On September 12, Lando Norris claimed pole in Madring’s first F1 qualifying session with a lap of 1 minute 31.824 seconds, just 0.011 seconds ahead of Kimi Antonelli. Max Verstappen was third, 0.140 seconds behind, with Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc fourth and fifth. The 0.011-second gap was also the smallest pole margin of the season up to this round, 0.001 seconds less than the 0.012-second gap in Hungary.
The final flying laps decide pole
Hamilton led after the opening Q3 runs with 1 minute 32.079 seconds. On the final attempts, Antonelli went fastest before Norris crossed the line to take pole by the narrowest of margins. Verstappen also improved on his last run to finish ahead of both Ferraris. Russell was sixth, followed by Piastri, Lawson, Colapinto and Lindblad in seventh through tenth.
It was Norris’s third pole of the season. A gearbox problem had earlier cost him most of Friday’s second practice session, compromising his preparation at the new circuit. His final lap on Saturday nonetheless secured the advantage on the front row.
Both Spanish drivers exit in Q1 as Audi falls short in Q2
Russell topped Q1 in 1 minute 33.211 seconds, with Antonelli second. Albon beat team-mate Sainz by 0.005 seconds to secure Williams’ only Q2 place. The two home drivers, Sainz and Alonso, were 17th and 18th, ahead of Cadillac’s Pérez and Bottas.
Verstappen led Q2 in 1 minute 32.431 seconds. Colapinto aborted an attempt after catching a slide at La Monumental, then went out again and reached Q3. Piastri and Lindblad both recorded 1 minute 33.204 seconds to squeeze into the top ten, while Audi’s Hülkenberg and Bortoleto finished 11th and 12th.
Bearman and Stroll set no qualifying time
Haas could not repair Bearman’s car in time after his third-practice crash. Stroll’s Aston Martin remained in the garage with a suspected water-pressure problem. Neither took to the circuit in qualifying or set a valid lap time; both are listed as NC in the table.
The Spanish Grand Prix is scheduled for September 13 at 21:00 China Standard Time (UTC+8), with Norris and Antonelli starting on the front row.
Full Spanish Grand Prix qualifying results
| Position | Car No. | Driver | Team | Q1 time | Q2 time | Q3 time | Laps |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | Lando Norris | McLaren | 1:33.469 | 1:32.873 | 1:31.824 | 19 |
| 2 | 12 | Kimi Antonelli | Mercedes | 1:33.267 | 1:32.591 | 1:31.835 | 20 |
| 3 | 3 | Max Verstappen | Red Bull Racing | 1:33.381 | 1:32.431 | 1:31.964 | 18 |
| 4 | 44 | Lewis Hamilton | Ferrari | 1:33.531 | 1:32.710 | 1:32.013 | 21 |
| 5 | 16 | Charles Leclerc | Ferrari | 1:33.532 | 1:32.755 | 1:32.019 | 21 |
| 6 | 63 | George Russell | Mercedes | 1:33.211 | 1:32.850 | 1:32.149 | 22 |
| 7 | 81 | Oscar Piastri | McLaren | 1:33.829 | 1:33.204 | 1:32.294 | 22 |
| 8 | 30 | Liam Lawson | Red Bull Racing | 1:33.310 | 1:32.780 | 1:32.316 | 18 |
| 9 | 43 | Franco Colapinto | Alpine | 1:33.963 | 1:33.038 | 1:32.903 | 17 |
| 10 | 41 | Arvid Lindblad | Racing Bulls | 1:34.340 | 1:33.204 | 1:33.041 | 21 |
| 11 | 27 | Nico Hülkenberg | Audi | 1:34.417 | 1:33.223 | — | 13 |
| 12 | 5 | Gabriel Bortoleto | Audi | 1:33.986 | 1:33.388 | — | 12 |
| 13 | 31 | Esteban Ocon | Haas | 1:34.667 | 1:33.667 | — | 11 |
| 14 | 10 | Pierre Gasly | Alpine | 1:34.246 | 1:33.753 | — | 11 |
| 15 | 22 | Yuki Tsunoda | Racing Bulls | 1:34.311 | 1:34.084 | — | 15 |
| 16 | 23 | Alexander Albon | Williams | 1:35.307 | 1:35.532 | — | 14 |
| 17 | 55 | Carlos Sainz | Williams | 1:35.312 | — | — | 9 |
| 18 | 14 | Fernando Alonso | Aston Martin | 1:35.388 | — | — | 9 |
| 19 | 11 | Sergio Pérez | Cadillac | 1:35.913 | — | — | 9 |
| 20 | 77 | Valtteri Bottas | Cadillac | 1:38.011 | — | — | 8 |
| NC | 87 | Oliver Bearman | Haas | — | — | — | 0 |
| NC | 18 | Lance Stroll | Aston Martin | — | — | — | 0 |
