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NBA officiating is in crisis mode, and the players have a point <div id="zephr-anchor"><div class="duet--article--article-body-component"><p class="duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _1nfb3k4i _16w9vov1 _16w9vov0 ls9zuh1">The NBA may or may not have an officiating crisis. But it definitely has a crisis of confidence, which is the only kind that matters.</p></div><div class="duet--article--article-body-component"><p class="duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _1nfb3k4i _16w9vov1 _16w9vov0 ls9zuh1">Even in the age of big data and <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fGbIrmC-L9o">AI-generated LeBron songs</a>, we still do not have a reliable way to track if an NBA game was officiated well. This isn’t automatic balls and strikes; we’re talking about whether Giannis Antetokounmpo’s elbow intentionally struck Al Horford in the head during that poster dunk, if Shai Gilgeous-Alexander initiated contact when his defender stupidly jumped at a pump fake for the 19th time, whether Jaden McDaniels gave Jamal Murray adequate landing space on his shot despite every player jumping different distances when they shoot and McDaniels understandably is not staring at Murray’s feet when he’s shooting a three. That kind of stuff.</p></div><div class="duet--article--article-body-component"><p class="duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _1nfb3k4i _16w9vov1 _16w9vov0 ls9zuh1">So people<a href="https://x.com/c2_cooper/status/2047296371800092675?s=46"> clamor for accountability</a>. Players freak out, including Devin Booker saying in a press conference that Alex Caruso asked the ref to call a technical on Booker <a href="https://x.com/mrbuckbucknba/status/2047160072631984471?s=46"><em>and he just did for some reason? </em></a>Fans of teams that feel they got jobbed lose it, demanding changes (what changes?), oversight (how?) and to please please <em>please </em>stop allowing Gilgeous-Alexander to magnet-pull himself to a defender and get two free throws!</p></div><div class="duet--article--article-body-component"><p class="duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _1nfb3k4i _16w9vov1 _16w9vov0 ls9zuh1">But refereeing is such a stupid concept that there is no possibility to improve, only to complicate. Sure, we have <a href="https://official.nba.com/2025-26-nba-officiating-last-two-minute-reports/">Last Two Minutes reports</a>, but those are simply compiled by other referees offering a different interpretation with the assistance of slow-motion replay — or as I like to call them, <em>completely useless </em>since no referee could ever review every single call of the last two minutes in slow-mo in real time lest they want to make the game completely unwatchable.</p></div><div class="duet--article--article-body-component"><p class="duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _1nfb3k4i _16w9vov1 _16w9vov0 ls9zuh1">Refereeing basketball games is not an exact science; in fact, it’s probably not a science at all. When you consider all the contact, all the dust-ups, all <a href="https://x.com/clutchpoints/status/2047155473775030295?s=46">the arm-flailing</a>, all <a href="https://x.com/BrickCenter_/status/2047154558439502244?s=20">the pump-fake magnetism</a> and <a href="https://x.com/protectedpick/status/2047135133086716249?s=46">all the floppity flops</a>, officiating this environment is far closer to oil painting than it is mathematical proofs. Fouls are interpretations of a fluid game in which contact is legal, and referees must use words like “wind-up,” “follow-through,” “incidental,” and “reckless” (what does any of that mean?) to determine if something is a foul, a flagrant, a technical or nothing at all.</p></div><div class="duet--article--article-body-component"><p class="duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _1nfb3k4i _16w9vov1 _16w9vov0 ls9zuh1">In short, there is really no way to officiate a sport where contact is <em>kind of </em>legal<em>. </em>It’s not like football and hockey (which have plenty of officiating problems), where contact is <em>mostly </em>legal and something has to be fairly heinous to result in a foul for being <em>too </em>physical; basketball allows contact <em>to a certain extent. </em>What that extent is has evolved over time, such as throwing elbows, hand checking, the block-charge and more fun stuff we all complain about. All NBA refs are really doing is trying to keep the game safe and reasonably fair; an impossible task, but one they are heroically trusted with anyway.