The rear of Franco Colapinto’s Alpine is sliding towards the Wall of Champions but the Argentine avoids disaster to go P11. Oliver Bearman in the Haas is the driver on dangling the edge in P10.
There is not a spare seat in the house as Yuki Tsunoda reaches the hairpin to the delight of the packed crowds in the grandstands. The Japanese driver completes his flyer on the softs but only goes seventh fastest, which is now down to P9, as Fernando Alonso and Kimi Antonelli bank better times.
Sam Bird
Formula E driver on BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra
There’s quite a lot of evolution on the track and the lap times as sessions go on.
The track takes a step backwards at the beginning of the session and then you see times just rapidly getting faster and faster as qualifying progresses.
Championship leader Oscar Piastri, clear of Lando Norris by 10 points in the title race, goes third on the timesheets. Charles Leclerc is 0.280 seconds off the pace of Max Verstappen in fourth. Ferari team-mate Lewis Hamilton, who has won in Canada seven times, level with Michael Schumacher, is sitting in fifth after his opening push lap.
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Sam Bird
Formula E driver on BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra
That will be a huge confidence boost for Franco Colapinto, it’s just what he needed. It felt like he’s arrived into this Alpine car and nothing has gone his way so far, he hasn’t had a session, a race, or a qualifying time that you would say has given him confidence.
He’s done that now, he can try and build some momentum, score some points and see how he can transform his season.
Max Verstappen is also putting his trust in the medium compound in the early stages in Q2 while the rest of the field stick with the red-banded soft tyre. The four-time world champion lays down a 1:11.638 as his first marker. Lando Norris is 0.038 seconds behind the Dutchman in second.
Sam Bird
Formula E driver on BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra
The local hero Lance Stroll is climbing out of his car and he will be starting in P18.
Meanwhile, his team-mate Fernando Alonso is having a great day out in P6, he’s really showing a great turn of speed on the medium compound tyre.
Phew. Ready to go again? Q2 is green.
Lando Norris, Oscar Piastri and Lewis Hamilton were the top three drivers in that opening qualifying session. Franco Colapinto also out-qualified Alpine team-mate Pierre Gasly, while Liam Lawson was baffled by Racing Bulls’ performance.
Carlos Sainz, meanwhile, is still flabbergasted he has fell at the first hurdle through no fault of his own.
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Sam Bird
Formula E driver on BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra
Really surprising from Carlos Sainz, I had both Williams up in Q3 in my mind, so that’s desperately disappointing.
What a great qualifying for Franco Colapinto, up into the top 10, I didn’t expect that.
“Why did Sainz try to run into me? I thought he had aborted.”
16. Gabriel Bortoleto (Sauber)
17. Carlos Sainz (Williams)
18. Lance Stroll (Aston Martin)
19. Liam Lawson (Racing Bulls)
20. Pierre Gasly (Alpine)
“Massive impeding, massive”
Carlos Sainz cried “massive impeding! Massive!” as the Racing Bulls of Isack Hadjar, who is through to Q2, came across his path on his hot lap. I think the stewards will take a look at that incident.
Alex Albon grabs the rope and is pulled to safety in sixth place. But Williams team-mate Carlos Sainz is eliminated in Q1.
Alex Albon needs to regroup now so he doesn’t end up a Q1 knockout. Isack Hadjar moves up into the top six, as George Russell goes fifth fastest.
Gabriel Bortoleto drops down into the danger down but Sauber team-mate Nico Hulkenberg manages to climb out and go P13.
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Sam Bird
Formula E driver on BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra
I do hope that Alex Albon is able to try and compete and get out of Q1.
Will they be able to at least get one flying lap? That should be all he needs because he’s showed some great pace this weekend.
It’s going to take an almighty effort from the Williams crew to get that car out.
OK, a lot happened in a short amount of time then. There are three minutes left on the clock and Lando Norris is pushing in the McLaren. He crosses the line and goes top with a 1:11.826 – 0.113 seconds quicker than team-mate Oscar Piastri.
Great work, Williams. Alex Albon is back out on track.
Sam Bird
Formula E driver on BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra
It looks like Lando Norris is taking a new set of soft tyres just to make double sure that he makes it through to Q2, whereas his team-mate Oscar Piastri is sticking on the same set of tyres.
16. Carlos Sainz
17. Pierre Gasly
18. Alex Albon
19. Oliver Bearman
20. Nico Hulkenberg
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