Spanish Grand Prix 2026: Lando Norris takes Madrid pole
McLaren driver Lando Norris secured a surprise pole position at the Madrid Grand Prix, beating Kimi Antonelli and Max Verstappen in qualifying.
Stock photo for illustration only, not from the actual event
- Lando Norris drove his McLaren to a stunning pole position in Madrid
- Mercedes rookie Kimi Antonelli and Max Verstappen finished second and third
- Lewis Hamilton slipped to fourth after leading earlier in the session
- Local heroes Carlos Sainz and Fernando Alonso were knocked out in Q1
The newest Formula 1 street circuit in Madrid, Spain delivered high-intensity drama during the qualifying session as McLaren driver Lando Norris pulled off an incredible late charge to claim pole position. Norris edged out Mercedes' Kimi Antonelli and Red Bull's Max Verstappen, who finished just 0.140 seconds behind in a breathless conclusion to the session.
Earlier predictions had pointed towards a crash-filled afternoon due to the high-risk nature of the brand-new Madrid street layout, featuring tricky corner entries and unforgiving walls. While two red flags during final practice had teams speculating on the number of stoppages, the qualifying hour ultimately ran completely clean without any major incidents.
Stock photo for illustration only, not from the actual event
Initially, pole appeared to be contested between Antonelli and the Ferraris, with Verstappen lurking close behind. However, Ferrari faded once again when it truly mattered as they have on numerous occasions this season. Lewis Hamilton, who had held the top spot following the first runs in Q3, improved marginally on his final lap by only 0.06 seconds, dropping him back behind the leading pack.
Meanwhile, Hamilton's Ferrari teammate Charles Leclerc finished fifth, trailing Hamilton by a mere 0.006 seconds. George Russell of Mercedes took sixth place, ahead of Oscar Piastri in the second McLaren. Piastri finished 0.470 seconds behind pole-sitter Norris, highlighting the sizeable gap in pace between the two McLaren drivers during the session.
The newly introduced Madrid street circuit presents unique technical challenges for F1 machinery and drivers in the 2026 season. Built through urban roads with tight walls, tiny margins for error dictate every corner entry and exit. Norris progressing from fifth in Q1 and seventh in Q2 to snatch pole demonstrates exceptional tire management and confidence under pressure, contrasting sharply with Ferrari's recurring late-session struggles.
"I was in the mix to fight for pole and that last lap of Q3, I just really pushed the limit, was about 0.3secs up and then lost it all towards the end of the lap with the tyres overheating, so that was quite a shame."
George Russell
George Russell admitted after the session that he had a genuine chance at fighting for pole position. He explained that pushing past the limit on his final Q3 lap caused his tires to overheat, destroying his advantage towards the end of the circuit and leaving him looking for answers to bridge the championship gap.
For local heroes Carlos Sainz and Fernando Alonso, the afternoon ended in bitter disappointment as both failed to escape the first qualifying session, finishing 17th and 18th respectively. Sainz's weekend worsened further when stewards handed him a three-place grid penalty for impeding Valtteri Bottas, dropping the Williams driver to the very back of the grid for Sunday's race.
Source: BBC Sport
Found something wrong in this article? Report an issue with this article
Comments
Leave a Comment