</p></div><div class="duet--article--article-body-component"><p class="duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _1nfb3k4i _16w9vov1 _16w9vov0 ls9zuh1">The NBA has thus complicated officiating to no end, only watering the roots of an issue that have continued to grow. A blatantly incorrect reading of this situation is that the Oklahoma City Thunder foul-bait more than any other team — <a href="https://www.teamrankings.com/nba/stat/free-throws-attempted-per-game">they were 17th in free throw attempts per game this season</a>. Nor is it statistically provable to say that teams foul-bait more than ever, as team <a href="https://www.basketball-reference.com/leagues/NBA_stats_per_game.html">fouls-per-game has gone down sharply in recent NBA history. </a></p></div><div class="duet--article--article-body-component"><p class="duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _1nfb3k4i _16w9vov1 _16w9vov0 ls9zuh1">But teams have exploited the infinite complication of officiating to great effect, notably how pace, size and explosive super-athletes can create impossibly subjective interactions. Gilgeous-Alexander bears the brunt of this criticism, given that <a href="https://www.sbnation.com/nba/1110576/nba-awards-picks-mvp-rookie-coach-of-the-year-roy-dpoy-all-nbateams">he’s likely about to be the league’s back-to-back MVP winner</a>, but he wasn’t even first in free-throw attempts this season. Everyone does it, and I think we really peaked with 2022 Giannis Antetokounmpo, who, for two playoff rounds, barreled into Nikola Vucevic and Grant Williams and whoever else dared to oppose him with impossible speed, power and extreme arm-angles that were <em>always </em>some kind of foul. On who? On Giannis? Who knew.</p></div><div class="duet--article--article-body-component"><p class="duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _1nfb3k4i _16w9vov1 _16w9vov0 ls9zuh1">The root problem is that a shooting foul is the most valuable offensive action in basketball. With league-average shooting percentages, two free throws have an expected point-value of 1.57, while a three-pointer is worth 1.08 points and an at-rim look worth 1.20 points (<a href="https://fansided.com/author/ianlevy/">shoutout to Ian Levy</a> for pointing this out to me; it changed my life). If you can get your free-throw percentage up above average (>78 percent), now we’re really cooking something spicy. Gilgeous-Alexander shoots 88 percent from the line, so <em>by far </em>his best option on every possession is to get to the line.</p></div><div class="duet--article--article-body-component"><p class="duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _1nfb3k4i _16w9vov1 _16w9vov0 ls9zuh1">Like with tanking and the draft lottery, if the NBA’s rules provide a clear best option to succeed, smart players and teams will always figure out how to maximize their return. It’s like when the MLB figured out walks were actually good — whatever macho man mentality (and steroids) sustained the “always swing and swing for power” world died in the darkness wrought by sabermetrics and taking a 3-1 fastball that’s a little high.</p></div><div class="duet--article--article-body-component"><p class="duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _1nfb3k4i _16w9vov1 _16w9vov0 ls9zuh1">The NBA public freaking out about officiating these playoffs doesn’t actually want fewer fouls, they just want fouls to feel <em>like fouls </em>— you know, things that aren’t allowed, rather than the calculated, orchestrated manipulations of a subjective rule set and mathematical reality that they have become. A fix would be a point of emphasis from officials that <em>radically </em>expands the scope of “who initiated contact” and categorically refuse to call fouls when the offensive player visually initiates the interaction.</p></div><div class="duet--article--article-body-component"><p class="duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _1nfb3k4i _16w9vov1 _16w9vov0 ls9zuh1">But we all know how that would end: teams and players would reset, take some time to analyze the situation and then find whatever the new best way to get to the free-throw line is. Short of a literal <em>free-throw quota</em>, an insane idea that would turn the game into gladiatorial combat, teams will figure out how to foul-bait even if foul-baiting is outlawed. But an emphasis against offensive player-initiated defensive fouls would be a good start, given that this is all a visual question anyway — as said before, the total number of fouls has decreased in recent years. We’re solving a crisis of <em>confidence, </em>not an actual crisis.</p></div><div class="duet--article--article-body-component"><p class="duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _1nfb3k4i _16w9vov1 _16w9vov0 ls9zuh1">Sports have their own built-in honor codes that are unique and deeply personal, but not flopping is generally agreed upon as lame by the people of the world. And those same people will shed blood, sweat and tearful Tweets when they believe the sanctity of the game they love is under assault. Maybe it isn’t, but it looks like it is. And keeping up appearances is key.</p></div></div> #NBA #officiating #crisis #mode #players #point
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One qualifying session remains ahead of Formula 1’s August shutdown.
Who will take pole position at the Hungaroring?
It was a “Ferrari Friday” at the Hungarian Grand Prix yesterday, as Charles Leclerc topped the timing sheets in FP1, then finished second to teammate Lewis Hamilton during FP2. In the days leading up to the Hungarian Grand Prix many tapped Ferrari as the favorites, including McLaren team principal Andrea Stella, and those early projections may turn out to be true.
