weight limit, and Hamilton was promoted to first place.

A report after the race confirmed the car had initially been compliant with the minimum weight but by keeping the tyres for longer, they lost more rubber.

The underbody 'plank' still complied with the regulations during the post-weight check, but had eroded more than expected.

Now, Mercedes have explained how the car lost so much weight during the race.

"The car can lose quite a lot of weight during the race. You get tyre wear, plank wear, brake wear, oil consumption.

"The drivers themselves can lose a lot, and in this particular race, George lost quite a bit of weight.

"George's car was the only one that had the problem, and it is because things like the tyre wear was much higher. It looks like we lost more material on the plank.

"We will collect all that data though, look at how we can refine our processes because, clearly, we do not want that to happen in the future."

Williams team boss James Vowles admitted he was surprised that neither Red Bull nor Mercedes wanted to sign Carlos Sainz for the 2025 season.

The Spaniard signed a two-year contract with the option to extend at Williams earlier this week, ending speculation surrounding his future.

Ferrari had confirmed earlier this year that he would not continue with them past the end of the season, having signed Lewis Hamilton from Mercedes to partner Charles Leclerc.

While Sainz was initially seen as a candidate to replace Hamilton, Mercedes look set to promote 17-year-old Andrea Kimi Antonelli instead, while Red Bull preferred to extend Sergio Perez's contract for the next two years.

Vowles was full of praise for the 29-year-old, explaining how it was an easy choice to bring him into the team.

"Look at Carlos," said Vowles. "Look at every team he has been in. They have improved significantly - and I get why.

"After spending the last nine months talking to him at least weekly, what I've realised is he is a performance machine.

"He will do everything in his power to transform himself and the team around him. And that's powerful. That's worth more than what he can drive the car at.

[He is] one of the top four drivers - if not at times the number two driver on the grid. Why wouldn't you want that in your stable?"

Sainz has achieved three Formula 1 wins to date, including a victory at the Australian Grand Prix in March, and currently sits fifth in the drivers' championship.

He is only 15 points behind team-mate Leclerc, who sits in third, while his five podium finishes this season have also helped Ferrari to third in the constructors' championship, where they sit 63 points behind leaders Red Bull.

There is speculation that Mercedes could make a swoop for Max Verstappen for the 2026 season, despite his Red Bull contract running until 2028.

With so many F1 futures up in the air, Vowles was surprised to find out there was not more interest in their new driver.

"Red Bull have a constructors' championship at risk - I would have Carlos alongside Max [rather than Perez]," he added.

"Mercedes have more info than I do. It's more than likely that they are very confident in the direction they will be travelling in. Whether that will be Max or Kimi, I'm unsure - but they're not fools.

"Red Bull will also have reasons behind it that I won't be aware of because they are multiple world champions. They don't make decisions lightly, but I was surprised."

George Russell has been disqualified from the Belgian Grand Prix after his car was found to be underweight, with Lewis Hamilton inheriting his win.

Russell had pulled off a remarkable victory from sixth on the grid with a one-stop strategy, beating Lewis Hamilton, who had led for most of the race, by half a second.

However, the 26-year-old's car failed a post-race weight check, with a report later confirming that while the car had initially been compliant with the minimum weight, 2.8 litres of fuel were then removed.

That, coupled with Russell's one-stop strategy that saw his hard tyres worn down, took him 1.5 kilograms below the weight limit.

Mercedes told stewards that "there were no mitigating circumstances and that it was a genuine error by the team" after the findings were revealed.

As a result, Hamilton has his second win of the season, three weeks on from his British Grand Prix triumph at the start of the month, and the 105th in his career.

Oscar Piastri moved up to P2, while Charles Leclerc took P3.

An official statement from team principal Toto Wolff following the verdict read: "We have to take our disqualification on the chin.

"We have clearly made a mistake and need to ensure we learn from it. We will go away, evaluate what happened and understand what went wrong. To lose a 1-2 is frustrating, and we can only apologise to George, who drove such a strong race.

"Lewis is, of course, promoted to P1; he was the fastest guy on the two-stop and is a deserving winner.

