Antonelli Still Fastest in Madrid Ahead of Qualifying for F1's Spanish GP as Hamilton Crashes
Norris delivered a last-ditch lap to beat Kimi Antonelli by 0.011 seconds and give McLaren its third pole of the season.
- On Saturday, McLaren driver Lando Norris secured pole position at the inaugural Spanish Grand Prix in Madrid, edging Mercedes championship leader Kimi Antonelli by 0.011 seconds with a lap time of 1m 31.824s.
- Drivers have described the new 5.4-kilometer Madring circuit as 'like Monaco on steroids,' a high-speed, barrier-lined layout that forced multiple red-flag delays throughout practice, including crashes by Ferrari driver Lewis Hamilton and Haas driver Oliver Bearman.
- After ignoring team instructions to stop his damaged car following a final-practice crash, Hamilton faces potential FIA scrutiny for attempting to drive the vehicle back to the pits with a punctured tyre.
- Sunday's race grid features Norris, Antonelli, Red Bull driver Max Verstappen, and Hamilton at the front, though overtaking remains a significant challenge on the narrow track, which returns to the Spanish capital for the first time in 45 years.
- Seeking to narrow a 96-point championship deficit to Antonelli, Norris aims for his third victory of the campaign, leveraging his pole position start on the unforgiving, barrier-lined streets where margins for error are minimal.
278 Articles
278 Articles
McLaren driver edges championship leader Antonelli by just 0.011 seconds at inaugural Madring race weekend
Starting Grid For The 2026 F1 Spanish Grand Prix At Madring
Lando Norris delivered a stunning final effort in Saturday's qualifying to take the first-ever pole position at the Madring. Here's the full starting grid for the Spanish Grand Prix with penalties applied.
Lando Norris secured pole position at the Formula 1 Spanish Grand Prix.
Neither Sainz nor Alonso could pass the Q1 and will leave far behind, with Lando Norris becoming the first poleman in Madring's history.
The stars of motor racing are gathered in the new circuit of the Spanish capital.
The McLaren driver will take off in the first box of the race in the Spanish capital. The Italian, absolute leader in the table of positions, will do so in the second lane.
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