However, teams had all Friday night to pour over the data from the first two hours of practice, and have one more hour of work ahead of the qualifying session. Can anyone catch Ferrari at the Hungaroring?
In a few short hours, we will find out together.
Qualifying gets underway at 10:00 a.m. Eastern on Saturday morning, so follow along with us live!
And don’t forget, you can join the conversation at the all-new F1 Feed! We’ll have a qualifying thread there for you as well, so you can chat as the hour ticks down. For help navigating the feed, we have a handy “how to” post for you to review.
Hungarian GP provisional qualifying results
Here is the provisional starting grid for the Hungarian Grand Prix, which will be filled in as the hour unfolds.
Row
Position
Driver
Team
Position
Driver
Team
Row 1 1 Lando Norris McLaren 2 Lewis Hamilton Ferrari Row 2 3 Charles Leclerc Ferrari 4 Kimi Antonelli Mercedes Row 3 5 Oscar Piastri McLaren 6 Max Verstappen Red Bull Row 4 7 George Russell Mercedes 8 Isack Hadjar Red Bull Row 5 9 Arvid Lindblad VCARB 10 Nico Hülkenberg Audi Row 6 11 Liam Lawson VCARB 12 Pierre Gasly Alpine Row 7 13 Franco Colapinto Alpine 14 Gabriel Bortoleto Audi Row 8 15 Esteban Ocon Haas 16 Fernando Alonso Aston Martin Row 9 17 Oliver Bearman Haas 18 Carlos Sainz Williams Row 10 19 Alexander Albon Williams 20 Lance Stroll Aston Martin Row 11 21 Valtteri Bottas Cadillac 22 Sergio Pérez Cadillac
What happened in qualifying
Here is how the qualifying hour unfolded. All updates are in Eastern time.
11:02: Verstappen spins, the Ferraris were off the pace, and it is Lando Norris who takes pole position.
11:00: The McLarens are at the back of the field, they’ll extract every bit of track evolution as a result.
10:59: Three minutes to go, and. the drivers are rumbling out for the final push laps.
Hamilton out first, followed by Leclerc.
10:56: Hamilton, Norris, Leclerc, Antonelli, Piastri, and Verstappen the provisional front three rows.
10:55: The crowd roars as Hamilton takes provisional pole with a 1:17.219. Antonelli only into fourth, and Russell down in P7.
10:54: 1:17.725 for Verstappen. 1:17684 for Piastri. But 1:17.320 for Norris
10:51: Drivers starting to rumble out, led by Verstappen.
10:49: 13 minutes on the clock, Q3 officially underway. But the track silent for now as the teams are waiting for the right moment.
10:42: Norris, Leclerc, Hamilton, Hadjar, Piastri, Verstappen, Lindblad, Antonelli, Russell, and Hulkenberg the ten drivers through to Q3, in that order.
10:42: Lawson, Gasly, Colapinto, Bortoleto, Ocon, and Alonso are the six drivers eliminated at the end of Q2.
10:40: Norris purple through all three sectors, and goes P1 with 1:17.456, more than four-tenths ahead of Hadjar in P2.
10:40: Hadjar’s next effort counts, and it’s good for P1. As for Antonelli, his lap has been deleted for exceeding track limits, and he is now in the drop zone.
10:37: Alonso jumps to P10. Unlikely he gets through to Q3, but a big step forward for Aston Martin.
10:36: Five minutes left in Q2. Hamilton, Antonelli, Verstappen, Norris, and Russell the current top five. Lindblad, Leclerc, Piastri, Lawson, and Hulkenberg round out the top ten.
Gasly, Colapinto, Ocon, Alonso, Hadjar, and Bortoleto the drivers in the drop zone. Hadjar and Bortoleto yet to set a time.
10:33: “I’ve got no grip Bono,” reports Antonelli.
10:32: Antonelli rockets to P1 with a 1:18.178. Russell follows but is 0.467 seconds behind Antonelli, only good enough for fourth. Which becomes fifth, after Hamilton snatches P1 with a 1:17.931.
10:31: Hadjar is following Verstappen, dips a wheel into the gravel, and spins at Turn 12.
10:30: Verstappen jumps to P1 with a 1:18.249.
10:29: 11 minutes remain in Q2, and only Alonso has set a time, with a 1:20.696.
