Charles Leclerc sealed his second straight pole position on Saturday afternoon as a red-flag strewn qualifying session eventually came to an end with the Ferrari driver leading Lewis Hamilton and championship leader Max Verstappen.
Ferrari had played down their hopes for this weekend after their strong showing in Monaco but it certainly looks as though they're getting back to their best based on this display.
It was, though, a dramatic session for more than one reason and here's how it all played out...
Q1
A stop-start first session finished 40 full minutes after it started, and 22 after it should have finished, with two drivers falling foul of a tricky turn 15 that has caught out several over the course of the weekend so far.
First, Lance Stroll brought out the first red flag as he clipped the wall on the exit and ruined the right-front of his suspension, before Antonio Giovinazzi would bring out a second red minutes after the restart as he had a very similar incident.
They, then, were out in Q1 along with Nicholas Latifi, Mick Schumacher and Nikita Mazepin.
Q2
The second session of qualifying was a little more orderly, at least up to the final minutes.
Red Bull pair Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez were fastest ahead of Lewis Hamilton whilst Yuki Tsunoda made the top ten shoot-out for the first time in his F1 career so far.
It was a less profitable session for McLaren driver Daniel Ricciardo, though, with him locking up at turn three and sliding into the barriers, bringing out another red flag - one that would end the session there and then with just over a minute left.
The Aussie will start 13th behind Sebastian Vettel - who evidently felt another top ten spot was on judging by his frustration over the radio - and Esteban Ocon, whilst Kimi Raikkonen and George Russell will start 14th and 15th respectively.
Q3
Charles Leclerc took pole, then, for the second straight race and this time he should start from the front row of the grid rather than having to retire before the start as he did in Monaco.
'Tow' was very much the buzzword in the final shootout and it was the Monegasque that got the best of all behind Lewis Hamilton to take the number one spot, with the Briton in second and championship leader Max Verstappen in third.
Pierre Gasly, meanwhile, took a brilliant fourth - his joint-best performance on a Saturday in his career so far - whilst Carlos Sainz rounded out the top five with him heading off in the final moments of the session, distracted by Yuki Tsuonda's shunt at turn three that sparked another red flag.
A dramatic, elongated Saturday, then, but one that has set-up a cracking looking grid for tomorrow's race.
Provisional grid:
1 Leclerc
2 Hamilton
3 Verstappen
4 Gasly
5 Sainz
6 Norris
7 Perez
8 Tsunoda
9 Alonso
10 Bottas
11 Vettel
12 Ocon
13 Ricciardo
14 Raikkonen
15 Russell
16 Latifi
17 Schumacher
18 Mazepin
19 Giovinazzi
20 Stroll