Q3, all drivers switched to soft tires to set lap times on the track.
Only Qin Miao had the privilege of using two sets of new soft tires for his two flying laps in Q3.
Thanks to his baseline laps in Q1 and Q2, Qin Miao had a deeper understanding of the track and the limits of his car.
In the first sector, his speed was average, 0.1 seconds slower compared to Hamilton. In the second sector, he was again 0.1 seconds slower. However, in the third sector, he set a purple time, albeit only 0.05 seconds faster.
After Qin Miao completed his lap, he found himself behind Verstappen, temporarily in third position.
Despite being in third, Qin Miao was not slow at all. His time of 1:16.987 was 0.5 seconds faster than his Q1 and Q2 times.
This proves that it wasn't Qin Miao who was slow, but rather Hamilton and Verstappen were faster.
Seeing that he improved by a whole 0.5 seconds from Q1 yet was still in third position.