BARCELONA, Spain — Championship leader Oscar Piastri delivered a stunning lap to snatch pole position from his McLaren teammate Lando Norris during a dramatic qualifying session at the Spanish Grand Prix.
Piastri`s exceptional final effort of 1:11.546 placed him a significant 0.2 seconds clear of Norris.
Norris had held a slender 0.017-second lead after the initial runs in Q3 but was unable to improve on his last attempt.
This pole position provides a valuable boost for Piastri, especially after Norris reduced the championship gap to just three points with his victory at the Monaco Grand Prix the previous week.
Speaking after claiming pole, Piastri commented, “Nice work, very nicely done. Quite some turnaround from last year, so well done everyone. Let`s have ourselves some fun tomorrow.”
Despite recent speculation about whether a technical directive concerning front wings might affect McLaren`s advantage, the `papaya` cars demonstrated performance levels consistent with their dominance throughout the season.
Qualifying in Spain may prove indicative of the competitive picture for the rest of the year, with Piastri and Norris exchanging fastest laps across practice and all three qualifying segments.
Reflecting on his session, Norris stated, “Couple of little mistakes, but just didn`t do it. But Oscar was driving well all weekend.”
Norris also highlighted the extensive run down to Turn 1, adding, “An interesting start [coming] tomorrow.”
In a moment that offered a glimpse into the potential intensity of their championship rivalry, there was a subtle display of gamesmanship between the McLaren teammates.
Upon completing his first Q3 lap, Piastri was informed that Norris was rapidly approaching behind, potentially looking to benefit from a slipstream or `tow`.
Piastri promptly moved off the primary racing line to avoid giving his teammate any aerodynamic advantage.
When told of Norris`s rapid approach, Piastri`s response was, “Cheeky.”
The rest of the field competed for the status of `best of the rest` behind the leading McLaren cars.
Spanish GP Qualifying Results (Top 10)
| Position | Driver | Team | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Oscar Piastri | McLaren | 1:11.546 |
| 2 | Lando Norris | McLaren | +0.209 |
| 3 | Max Verstappen | Red Bull | +0.302 |
| 4 | George Russell | Mercedes | +0.302 |
| 5 | Lewis Hamilton | Ferrari | +0.499 |
| 6 | Kimi Antonelli | Mercedes | +0.565 |
| 7 | Charles Leclerc | Ferrari | +0.585 |
| 8 | Pierre Gasly | Alpine | +0.653 |
| 9 | Isack Hadjar | RB | +0.706 |
| 10 | Fernando Alonso | Aston Martin | +0.738 |
As expected, Max Verstappen and George Russell, positioned third and fourth in the championship standings, locked out the second row, setting identical lap times of 1:11.848, 0.302 seconds behind Piastri`s pole time.
Lewis Hamilton secured fifth place, qualifying ahead of his Ferrari teammate Charles Leclerc for only the second time this season.
Mercedes driver Kimi Antonelli qualified directly between the two Ferrari cars.
French drivers Pierre Gasly and Isack Hadjar maintained their strong qualifying form, finishing eighth and ninth respectively. Fernando Alonso brought some cheer to the home crowd by reaching Q3 and qualifying 10th for Aston Martin.
Hadjar`s recent performances have drawn considerable praise across the paddock, contrasting sharply with the struggles of Red Bull`s Yuki Tsunoda, who finished last in the other Red Bull car.
Verstappen`s teammates have historically faced difficulties alongside him, and Tsunoda appears to be encountering similar issues.
The Japanese driver expressed surprise at his lack of pace, stating on the radio after his elimination, “Wow, honestly, I mean … that was a pretty clean lap.”
Argentina`s Franco Colapinto was another driver eliminated in Q1, marking his third consecutive failure to advance from the first qualifying session since replacing Jack Doohan at Alpine.
Colapinto will start 19th, just ahead of Tsunoda. Alpine reported that the issue affecting Colapinto was related to the driveline.
Dominic Ashworth