"Despite the disqualification, there are many positives we can take from this weekend. We had a car that was the benchmark in today's race across two different strategies. Only a few months ago, that would have been inconceivable.

"We head into the summer break having won three of the past four races. We will look to come back after shutdown rejuvenated and with the aim of maintaining our positive trajectory."

Revised Top 10

1. Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes)
2. Oscar Piastri (McLaren)
3. Charles Leclerc (Ferrari)
4. Max Verstappen (Red Bull)
5. Lando Norris (McLaren)
6. Carlos Sainz (Ferrari)
7. Sergio Perez (Red Bull)
8. Fernando Alonso (Aston Martin)
9. Esteban Ocon (Alphine)
10. Daniel Ricciardo (RB)

Lewis Hamilton admitted Mercedes did not expect to finish one-two at the Belgian Grand Prix after a poor start to the race weekend.

Hamilton finished half a second behind team-mate George Russell despite leading for large portions of the race and was unable to mount enough pressure to pip him over the finish line.

Mercedes had struggled in the practice sessions on Friday, though they improved in rainy conditions on Saturday, with Hamilton finishing fourth in qualifying, getting bumped up to P3 after Max Verstappen's 10-place grid penalty.

In the end, it was the tyre strategy that swayed in Russell's favour on Sunday, as he made just one stop compared to Hamilton’s two.

After a poor start to the season, Mercedes have now won three of the last four races, and Hamilton is proud of how the team have turned things around.

"No, we definitely didn't [expect that]," he said after the race. "First I have to say congratulations to George and to the team.

"We had such a disaster on Friday. The car was really nowhere.

"We made some changes, hard to see what it was going to feel like because of the wet yesterday, but the car was fantastic today, and we really owe it to everyone, both here doing a solid job with pit stops and strategy, and the guys back at the factory.

"I was trying to get closer [at the end] obviously, but George did a great job going long on the tyres. Every stint I had tyres left, but the team brought me in, so unfortunate, but it is one of those days."

Mercedes are fourth in the constructors' championship on 284 points, 56 behind third-place Ferrari.

However, Hamilton believes they still have a long way to go if they want to be considered one of the contenders for it, even with their impressive recent form.

"No. That would be high hopes," he added. "If we can continue these kind of performances, we've had the last few races, which has been fantastic. If we can start our weekends better, hopefully, we can continue.

"I think the McLaren was very strong today, but we were just a bit further ahead early on. We've just got to keep pushing."

George Russell celebrated an "amazing" win at Spa in the Belgian Grand Prix.

Russell edged out Mercedes team-mate Lewis Hamilton to triumph in a thrilling battle on Sunday.

It marked Russell's second win of the season, as he became only the second driver – after reigning Formula One champion Max Verstappen – to win multiple races in 2024.

And a risky strategy that saw Russell only pit once ultimately paid off in style for Mercedes, who have won three of the last four races.

"Amazing," said Russell, who charged up from sixth on the grid.

"We definitely didn't predict this win this morning in our strategy meeting but the car was feeling really awesome.

"We made a lot of changes from Friday night and the tyres just felt great. I kept saying 'we can do the one stop'.

"[Oscar] Piastri did a really great job and also well done to Lewis – he really controlled that race and if circumstances were slightly different I am sure he would have got the victory but a one-two for the team was such an awesome result and such a great way to go into the break.

"Three wins for us now. I want another race next weekend. The team have been working so hard so well deserved for everybody."

Asked whose idea it was to go with just one pit stop, Russell said: "I was focusing a lot during the race so I will have to listen to the radio commentary back but it was a team effort.

"We rolled the dice but it was only possible because the car was feeling really great."

Mercedes chief Toto Wolff was thrilled the risk paid off.

He told Sky Sports: "It’s incredible. We were nowhere. We changed a few things on the car and today we’ve been clearly ahead of everyone.

"We didn't think it was possible but at a certain stage we said, let's stay out, because we were going to finish fifth anyway, both scenarios. He stayed out and in the end he made it last."

Lewis Hamilton knows he faces "a hell of a fight" to hold on for a podium finish at this weekend's Belgian Grand Prix.

The seven-time world champion finished fourth during a wet day of qualifying in Spa, but moved up to P3 after Max Verstappen's 10-place grid penalty after exceeding the maximum number of power units permitted throughout the season.

