The qualifying session of the Spanish Grand Prix will go down in Formula 1 folklore. McLaren’s Lando Norris saved his best for last in Q3, storming to pole position and snatching the top spot on the grid from Red Bull’s Max Verstappen. It’s been a challenging season for Mercedes, but they finally had a reason to celebrate as seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton secured the final spot on the podium.
F1 Spanish Grand Prix: Cometh the hour cometh Lando Norris
It looked like Red Bull had got their strategy spot on as Verstappen appeared poised to take pole as he breached the 1 minute 11 second on his first flying lap in Q3. The world champion, in an unyielding mood, improved his time, concluding Q3 with a lap of 1 minute and 11.403 seconds.
Just when it seemed Verstappen had secured his eighth pole of the season, Norris, the flying Brit, swooped in to disrupt Red Bull’s celebration. To be fair, Norris has consistently been among the fastest drivers since Friday’s Free Practice, and he delivered when it mattered the most as he stamped his authority in the dying seconds of Q3.
After bagging his second pole, the McLaren driver said, “It was pretty much a perfect lap… but the whole thing went perfectly in the end.”
F1 Spanish Grand Prix: Hamilton rises from ashes
The smiles and the high fives were back in the Mercedes camp as their most successful racer, Lewis Hamilton, qualified third. Surprisingly, this marked his best qualifying session this season. Hamilton has maintained a consistent pace throughout the weekend, leading the Free Practice 2 and Q1 sessions. His teammate, George Russell, closely followed, qualifying fourth and will start just behind Hamilton on the grid.
The crowd favourite Carlos Sainz had got a sniff to start in the front row, but he had to settle for sixth behind his teammate Charles Leclerc.
Team Alpine had a good qualifying day as both cars were in the mix, making it to Q3. Pierre Gasly secured seventh place, while Esteban Ocon took ninth, with Red Bull’s Sergio Perez in between them. McLaren’s Oscar Piastri completed the top 10.