Lando Norris delivered a spectacular performance in qualifying for the inaugural Spanish Grand Prix at the brand‑new Madring circuit, edging out Kimi Antonelli by a razor‑thin margin of 0.011 seconds to secure his first pole position on the fresh layout. The McLaren driver had not looked like a serious contender for the top spot throughout the session, yet he uncovered a burst of speed on his final flying lap that proved just enough to outpace the championship‑leading Antonelli. The showdown for pole was intense. Max Verstappen, who had briefly entered the mix during the middle part of the session, managed to claim third place, 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 fifth, while Antonelli’s fellow Mercedes driver and closest rival in the title chase, George Russell, could only manage sixth. Norris’s lap was made even more impressive by the nearly half‑second gap he left to his McLaren teammate Oscar Piastri, who finished seventh. After crossing the line, Norris was visibly stunned.
"I’m shocked! A little bit surprised to be here now.
My God, that was probably one of the best laps I’ve ever done in my career," he said. "Very, very happy. Very proud, very happy for the team. It was one of those laps where everything just clicked." The qualifying session also featured a flurry of headlines and commentary.
Lewis Hamilton noted that Antonelli seemed unstoppable, while Norris later called for revisions to the Virtual Safety Car (VSC) regulations after a close battle with Antonelli cost him a win in a previous race. Team principals and former drivers, including Martin Brundle, weighed in on the new track’s overtaking opportunities and suggested tweaks for the 2027 season.
When the race day arrived, Antonelli went on to win the first Madring Grand Prix, extending his championship lead, while Norris’s misfortune left him in second place. The top ten qualifiers were 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). Norris explained his approach to the lap: "I had a clear idea of what I wanted to achieve. The question was whether my brain would let me execute it on the final attempt.
Almost everything worked perfectly, except for a small slip in the last corner that cost me a few tenths of a second." The tight, twisty nature of the Madring layout is expected to make overtaking a challenge, which means Norris’s pole position gives him a strong chance of securing a third victory in four races and narrowing the 96‑point gap to Antonelli. Despite finishing second in qualifying, Antonelli remains well‑placed to widen his 66‑point lead over Russell and move closer to his first world championship as the season heads into its final nine rounds. Red Bull’s Liam Lawson, standing in for the injured Isack Hadjar, qualified eighth.
Alpine’s Franco Colapinto and Racing Bulls’ Arvid Lindblad completed the top ten. The session proceeded without the red‑flag interruptions that many had predicted for the demanding new circuit, showcasing a collective display of skill from the drivers.
Haas rookie Oliver Bearman could not take part in qualifying after sustaining heavy damage to his car in a crash during the final practice session. The rest of the field, however, managed to keep contact with the barriers to a minimum, despite pushing the limits of the track.
The return of Formula 1 to Madrid after a 45‑year hiatus—taking over from Barcelona as the host of the Spanish Grand Prix—was met with mixed emotions from local fans. Both Williams driver Carlos Sainz and Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso were eliminated in Q1, with Sainz receiving a grid penalty for impeding another driver, dropping him from 17th to 20th on the starting grid. Going into the weekend, expectations for McLaren were high.
Norris had secured back‑to‑back pole positions and victories on similar circuits before the summer break, and Antonelli had just claimed victory at the Italian Grand Prix. However, McLaren’s pace faltered during practice, and Norris’s campaign was hampered by a gearbox failure that forced him to miss most of Friday’s second session. Mercedes appeared poised to dominate until Verstappen posted a blistering lap in Q2, suggesting he could challenge for pole.
Ferrari, after a strong start to the weekend, regained form when Hamilton posted a provisional pole time in the early runs of Q3. The final moments of qualifying were dramatic. Antonelli displaced Hamilton from the top spot, and although Hamilton improved his time, he could not reclaim the lead. The battle then shifted to Norris and Verstappen, both posting rapid sector times.
Norris experienced a significant slide in the last corner, nearly clipping the barrier, which cost him roughly two to three tenths of a second, yet he still managed to stay ahead of Antonelli. Verstappen recorded the fastest middle sector of the session but could not sustain that speed through the final sector, ultimately finishing third. Reflecting on his lap, Norris said, "It was pretty much perfect. Except for the last corner where I thought I was going to hit the wall and the team would have to repair the car tonight.
It could have been a little better, but it was one of the best laps I’ve ever done." McLaren team principal Andrea Stella echoed the sentiment, describing the lap as a "masterpiece" and praising the team's incremental improvements over the weekend. "We have seen across the whole weekend, if we put it altogether, we are not far from the best cars.
Lando did it only on the final run in Q3 and in the final corner he made a mistake of three tenths. It was an incredible lap—one of the best of his life until the last corner," Stella told Sky Sports F1. The race schedule for Sunday, September 13, includes the F3 Feature Race at 8:40 am, the 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 coverage culminating with the chequered flag reaction at 4:00 pm.
The event will be broadcast on Sky Sports F1 and streamed via NOW, with a flexible subscription model. Overall, Norris’s pole position at the brand‑new Madring circuit underscored his growing confidence and the competitive balance of the 2026 season, setting the stage for an exciting finale as drivers and teams vie for every point in the remaining races.