Hamilton secured his third top-three start of the 2024 season, while out-qualifying Mercedes team-mate George Russell in successive races for the first time this term.

It is also the fourth consecutive year in which the 38-year-old will start on the second row at this track, where he feels the wet conditions worked to his advantage.

"When it rained, I knew that we would have a chance of being at the front because those are my preferred conditions," he said. 

"I think if it was dry, we would have been struggling to be in the top 10. I imagine it would have been tough. Then out there, timing was everything, getting out on track at the right point. I think we were a little bit too early at the end.

"We were first out, and that's when we used our new tyres, and then we didn't have any new tyres until the end and the three guys ahead did. So, a little bit unfortunate in that respect, but that's the way it is. But I'm grateful to be up there.

"The Red Bulls are much quicker than us here and the McLarens are much quicker than us here. The Ferraris, I think are there or thereabouts with us.

"Obviously, Max is going to make his way through because I think they are the quickest this weekend. So holding on to the podium is going to be a hell of a fight, but I'm ready for it."

Lando Norris admitted he was "not comfortable" despite being fastest in the Belgian Grand Prix second practice.

McLaren finished first and second on Friday, with Norris finishing just 0.215 seconds ahead of team-mate Oscar Piastri.

Max Verstappen finished third, but despite an impressive performance, his 10-place grid penalty will affect his result.

Norris finished second in the Hungarian Grand Prix last week, behind Piastri, in a race overshadowed by a radio spat between the Brit and the pit wall.

Having put that behind him, even after a confident practice session on Friday, Norris is not willing to rest on his laurels with Red Bull showing their threat.

"Red Bull are very quick at the minute," Norris said. "So, tricky, but I've just not felt very comfortable today with the car.

"So hopefully I just wake up [on Saturday] and feel a bit more comfortable with it. But we'll try and improve a few things and see again.

"I know it looked good on the timesheets, but I've not felt super comfortable in just going out and doing it. So, hopefully, I can just get in a bit more of a rhythm and feel a bit better out there."

Meanwhile, Lewis Hamilton finished in 10th after struggling to match the pace set in the second session.

Mercedes have been credited for their improvement in recent weeks, with Hamilton winning at Silverstone before finishing third at Hungaroring last Sunday.

However, he was also left disappointed on Friday and said he was hoping for the forecast rain over the rest of the weekend to give the team more of an edge.

"It was a pretty bad day," Hamilton said.

"I don't really know what to say! Obviously, it's been feeling great in the past couple of races, but it just felt completely different today.

"We worked on it. The first session was not great, but then in the second session we made some changes, and it started off great, and then when I got to the soft tyre I just couldn't improve and there were a bunch of balance issues we had through the lap.

"It was better through this session, but everyone else went even better. So, to be 1.2s behind is not great.

"If it rains, then that opens it up a little bit and, hopefully, we can do a better job. I think the car should be better in the wet than it is in the dry."

George Russell was left to rue "a fundamental error" that led to a "disaster" in Hungarian Grand Prix qualifying.

The Mercedes driver will start Sunday's race towards the back of the grid in 17th place after suffering a shock exit in Q1 on a dramatic day of qualifying at Hungaroring.

Russell did so as a result of his team failing to provide him with enough fuel in the wet-dry conditions.

"There are two factors," he told Sky Sports. "The first was I didn't do a good enough job at the beginning. The second was we didn't have enough fuel to complete the session.

"It was a disaster from both aspects. We should have got through comfortably. Not having enough fuel is a fundamental error from the team."

There were better fortunes for Oscar Piastri, who finished in second place and just 0.022 seconds behind team-mate Lando Norris, ensuring McLaren's first lock-out in qualifying since the 2012 British Grand Prix.

 "It's cool to be here, especially when you get a result like this," he said. "Very happy, of course, but I missed out by two-hundredths, so you think of all the little things you could've done better.

"We had a bit of a tricky day on my side yesterday, but it's nice to bounce back this morning and obviously this afternoon in [qualifying].

"It wasn't easy - a lot of decisions on the fly - but to end up with both cars on the front row is an amazing result."