Lando Norris asserted his dominance once again. In the first-ever Formula 1 qualifying session at the Madring, the McLaren driver secured his third pole position of the season, edging out championship leader Kimi Antonelli by a mere 0.011 seconds. The 2026 Spanish Grand Prix qualifying marked a historic moment as Madring hosted its first F1 qualifying, and Norris wasted no time etching his name into the record books with a lap of 1m31.824s.
Antonelli, impressive in the Mercedes, had to settle for second. The young Italian pressured Norris throughout but ultimately had to concede to his rival's pace. Max Verstappen of Red Bull completed the top three, 0.140s adrift. Meanwhile, Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc of Ferrari will start from the second row, separated by just 0.006s.
Behind them, George Russell took sixth, followed by Oscar Piastri in seventh, Liam Lawson eighth, and the Alpine duo of Franco Colapinto and Arvid Lindblad rounding out the top ten. This qualifying session also marked Madring's debut as a new circuit on the F1 calendar, and its challenging characteristics were immediately evident in the tight competition.
Q2 was dramatic. Nico Hulkenberg advanced to Q3 by just 0.019s, while his Audi teammate Gabriel Bortoleto had to settle for 12th. Esteban Ocon of Haas finished 13th, followed by Pierre Gasly, Yuki Tsunoda, and Alex Albon, who struggled and was 2.328s off the pace.
Q1 provided its own surprises. Carlos Sainz of Williams progressed to Q2 by 0.005s, while Fernando Alonso was eliminated in 18th. Sergio Perez and Valtteri Bottas of Cadillac also failed to advance, in 19th and 20th respectively. Ollie Bearman and Lance Stroll set no time due to technical issues.
With this result, Norris solidifies his position as a serious title contender. While Antonelli still leads the championship, the pressure from Norris and Verstappen is mounting. The 2026 Spanish Grand Prix at Madring promises to be a fierce battle, given the unique challenges this new track presents.
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