Lando Norris delivered a breathtaking performance during the qualifying session for the inaugural Spanish Grand Prix at the brand‑new Madrín circuit, securing his first pole position on the fresh layout. The McLaren driver seemed an unlikely contender for the top spot for most of the day, yet a blistering final lap propelled him just ahead of championship leader Kimi Antonelli, edging him out by a razor‑thin margin of 0.011 seconds. The session unfolded with several twists.
Max Verstappen, who had briefly looked like a serious pole threat earlier in the program, managed to claim the third spot on the grid, narrowly beating Lewis Hamilton after the Ferrari driver recovered strongly from a crash in the final practice session on Saturday. Charles Leclerc, Hamilton's teammate at Ferrari, qualified in fifth place, while Antonelli’s fellow Mercedes driver and closest rival in the title hunt, George Russell, settled for sixth.
Norris’s lap was remarkable not only for its speed but also for the gap it created to the rest of the field. His teammate Oscar Piastri, who finished seventh, was almost half a second slower, underscoring the magnitude of Norris’s achievement.
When asked about his performance, Norris admitted he was taken aback: "I’m shocked! It’s a bit surreal to be here.
That was probably one of the best laps I’ve ever done in my career. I’m incredibly happy for the team – everything just clicked together on that final run." The qualifying results have set up an intriguing narrative for the race day. With overtaking expected to be a challenge on the tight, twisty Madrín layout, Norris’s pole position gives him a solid platform to chase a third victory in four races and to start chipping away at Antonelli’s 96‑point lead in the championship.
Although Antonelli missed out on pole, his strong performance still leaves him well‑placed to extend his 66‑point advantage over Russell, with nine rounds remaining after the Sunday race. The top ten after qualifying reads as follows: 1) Lando Norris (McLaren), 2) Kimi Antonelli (Mercedes), 3) Max Verstappen (Red Bull), 4) Lewis Hamilton (Ferrari), 5) Charles Leclerc (Ferrari), 6) George Russell (Mercedes), 7) Oscar Piastri (McLaren), 8) Liam Lawson (Red Bull), 9) Franco Colapinto (Alpine), 10) Arvid Lindblad (Racing Bulls). Liam Lawson, stepping in for the injured Isack Hadjar, secured eighth place, while the Alpine and Racing Bulls entries rounded out the top ten. The session proceeded without any of the red‑flag interruptions that many had anticipated for such a demanding new circuit.
Haas rookie Oliver Bearman was unable to take part after sustaining heavy damage to his car in a major crash during final practice, but the rest of the field managed to avoid serious contact with the barriers as they pushed the limits. The return of Formula 1 to Madrid – the capital’s first Grand Prix since 1981, taking over from Barcelona – was marked by a few local disappointments.
Both Williams driver Carlos Sainz and Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso were eliminated in Q1, with Sainz also receiving a grid‑penalty for impeding another car, dropping him from 17th to 20th on the starting grid. Going into the weekend, expectations for McLaren were high.
Norris had previously secured back‑to‑back pole positions and race wins on circuits with similar characteristics before Antonelli’s surprise victory at the Italian Grand Prix. However, that momentum did not translate into practice, and Norris’s weekend was further complicated by a gearbox failure that forced him to miss most of Friday’s second practice session.
Mercedes appeared poised to dominate early on, but Verstappen’s strong performance in Q2 hinted that Red Bull could also contest the top spot. Ferrari, after a strong start to the weekend, regained pace when Hamilton briefly held provisional pole in the early stages of Q3.
The final moments of qualifying saw Antonelli snatch pole from Hamilton, only for Norris to deliver a final‑lap masterpiece that reclaimed the top position, despite a costly slide in the last corner that cost him roughly two to three tenths of a second. Verstappen posted the fastest time in the middle sector of the lap but could not maintain that speed through the final section, settling for third overall. Norris reflected on his run, saying, "It was almost perfect. Except for that last corner where I thought I’d hit the wall – the team will have to check the car tonight.
It could have been a little better, but it’s definitely one of the best laps I’ve ever done." McLaren team principal Andrea Stella echoed the sentiment, calling the lap a "masterpiece" and praising the collective effort over the weekend. "When you look at the whole weekend, we’re not far from the best cars on the grid.
Lando put everything together on his final Q3 run, only losing about three tenths in the last corner. It was an incredible lap – one of the best of his career," Stella told Sky Sports F1. The race schedule for Sunday, September 13, includes an F3 feature race at 8:40 am, an F2 feature race at 10:20 am, followed by the Grand Prix build‑up at 12:30 pm, the main event at 2:00 pm, and post‑race analysis later in the afternoon. The Spanish Grand Prix will be broadcast live on Sky Sports F1, with streaming available via NOW without a long‑term contract.
Looking ahead, the outcome of this race could reshape the championship dynamics. Norris’s pole gives him a realistic shot at narrowing the points gap, while Antonelli’s consistent form keeps him firmly in the driver’s title conversation. The new Madrín circuit, with its demanding corners and limited overtaking opportunities, will test the drivers’ skill, strategy, and the teams’ ability to extract maximum performance from their cars. The stage is set for an exciting showdown in Madrid, where a single mistake or a brilliant overtaking move could decide the fate of the 2026 season.