Lando Norris takes inaugural Madring pole by 0.011s over Antonelli
Lando Norris secured pole position for the inaugural Spanish Grand Prix at the Madring, beating Mercedes driver Kimi Antonelli by just 0.011 seconds in the closing stages of qualifying.
The result gives McLaren the advantage at a circuit where qualifying was always expected to carry significant weight. Antonelli will start alongside Norris on the front row, while Max Verstappen qualified third for Red Bull. Ferrari’s Lewis Hamilton completed the second row in fourth.
The narrow margin at the front followed a session in which the order repeatedly shifted, with the new Madrid circuit punishing even small errors. The Madring guide offers further detail on the track ahead of its first Formula 1 race.
Colapinto survives Monumental scare to reach Q3
The midfield battle was particularly intense in Q2. Nico Hulkenberg and Arvid Lindblad initially occupied provisional Q3 positions, while Gabriel Bortoleto and Yuki Tsunoda remained on the cut line. Pierre Gasly and Franco Colapinto were also under pressure after failing to complete their first flying laps.
Colapinto then endured a major moment through the fast Monumental banking, when the rear of his Alpine stepped out. The Argentinian recovered and produced a strong final attempt to qualify eighth for Q3, ahead of McLaren’s Oscar Piastri. Verstappen topped the session ahead of Antonelli, with Lindblad joining the leading group at the expense of both Audi drivers.
Esteban Ocon qualified 13th for Haas, while Gasly ended up 14th after reporting a radically different car balance from FP3. Tsunoda and Alex Albon followed in 15th and 16th.
Bearman and Stroll miss qualifying
Earlier, George Russell topped Q1 ahead of Antonelli by 0.056s, despite touching the wall without apparent consequence. Red Bull showed strong pace, with Liam Lawson third on soft tyres and Verstappen fourth on mediums. Hamilton and Charles Leclerc also made the top seven while using the same tyre strategy.
Albon claimed the final Q2 place, beating team-mate Carlos Sainz by 0.005s. Sainz remained the highest-placed Spaniard, while Fernando Alonso qualified 18th. Sergio Perez and Valtteri Bottas occupied the bottom two positions among those setting a time.
Oliver Bearman did not take part after his heavy FP3 crash left Haas unable to repair his car in time. Lance Stroll also failed to set a lap because of a suspected water-pressure issue. He is already set for a back-of-the-grid penalty after exceeding his Honda power-unit allowance for the season.
Simone Scanu
He’s a software engineer with a deep passion for Formula 1 and motorsport. He co-founded Formula Live Pulse to make live telemetry and race insights accessible, visual, and easy to follow.