10:26: 15 minutes are on the clock, and Q2 is underway. Alonso the first driver out, soaking up the spot in Q2.
10:20: Bearman, Sainz, Albon, Stroll, Bottas, and Pérez are the six drivers out at the end of Q1.
10:13: With five minutes to go in Q1 the six drivers in the drop zone include Bearman, Albon, Sainz, Bottas, Perez, and Bortoleto, who had his time deleted for exceeding track limits at Turn 4.
10:11: Norris gets to P1, 0.379 seconds ahead of Verstappen. Banger of a lap.
10:08: Verstappen’s first attempt is a 1:18.656, good for P1.
10:07: Leclerc’s time is deleted for exceeding track limits at Turn 3.
10:06: Hamilton pumps in a 1:18.730 on that set of mediums to go P1, Leclerc slots in P2, just 0.148 seconds behind. Also on the mediums.
10:05: Hamilton and Leclerc are out now, but on a set of C4 medium tires.
10:04: Notable: Albon goes 1:21.596, but Stroll is quicker with a 1:20.847, and Alonso is even quicker with a 1:20.665.
10:01: The Williams duo head out first, followed by Bottas.
10:00: Green light at the end of pit lane, 18 minutes on the clock, and Q1 is underway.
9:53: Norris, Antonelli, and Hamilton the three names predicted to take pole on the pre-qualifying show.
9:43: On the pre-qualifying show, James Hinchcliffe taps Audi as the midfield team to break into Q3 today, citing the “consistency” from Audi this week.
We might have quite the qualifying hour ahead of us.
Lando Norris topped the timing sheets in FP3, just ahead of Hamilton and Kimi Antonelli:
With Leclerc fastest in FP1, Hamilton fastest in FP2, and now Norris fastest in FP3, three different drivers led the way over the three practice sessions.
Buckle up, this could be fun.
One qualifying session remains ahead of Formula 1’s August shutdown.
Who will take pole position at the Hungaroring?
It was a “Ferrari Friday” at the Hungarian Grand Prix yesterday, as Charles Leclerc topped the timing sheets in FP1, then finished second to teammate Lewis Hamilton during FP2. In the days leading up to the Hungarian Grand Prix many tapped Ferrari as the favorites, including McLaren team principal Andrea Stella, and those early projections may turn out to be true.
However, teams had all Friday night to pour over the data from the first two hours of practice, and have one more hour of work ahead of the qualifying session. Can anyone catch Ferrari at the Hungaroring?
In a few short hours, we will find out together.
Qualifying gets underway at 10:00 a.m. Eastern on Saturday morning, so follow along with us live!
And don’t forget, you can join the conversation at the all-new F1 Feed! We’ll have a qualifying thread there for you as well, so you can chat as the hour ticks down. For help navigating the feed, we have a handy “how to” post for you to review.
Hungarian GP provisional qualifying results
Here is the provisional starting grid for the Hungarian Grand Prix, which will be filled in as the hour unfolds.
Row | Position | Driver | Team | Position | Driver | Team |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Row 1 | 1 | Lando Norris | McLaren | 2 | Lewis Hamilton | Ferrari |
| Row 2 | 3 | Charles Leclerc | Ferrari | 4 | Kimi Antonelli | Mercedes |
| Row 3 | 5 | Oscar Piastri | McLaren | 6 | Max Verstappen | Red Bull |
| Row 4 | 7 | George Russell | Mercedes | 8 | Isack Hadjar | Red Bull |
| Row 5 | 9 | Arvid Lindblad | VCARB | 10 | Nico Hülkenberg | Audi |
| Row 6 | 11 | Liam Lawson | VCARB | 12 | Pierre Gasly | Alpine |
| Row 7 | 13 | Franco Colapinto | Alpine | 14 | Gabriel Bortoleto | Audi |
| Row 8 | 15 | Esteban Ocon | Haas | 16 | Fernando Alonso | Aston Martin |
| Row 9 | 17 | Oliver Bearman | Haas | 18 | Carlos Sainz | Williams |
| Row 10 | 19 | Alexander Albon | Williams | 20 | Lance Stroll | Aston Martin |
| Row 11 | 21 | Valtteri Bottas | Cadillac | 22 | Sergio Pérez | Cadillac |
What happened in qualifying
Here is how the qualifying hour unfolded. All updates are in Eastern time.
11:02: Verstappen spins, the Ferraris were off the pace, and it is Lando Norris who takes pole position.
