Lando Norris surged to pole in the Spanish Grand Prix qualifying, edging Mercedes driver Kimi Antonelli by a razor‑thin 0.011 seconds at the Circuit of Madrid.
Norris Clinches Pole
Stepping straight into the second row, Max Verstappen secured third place, followed by Ferrari’s Lewis Hamilton who trailed him by just one spot, setting a firmer start for the race ahead.
Q2 Drama and Midfield Battles
During the first Q2 run, Nico Hulkenberg and Arvid Lindblad advanced to Q3, leaving their team‑mates Gabriel Bortoleto and Yuki Tsunoda barely missing the cutoff. Alpine’s Pierre Gasly and Franco Colapinto also slipped from the session after failing to complete a clean first lap, with Colapinto ultimately stacking up enough laps to reach the final stage, finishing eighth ahead of McLaren’s Oscar Piastri.
Max Verstappen mingled with the likes of Antonelli and Lindblad to finish the session, while Haas’s Esteban Ocon clocked 13th and Gasly’s 14th position reflected a car balance markedly different from Friday’s Friday practice. Tsunoda and Alexander Albon slotted in 15th and 16th respectively.
Q1 Highlights and Standings
Russell dominated Q1, outpacing Kimi Antonelli by 0.056 seconds after a sharp turn of the wall. Team‑mates Red Bull’s Pierre Gasly led the front row over soft tyres, while Max Verstappen moved to fourth place on medium compounds, reserving a premium set for later runs. Ferrari’s Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc mirrored this strategy, each emerging in the top seven.
Williams again lurked just outside Q2, with Alexander Albon snatching the final Q2 slot in 16th place thanks to a 0.005‑second advantage over Carlos Sainz. The Spaniard’s highest finish was 18th, with Fernando Alonso locked into the back. SAP’s Sergio Perez and BMW’s Valtteri Bottas closed the grid, the latter’s lap marred by an impediment from Sainz.
Oliver Bearman of Haas avoided the session entirely after a serious crash in Friday’s delayed practice, and Lance Stroll also missed a lap due to a suspected water‑pressure issue, adding to a tough weekend for both drivers.
With pole now set, the Spanish Grand Prix already displays the tightening front‑row battle as the season’s inaugural race starts in Madrid, promising a close contest from the outset.
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