F1 Spanish GP: Lando Norris claims remarkable pole position at Madrig.

Current world champion Lando Norris secured his third pole position of the season at Formula 1's Spanish Grand Prix, outpacing series leader Kimi Antonelli during F1's inaugural visit to the Madring circuit.

In a nail-biting finish, Norris edged out Antonelli's time by just 0.011s, marking Mercedes' fourth straight qualifying defeat.

This was F1's first qualifying session on the new Madring circuit located on the outskirts of Madrid, a demanding 5.4km track that combines street sections with a high-speed, purpose-built loop and limited runoff areas.

Despite initial concerns that qualifying might be disrupted by accidents and traffic issues, the session ran smoothly without significant interruptions.

During the crucial Q3 showdown, Ferrari's Lewis Hamilton set the early pace with a lap time of 1m32.079s, leading ahead of Mercedes drivers Antonelli and George Russell, along with his teammate Charles Leclerc. Red Bull also displayed competitive speed throughout qualifying, with Max Verstappen emerging as a pole contender, though he made a mistake on his first flying lap and settled for fifth behind the two McLarens.

As the first of the front-runners to hit the track, Antonelli initially took the lead from Hamilton with a time of 1m31.835s, a mark that most competitors struggled to match. However, Norris responded by sliding out of the final corner to clock a 1m31.824s lap to claim pole.

Verstappen finished third, showcasing a surprisingly strong performance for Red Bull after earlier struggles, followed by Ferrari drivers Hamilton and Leclerc in fourth and fifth positions. Russell in the second Mercedes managed only sixth, trailed by Oscar Piastri, while Liam Lawson, Franco Colapinto, and Arvid Lindblad rounded out the top ten.

Kimi Antonelli starts in second

Q2

The initial runs in Q2 saw Nico Hulkenberg and Lindblad secure provisional spots in Q3 among F1's midfield, leaving their teammates Gabriel Bortoleto and Yuki Tsunoda on the edge. Both Alpines, driven by Pierre Gasly and Colapinto, faced pressure after failing to complete their first flying laps, with Colapinto narrowly avoiding a significant incident when the rear of his Alpine lost grip through the fast Monumental banking.

Colapinto regained composure to execute a strong final lap, earning himself a Q3 spot in eighth, ahead of McLaren's Piastri. Verstappen topped the session followed closely by Antonelli, while Lindblad was the other midfield driver to advance, eliminating the two Audis from contention.

Esteban Ocon qualified 13th for Haas, while a frustrated Gasly could only manage 14th after expressing disappointment over a drastically different car balance from FP3. Tsunoda and Albon finished in 15th and 16th, respectively.

Pierre Gasly couldn't make it out of Q2

Q1

In the early stages of the session, Russell set the pace in Q1, narrowly outpacing teammate Antonelli by 0.056s as he managed to avoid damage from a brush with the wall.

Red Bull demonstrated strong competitiveness in Q1, with Lawson finishing close behind in third on soft tires, while Verstappen secured fourth on mediums, preserving a set of softs for later. Ferrari's Hamilton and Leclerc employed a similar strategy, both landing within the top seven.

At the lower end of the timesheets, Williams found themselves once again on the brink of a Q2 advancement. Albon edged out teammate and fan favorite Carlos Sainz by a mere 0.005s to secure the last Q2 spot in 16th, rebounding from a collision with the wall in FP3 that limited his track time.

Sainz remained the highest-ranked Spaniard, while Aston Martin had little luck, with Fernando Alonso qualifying in 18th. Cadillac's Sergio Perez and Valtteri Bottas finished at the bottom of the 20 drivers who set a lap time, with Bottas unable to complete a clean lap due to an obstruction caused by Sainz.

Qualifying commenced without Haas driver Oliver Bearman, who expressed disappointment after a severe crash at the end of Saturday's delayed third practice session, leaving Haas with a challenging task to repair his car in time for qualifying.

Lance Stroll was another driver who did not set a lap time on the Madring circuit, as Aston Martin reported a suspected water pressure issue. The Canadian driver is also facing a grid penalty for exceeding his Honda power unit allocation for the season.