Ferrari had the potential to fight at the very front in qualifying for the 2026 Spanish Grand Prix, but the decisive final runs at Madrid’s Madring left the Scuderia with less than it had hoped for. Lewis Hamilton secured fourth place, while Charles Leclerc finished fifth, putting the two SF-26s on the second and third rows of the grid for round 14 of the Formula 1 season.
The result was frustrating because there had been enough performance in the car to target more. Ferrari entered qualifying believing a strong result was possible, with its SF-26 showing characteristics well suited to the Madring. That potential surfaced again in Q3, when Lewis Hamilton temporarily moved into provisional pole position before Ferrari lost ground during the final attempts.
Spanish GP qualifying Q1: Ferrari saves a set of Soft tyres
Ferrari sent both cars out for the opening phase of qualifying on the Medium compound, using the yellow-marked Pirelli tyres while much of the field opted for Softs. The out-laps were considerably more aggressive than during FP3, as Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc worked to bring the tyres into the correct temperature window.
That preparation became even more important because temperatures at the Madring had risen significantly during the preceding hours. Ferrari therefore needed to generate sufficient heat in the Medium tyres without compromising them before the flying laps began.
The first lap times from the SF-26s were not particularly impressive. Both Ferrari drivers were almost half a second behind Kimi Antonelli, although the Mercedes driver was running the faster Soft compound. Lewis Hamilton nevertheless made an aggressive start to qualifying and showed no hesitation despite his awkward crash at the final corner during FP3.
Before the second run, Ferrari provided several detailed suggestions over the radio. Lewis Hamilton was told to improve his entry into Turn 7, concentrate on Turn 21 and use the pre-mapped toggle during rotation through Turns 21 and 22. For Charles Leclerc, the recommendation was to move the brake balance back by one point for Turn 5.
After two cool-down laps, both drivers pushed again. The improvement was substantial. Despite running a tyre compound slower than that used by almost all of their rivals, Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc produced times comfortably strong enough to progress. Ferrari informed both drivers over the radio that their positions were safe, allowing the cars to return to the pit lane without using an additional set of Soft tyres.
Q1 therefore ended with Ferrari successfully preserving valuable rubber for the rest of qualifying, leaving the major question of how much performance could be unlocked once the SF-26s switched to the red-marked Pirelli Softs.
Spanish GP qualifying Q2: Ferrari searches for confidence in the SF-26
Q2 was the point at which Ferrari could begin to show its true pace. Both cars left the garage on fresh Soft tyres, and once again their preparation laps were relatively aggressive. At Turn 22, Race mode was activated before Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc began their first serious attempts on the fastest qualifying compound.
The initial signs were mixed rather than disastrous. Ferrari was more than half a second behind the Mercedes cars and Max Verstappen’s Red Bull. There were no particularly negative comments over the radio, however. Instead, the discussion focused on the usual adjustments aimed at improving the handling of the SF-26.
The drivers were also involved directly in that process, suggesting changes of their own that could be tested on the following attempts. Finding the correct balance had been one of Ferrari’s major themes throughout the Madrid weekend, with earlier Madrid GP data highlighting different handling requirements for Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc.
After another two laps devoted to cooling the tyres, the Ferrari drivers attacked again. Charles Leclerc found around four tenths of a second and initially moved into third place, only for Lewis Hamilton to move ahead of his team-mate shortly afterwards.
Both Ferraris were now only around a tenth and a half away from the fastest time. It was a much more encouraging picture, although the progression also suggested that extracting the maximum from the tyres remained difficult.
Confidence was another crucial factor around the narrow Madring. The more comfortable a driver feels with the car, the closer they can run to the walls and the more lap time can be extracted. Ferrari had enough margin to clear Q2 without major difficulty, but the final step required for Q3 still depended on putting every element together at precisely the right moment.
Spanish GP qualifying Q3: Ferrari briefly threatens pole before slipping to P4 and P5
Feeling with the car was not the only factor determining Ferrari’s qualifying performance, but it was one of the most important. Having progressed through Q2 without excessive difficulty, the objective for the final phase was clear: maximise concentration, avoid every small mistake and deliver a complete lap when the track was at its fastest.
There was almost no margin for error. On a circuit where confidence and precision are closely linked, even a minor imperfection could cost several positions in such a tightly matched group at the front.
The two Ferraris headed onto the circuit on Soft tyres shortly after the Mercedes cars for the first Q3 attempts. Mercedes immediately showed strong pace. Charles Leclerc could manage only third at that stage, although the gap to the leaders remained small.
Lewis Hamilton then produced Ferrari’s most encouraging moment of the session. The seven-time world champion went quicker than anyone else and moved onto provisional pole position, demonstrating that the SF-26 had enough speed to enter the fight for the front row despite the difficulties encountered earlier in qualifying.
There was still room for Lewis Hamilton to improve, particularly at Turn 17. Charles Leclerc, meanwhile, was dissatisfied with his opening Q3 lap but did not request any setup adjustment, appearing to understand where and how he could find additional lap time.
Lewis Hamilton instead asked Ferrari for one additional point of downforce before the decisive run. The cars remained in the pits for around two minutes before heading back onto the Madring, with the pressure increasing as the final laps approached.
Both Ferrari drivers improved, but their rivals found more. Lando Norris ultimately secured pole position, with Kimi Antonelli taking second and Max Verstappen third. Lewis Hamilton therefore slipped from provisional pole to fourth, while Charles Leclerc ended qualifying in fifth.
Ferrari will consequently start the Spanish Grand Prix with one SF-26 on the second row and the other on the third. The final result does not erase the encouraging signs seen during the session, but after briefly putting Lewis Hamilton at the top of the Q3 timesheets, fourth and fifth leave the Scuderia with the sense that more had been available in Madrid.
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