11:00: The McLarens are at the back of the field, they’ll extract every bit of track evolution as a result.
10:59: Three minutes to go, and. the drivers are rumbling out for the final push laps.
Hamilton out first, followed by Leclerc.
10:56: Hamilton, Norris, Leclerc, Antonelli, Piastri, and Verstappen the provisional front three rows.
10:55: The crowd roars as Hamilton takes provisional pole with a 1:17.219. Antonelli only into fourth, and Russell down in P7.
10:54: 1:17.725 for Verstappen. 1:17684 for Piastri. But 1:17.320 for Norris
10:51: Drivers starting to rumble out, led by Verstappen.
10:49: 13 minutes on the clock, Q3 officially underway. But the track silent for now as the teams are waiting for the right moment.
10:42: Norris, Leclerc, Hamilton, Hadjar, Piastri, Verstappen, Lindblad, Antonelli, Russell, and Hulkenberg the ten drivers through to Q3, in that order.
10:42: Lawson, Gasly, Colapinto, Bortoleto, Ocon, and Alonso are the six drivers eliminated at the end of Q2.
10:40: Norris purple through all three sectors, and goes P1 with 1:17.456, more than four-tenths ahead of Hadjar in P2.
10:40: Hadjar’s next effort counts, and it’s good for P1. As for Antonelli, his lap has been deleted for exceeding track limits, and he is now in the drop zone.
10:37: Alonso jumps to P10. Unlikely he gets through to Q3, but a big step forward for Aston Martin.
10:36: Five minutes left in Q2. Hamilton, Antonelli, Verstappen, Norris, and Russell the current top five. Lindblad, Leclerc, Piastri, Lawson, and Hulkenberg round out the top ten.
Gasly, Colapinto, Ocon, Alonso, Hadjar, and Bortoleto the drivers in the drop zone. Hadjar and Bortoleto yet to set a time.
10:33: “I’ve got no grip Bono,” reports Antonelli.
10:32: Antonelli rockets to P1 with a 1:18.178. Russell follows but is 0.467 seconds behind Antonelli, only good enough for fourth. Which becomes fifth, after Hamilton snatches P1 with a 1:17.931.
10:31: Hadjar is following Verstappen, dips a wheel into the gravel, and spins at Turn 12.
10:30: Verstappen jumps to P1 with a 1:18.249.
10:29: 11 minutes remain in Q2, and only Alonso has set a time, with a 1:20.696.
10:26: 15 minutes are on the clock, and Q2 is underway. Alonso the first driver out, soaking up the spot in Q2.
10:20: Bearman, Sainz, Albon, Stroll, Bottas, and Pérez are the six drivers out at the end of Q1.
10:13: With five minutes to go in Q1 the six drivers in the drop zone include Bearman, Albon, Sainz, Bottas, Perez, and Bortoleto, who had his time deleted for exceeding track limits at Turn 4.
10:11: Norris gets to P1, 0.379 seconds ahead of Verstappen. Banger of a lap.
10:08: Verstappen’s first attempt is a 1:18.656, good for P1.
10:07: Leclerc’s time is deleted for exceeding track limits at Turn 3.
10:06: Hamilton pumps in a 1:18.730 on that set of mediums to go P1, Leclerc slots in P2, just 0.148 seconds behind. Also on the mediums.
10:05: Hamilton and Leclerc are out now, but on a set of C4 medium tires.
10:04: Notable: Albon goes 1:21.596, but Stroll is quicker with a 1:20.847, and Alonso is even quicker with a 1:20.665.
10:01: The Williams duo head out first, followed by Bottas.
10:00: Green light at the end of pit lane, 18 minutes on the clock, and Q1 is underway.
9:53: Norris, Antonelli, and Hamilton the three names predicted to take pole on the pre-qualifying show.
9:43: On the pre-qualifying show, James Hinchcliffe taps Audi as the midfield team to break into Q3 today, citing the “consistency” from Audi this week.
We might have quite the qualifying hour ahead of us.
Lando Norris topped the timing sheets in FP3, just ahead of Hamilton and Kimi Antonelli:
With Leclerc fastest in FP1, Hamilton fastest in FP2, and now Norris fastest in FP3, three different drivers led the way over the three practice sessions.
Buckle up, this could be fun.
One qualifying session remains ahead of Formula 1’s August shutdown.
Who will take pole position at the Hungaroring?
