Hours after a fire incident at McLaren’s hospitality unit, it was Lando Norris who lit up the track, clinching pole position in Barcelona and edging out Max Verstappen.
The Red Bull driver seemed poised to reclaim the top spot on the grid for the first time since Imola. However, for the third consecutive race, he was thwarted as Norris seized the pole by a mere two-hundredths of a second. Lewis Hamilton also had a notable performance, outqualifying his teammate George Russell for only the second time this season, securing third place on the grid.
This outcome means that the last four F1 pole positions have been claimed by drivers from four different teams. Following Verstappen’s top performance in Imola, Charles Leclerc thrilled Ferrari fans in Monaco, while George Russell delivered for Mercedes two weeks ago in Montreal.
Local fans faced disappointment as neither of the Spanish drivers on the grid contended for pole position. Carlos Sainz ended up sixth, just behind his Maranello teammate Charles Leclerc on a difficult Saturday afternoon at the Circuit de Catalunya, while Fernando Alonso failed to advance to Q3.
Red Bull’s sister team, RB, had high hopes for the weekend with their upgraded cars, but it turned out to be a dismal day. Both cars ended up in the bottom five, with Yuki Tsunoda and Daniel Ricciardo perplexed by their lack of speed.
Williams had an even tougher time, with the two slowest cars on track. Alex Albon only managed to outperform his teammate Logan Sargeant. Sargeant had a chance to surpass Lance Stroll but fell short, leading to Kevin Magnussen also being knocked out.
The local fans were further let down when Alonso narrowly missed out on Q3, finishing 11th, just one-hundredth of a second shy. However, Sainz ensured Spain had representation in Q3.
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Q3: Top Ten!
1) Lando Norris, McLaren
2) Max Verstappen, Red Bull
3) Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes
4) George Russell, Mercedes
5) Charles Leclerc, Ferrari
6) Carlos Sainz, Ferrari
7) Pierre Gasly, Alpine
8) Sergio Perez, Red Bull
9) Esteban Ocon, Alpine
10) Oscar Piastri, McLaren
*Sergio Perez has a three-place grid penalty to be added
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