Norris snatches pole by 0.011s from Antonelli at inaugural Spanish GP on Madring

Lando Norris claimed pole position for the inaugural Spanish Grand Prix at the Madring circuit, edging Mercedes driver Kimi Antonelli by a razor-thin 0.011 seconds in the closing moments of qualifying. Red Bull’s Max Verstappen will start third, alongside Ferrari’s Lewis Hamilton on the second row.

Q2: Colapinto survives scare, Gasly eliminated

The opening Q2 runs saw Nico Hulkenberg and Arvid Lindblad provisionally secure Q3 spots, leaving their respective team-mates Gabriel Bortoleto and Yuki Tsunoda on the elimination bubble. Both Alpine drivers, Pierre Gasly and Franco Colapinto, also faced pressure after failing to complete their first flying laps. Colapinto endured a particularly alarming moment when the rear of his Alpine stepped out through the high-speed Monumental banking.

The Argentinian recovered his composure to post a strong final lap, advancing to Q3 in eighth place ahead of McLaren’s Oscar Piastri. Verstappen topped Q2 from Antonelli, while Lindblad was the other midfield driver to progress — at the expense of both Audi entries.

Gasly was eliminated in 14th, frustrated by a car balance he described as radically different from Friday practice. Esteban Ocon qualified 13th for Haas, with Tsunoda and Alex Albon rounding out the Q2 eliminations in 15th and 16th.

Q1: Russell leads, Sainz misses out on home soil

George Russell set the pace in Q1, pipping team-mate Antonelli by 0.056 seconds despite a brush with the wall. Red Bull showed strong early pace, with Liam Lawson third on soft tyres and Verstappen fourth on mediums — a deliberate strategy to preserve a set of softs for later in the session. Hamilton and Charles Leclerc adopted the same approach, each securing a top-seven slot.

At the bottom of the order, Williams again found themselves fighting for survival. Albon beat team-mate and home favourite Carlos Sainz by just 0.005 seconds to take the final Q2 place in 16th, bouncing back from a wall tap in third practice that had sidelined him for much of that session.

Sainz remained the highest-placed Spanish driver despite his elimination, as Fernando Alonso could only manage 18th for Aston Martin. Cadillac’s Sergio Perez and Valtteri Bottas propped up the field, with Bottas unable to complete a clean lap after being impeded by Sainz.

Qualifying began without Haas driver Oliver Bearman, who suffered a heavy crash at the end of a delayed third practice session. Haas faced an impossible task repairing his car in time, leaving Bearman without a qualifying lap. Lance Stroll was the other driver unable to set a time on the Madring circuit.