It was a “Ferrari Friday” at the Hungarian Grand Prix yesterday, as Charles Leclerc topped the timing sheets in FP1, then finished second to teammate Lewis Hamilton during FP2. In the days leading up to the Hungarian Grand Prix many tapped Ferrari as the favorites, including McLaren team principal Andrea Stella, and those early projections may turn out to be true.
However, teams had all Friday night to pour over the data from the first two hours of practice, and have one more hour of work ahead of the qualifying session. Can anyone catch Ferrari at the Hungaroring?
In a few short hours, we will find out together.
Qualifying gets underway at 10:00 a.m. Eastern on Saturday morning, so follow along with us live!
And don’t forget, you can join the conversation at the all-new F1 Feed! We’ll have a qualifying thread there for you as well, so you can chat as the hour ticks down. For help navigating the feed, we have a handy “how to” post for you to review.
Hungarian GP provisional qualifying results
Here is the provisional starting grid for the Hungarian Grand Prix, which will be filled in as the hour unfolds.
Row | Position | Driver | Team | Position | Driver | Team |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Row 1 | 1 | Lando Norris | McLaren | 2 | Lewis Hamilton | Ferrari |
| Row 2 | 3 | Charles Leclerc | Ferrari | 4 | Kimi Antonelli | Mercedes |
| Row 3 | 5 | Oscar Piastri | McLaren | 6 | Max Verstappen | Red Bull |
| Row 4 | 7 | George Russell | Mercedes | 8 | Isack Hadjar | Red Bull |
| Row 5 | 9 | Arvid Lindblad | VCARB | 10 | Nico Hülkenberg | Audi |
| Row 6 | 11 | Liam Lawson | VCARB | 12 | Pierre Gasly | Alpine |
| Row 7 | 13 | Franco Colapinto | Alpine | 14 | Gabriel Bortoleto | Audi |
| Row 8 | 15 | Esteban Ocon | Haas | 16 | Fernando Alonso | Aston Martin |
| Row 9 | 17 | Oliver Bearman | Haas | 18 | Carlos Sainz | Williams |
| Row 10 | 19 | Alexander Albon | Williams | 20 | Lance Stroll | Aston Martin |
| Row 11 | 21 | Valtteri Bottas | Cadillac | 22 | Sergio Pérez | Cadillac |
What happened in qualifying
Here is how the qualifying hour unfolded. All updates are in Eastern time.
11:02: Verstappen spins, the Ferraris were off the pace, and it is Lando Norris who takes pole position.
11:00: The McLarens are at the back of the field, they’ll extract every bit of track evolution as a result.
10:59: Three minutes to go, and. the drivers are rumbling out for the final push laps.
Hamilton out first, followed by Leclerc.
10:56: Hamilton, Norris, Leclerc, Antonelli, Piastri, and Verstappen the provisional front three rows.
10:55: The crowd roars as Hamilton takes provisional pole with a 1:17.219. Antonelli only into fourth, and Russell down in P7.
10:54: 1:17.725 for Verstappen. 1:17684 for Piastri. But 1:17.320 for Norris
10:51: Drivers starting to rumble out, led by Verstappen.
10:49: 13 minutes on the clock, Q3 officially underway. But the track silent for now as the teams are waiting for the right moment.
10:42: Norris, Leclerc, Hamilton, Hadjar, Piastri, Verstappen, Lindblad, Antonelli, Russell, and Hulkenberg the ten drivers through to Q3, in that order.
10:42: Lawson, Gasly, Colapinto, Bortoleto, Ocon, and Alonso are the six drivers eliminated at the end of Q2.
10:40: Norris purple through all three sectors, and goes P1 with 1:17.456, more than four-tenths ahead of Hadjar in P2.
10:40: Hadjar’s next effort counts, and it’s good for P1. As for Antonelli, his lap has been deleted for exceeding track limits, and he is now in the drop zone.
10:37: Alonso jumps to P10. Unlikely he gets through to Q3, but a big step forward for Aston Martin.
10:36: Five minutes left in Q2. Hamilton, Antonelli, Verstappen, Norris, and Russell the current top five. Lindblad, Leclerc, Piastri, Lawson, and Hulkenberg round out the top ten.
Gasly, Colapinto, Ocon, Alonso, Hadjar, and Bortoleto the drivers in the drop zone. Hadjar and Bortoleto yet to set a time.
10:33: “I’ve got no grip Bono,” reports Antonelli.
