Lando Norris stole pole position for the Spanish Grand Prix from Kimi Antonelli by a mere 0.011 seconds, despite a mistake in the final corner. The dramatic qualifying session left the McLaren team both surprised and elated.
Throughout the practice sessions, Mercedes had looked dominant, with McLaren consistently a few tenths behind. However, in Q3, Norris found his best form. After his first attempt left him sixth, he improved by 0.701 seconds on his second run, enough to edge out the seemingly untouchable Antonelli.
The mistake in the final corner nearly ruined the lap. Norris admitted he lost the rear of the car and thought he was going to hit the wall. “I got a bit excited and overpushed the entry, honestly I thought I was in the wall,” he said. Nevertheless, he completed the lap perfectly to secure pole.
McLaren team principal Andrea Stella described the lap as one of the most impressive he has ever witnessed. “We were not performing at a level to score pole, but Norris did something extraordinary. Imagine without the mistake, he lost three and a half tenths, meaning it would have been a convincing pole,” Stella said.
Norris’s teammate, Oscar Piastri, could only manage seventh, 0.470 seconds adrift. This highlights how difficult the McLaren car was to drive around the Madrid circuit, especially in the first sector and low-speed corners. Still, this pole is proof of Norris’s ability to overcome difficulties and maximize the car’s potential.
With this result, Norris will start the race from the front, followed by Antonelli and the other Mercedes drivers. The competition this season is intensifying, and this pole is a valuable asset for Norris and McLaren to achieve a strong result at the Spanish Grand Prix.
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