10:32: Antonelli rockets to P1 with a 1:18.178. Russell follows but is 0.467 seconds behind Antonelli, only good enough for fourth. Which becomes fifth, after Hamilton snatches P1 with a 1:17.931.
10:31: Hadjar is following Verstappen, dips a wheel into the gravel, and spins at Turn 12.
10:30: Verstappen jumps to P1 with a 1:18.249.
10:29: 11 minutes remain in Q2, and only Alonso has set a time, with a 1:20.696.
10:26: 15 minutes are on the clock, and Q2 is underway. Alonso the first driver out, soaking up the spot in Q2.
10:20: Bearman, Sainz, Albon, Stroll, Bottas, and Pérez are the six drivers out at the end of Q1.
10:13: With five minutes to go in Q1 the six drivers in the drop zone include Bearman, Albon, Sainz, Bottas, Perez, and Bortoleto, who had his time deleted for exceeding track limits at Turn 4.
10:11: Norris gets to P1, 0.379 seconds ahead of Verstappen. Banger of a lap.
10:08: Verstappen’s first attempt is a 1:18.656, good for P1.
10:07: Leclerc’s time is deleted for exceeding track limits at Turn 3.
10:06: Hamilton pumps in a 1:18.730 on that set of mediums to go P1, Leclerc slots in P2, just 0.148 seconds behind. Also on the mediums.
10:05: Hamilton and Leclerc are out now, but on a set of C4 medium tires.
10:04: Notable: Albon goes 1:21.596, but Stroll is quicker with a 1:20.847, and Alonso is even quicker with a 1:20.665.
10:01: The Williams duo head out first, followed by Bottas.
10:00: Green light at the end of pit lane, 18 minutes on the clock, and Q1 is underway.
9:53: Norris, Antonelli, and Hamilton the three names predicted to take pole on the pre-qualifying show.
9:43: On the pre-qualifying show, James Hinchcliffe taps Audi as the midfield team to break into Q3 today, citing the “consistency” from Audi this week.
We might have quite the qualifying hour ahead of us.
Lando Norris topped the timing sheets in FP3, just ahead of Hamilton and Kimi Antonelli:
With Leclerc fastest in FP1, Hamilton fastest in FP2, and now Norris fastest in FP3, three different drivers led the way over the three practice sessions.
Buckle up, this could be fun.
Jul 13, 2026; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Pittsburgh Pirates Paul Skenes (30) speaks before the home run derby at Citizens Bank Park. Mandatory Credit: Eric Hartline-Imagn Images Paul Skenes has won each of his past three trips to the mound following a nine-start winless skid.
The reigning National League Cy Young Award winner will look to continue his hot streak on Saturday when the Pittsburgh Pirates aim to even their three-game series against the visiting Chicago Cubs.
Dansby Swanson had an RBI single in the 10th inning and Seiya Suzuki drew a four-pitch walk with the bases loaded two batters later to fuel the Cubs to a 3-2 victory over the Pirates on Friday. Chicago has won four of its past six games while Pittsburgh has lost four of its past six.
Skenes (9-8, 3.43 ERA) won his third straight start on Sunday after allowing one run and striking out eight batters over seven innings in a 7-1 victory over the Cleveland Guardians. That marked the right-hander’s longest outing since he pitched eight scoreless innings in a 3-1 win over the Colorado Rockies on May 12.
“Got some early outs, that helps,” Skenes said following the outing at Cleveland. “Not a ton of long at-bats. It’s just that’s pretty much what it adds up to. If you can get early outs and avoid the nine- or 10-pitch at-bats, it’s a pretty good equation (to) get outs when you need to. It’s a pretty good equation for going deep into games.”
Skenes has permitted just five runs while striking out 19 batters in 18 1/3 innings during his winning streak.
That run of good fortune for Skenes came on the heels of a stunning 0-6 stretch over nine starts during which the Pirates lost all nine games.
Skenes, 24, yielded three runs (one earned) on four hits in 5 1/3 innings in a 7-2 home setback to Chicago on May 28. He fell to 2-3 with a 2.77 ERA in eight career appearances (all starts) versus the Cubs.
He would be wise to pitch carefully to Pete Crow-Armstrong, who belted his team-leading 22nd homer in the series opener.
Chicago left-hander Shota Imanaga (6-8, 3.91 ERA) will provide the opposition on Saturday.
Imanaga scattered six hits over seven scoreless innings in a 10-1 victory over the visiting Minnesota Twins on Sunday. He kept the ball in the park after being taken deep five times in his previous four games and 22 times in his first 19 starts this season.
“Shota is going to give up home runs,” Cubs manager Craig Counsell said. “That’s the nature of his arsenal. But when they come and how they come has to be a part of it. He is limiting the home run right now. The walk limitation I’m also a big fan of. He’s done a really good job of that.”
Imanaga saw his no-hit bid against Pittsburgh come to an unceremonious end on April 10 after he was removed from the game following six innings. The Japanese hurler threw 68 of 100 pitches for strikes in that contest.
Imanaga, 32, is 2-0 with a 0.28 ERA over 32 innings in five career appearances (all starts) versus the Pirates.
Pittsburgh’s Bryan Reynolds went 0-for-5 with two strikeouts in the series opener, leaving him 1-for-22 with 12 strikeouts in his past five games. He hit safely in his previous seven games against Chicago this season.
–Field Level Media
#Deadspin #Pirates #Paul #Skenes #facing #Cubs #pursues #fourth #straight #win">Deadspin | Pirates’ Paul Skenes, facing Cubs, pursues fourth straight win Jul 13, 2026; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Pittsburgh Pirates Paul Skenes (30) speaks before the home run derby at Citizens Bank Park. Mandatory Credit: Eric Hartline-Imagn Images
#Deadspin #Pirates #Paul #Skenes #facing #Cubs #pursues #fourth #straight #win
Jul 13, 2026; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Pittsburgh Pirates Paul Skenes (30) speaks before the home run derby at Citizens Bank Park. Mandatory Credit: Eric Hartline-Imagn Images Paul Skenes has won each of his past three trips to the mound following a nine-start winless skid.
The reigning National League Cy Young Award winner will look to continue his hot streak on Saturday when the Pittsburgh Pirates aim to even their three-game series against the visiting Chicago Cubs.
Dansby Swanson had an RBI single in the 10th inning and Seiya Suzuki drew a four-pitch walk with the bases loaded two batters later to fuel the Cubs to a 3-2 victory over the Pirates on Friday. Chicago has won four of its past six games while Pittsburgh has lost four of its past six.
Skenes (9-8, 3.43 ERA) won his third straight start on Sunday after allowing one run and striking out eight batters over seven innings in a 7-1 victory over the Cleveland Guardians. That marked the right-hander’s longest outing since he pitched eight scoreless innings in a 3-1 win over the Colorado Rockies on May 12.
“Got some early outs, that helps,” Skenes said following the outing at Cleveland. “Not a ton of long at-bats. It’s just that’s pretty much what it adds up to. If you can get early outs and avoid the nine- or 10-pitch at-bats, it’s a pretty good equation (to) get outs when you need to. It’s a pretty good equation for going deep into games.”
Skenes has permitted just five runs while striking out 19 batters in 18 1/3 innings during his winning streak.
That run of good fortune for Skenes came on the heels of a stunning 0-6 stretch over nine starts during which the Pirates lost all nine games.
Skenes, 24, yielded three runs (one earned) on four hits in 5 1/3 innings in a 7-2 home setback to Chicago on May 28. He fell to 2-3 with a 2.77 ERA in eight career appearances (all starts) versus the Cubs.
He would be wise to pitch carefully to Pete Crow-Armstrong, who belted his team-leading 22nd homer in the series opener.
Chicago left-hander Shota Imanaga (6-8, 3.91 ERA) will provide the opposition on Saturday.
Imanaga scattered six hits over seven scoreless innings in a 10-1 victory over the visiting Minnesota Twins on Sunday. He kept the ball in the park after being taken deep five times in his previous four games and 22 times in his first 19 starts this season.
“Shota is going to give up home runs,” Cubs manager Craig Counsell said. “That’s the nature of his arsenal. But when they come and how they come has to be a part of it. He is limiting the home run right now. The walk limitation I’m also a big fan of. He’s done a really good job of that.”
Imanaga saw his no-hit bid against Pittsburgh come to an unceremonious end on April 10 after he was removed from the game following six innings. The Japanese hurler threw 68 of 100 pitches for strikes in that contest.
Imanaga, 32, is 2-0 with a 0.28 ERA over 32 innings in five career appearances (all starts) versus the Pirates.
Pittsburgh’s Bryan Reynolds went 0-for-5 with two strikeouts in the series opener, leaving him 1-for-22 with 12 strikeouts in his past five games. He hit safely in his previous seven games against Chicago this season.
–Field Level Media
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