Spanish GP qualifying: Lando Norris delivers late Madrid surprise as Ferrari misses out on front row

Lando Norris (McLaren MCL40), Charles Leclerc (Ferrari), 2026 F1

Lando Norris produced the decisive lap when it mattered most to claim pole position for the 2026 Spanish Grand Prix at Madrid’s Madring circuit. The McLaren driver emerged on top of a dramatic Q3 battle ahead of Kimi Antonelli and Max Verstappen, while Ferrari had to settle for fourth with Lewis Hamilton and fifth with Charles Leclerc after briefly dreaming of pole position.

The result completed an unpredictable qualifying session in which the order changed repeatedly as the drivers continued circulating rather than relying on a single push lap. Ferrari had entered Saturday encouraged by its pace, with Friday’s Madrid data showing how closely the SF-26 had matched Mercedes, but Lando Norris ultimately delivered the strongest final attempt.

Q1: Lewis Hamilton returns after FP3 crash as Kimi Antonelli goes fastest

There had been uncertainty surrounding Lewis Hamilton before qualifying after the seven-time world champion crashed at the final corner during FP3. The Briton had managed to limit the consequences sufficiently for Ferrari to repair the car, allowing him to take part in qualifying as normal. He was also set to avoid a stewards investigation following the post-crash sequence.

Oliver Bearman was less fortunate. The Haas driver also crashed during final practice and did not take part in qualifying.

The leading drivers went onto the circuit immediately in Q1 to establish representative times, although Gabriel Bortoleto impressed by inserting himself among them. McLaren initially waited longer before joining the action. The session quickly demonstrated that qualifying at Madring would not follow the familiar pattern of completing one push lap and then waiting in the garage. Instead, the drivers remained on track and continued building laps whenever possible.

Liam Lawson briefly moved to the top on soft tyres. Kimi Antonelli attempted to respond but made an error that ruined his lap. Lewis Hamilton then edged Charles Leclerc by only one thousandth of a second.

Kimi Antonelli returned to the attack and moved into first place. Liam Lawson improved again to finish only 0.043 seconds behind, before George Russell narrowly beat the Racing Bulls driver. Lewis Hamilton ended Q1 sixth and Charles Leclerc seventh.

Carlos Sainz, Fernando Alonso, Sergio Perez, Valtteri Bottas, Oliver Bearman and Lance Stroll were eliminated, meaning both Spanish drivers failed to progress on home soil. The demanding nature of the new venue had already prompted warnings about crashes and red flags at Madring before the competitive sessions began.

Q2: Ferrari recovers after Mercedes takes early control

Ferrari’s ambitions appeared to fade quickly at the beginning of Q2. Mercedes immediately showed strong pace on the first attempts, particularly through Kimi Antonelli, while Lando Norris also moved ahead of both SF-26s.

Max Verstappen was fastest after the opening runs, beating Kimi Antonelli by just 0.046 seconds. George Russell followed, with an impressive Liam Lawson also high in the order.

Ferrari responded on the second attempts despite using worn tyres. Lewis Hamilton climbed to third and Charles Leclerc moved into fourth, leaving both drivers extremely close to Max Verstappen and Kimi Antonelli. It was another indication that the Madring characteristics were allowing the SF-26 to perform more competitively than at Monza.

Max Verstappen subsequently improved again. Lando Norris moved into sixth and secured his Q3 place, while Liam Lawson produced another strong lap to finish ahead of George Russell.

Nico Hulkenberg, Gabriel Bortoleto, Esteban Ocon, Pierre Gasly, Yuki Tsunoda and Alexander Albon were eliminated at the end of Q2, leaving ten drivers to fight for pole position.

Q3: Lewis Hamilton briefly leads the Madrid pole fight

Kimi Antonelli was the first driver onto the circuit in Q3 and immediately established the benchmark. George Russell could not beat the Mercedes driver, nor could Charles Leclerc or Lando Norris on their opening attempts.

Lewis Hamilton could. The Ferrari driver produced a lap 0.061 seconds faster than Kimi Antonelli to move provisionally into pole position, while Max Verstappen failed to deliver a decisive response and sat fifth.

For a moment, Ferrari had genuine reason to believe pole position was within reach. The tension increased considerably between the first and second Q3 runs as the margins at the front remained extremely small.

Lando Norris takes Spanish GP pole with final Q3 attack

The closing moments produced another dramatic reshuffling. Kimi Antonelli moved back into provisional pole, while neither Charles Leclerc nor George Russell managed to beat the Mercedes driver.

Lewis Hamilton was also on a lap capable of challenging, but the Ferrari driver lost his opportunity in the final sector. Attention then turned towards Max Verstappen, but the Red Bull driver was unable to take the top spot either.

Instead, Lando Norris delivered the surprise of the session. The McLaren driver produced a superb final lap to claim pole position for the Spanish Grand Prix, beating Kimi Antonelli into second place.

Max Verstappen secured third on the grid, with Lewis Hamilton qualifying fourth to head the Ferrari challenge. Charles Leclerc will start fifth, one position ahead of George Russell. For further coverage of the two Maranello drivers throughout the Madrid weekend, ScuderiaFans has dedicated sections for Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc.

Oscar Piastri will start seventh alongside Liam Lawson, with Franco Colapinto and Arvid Lindblad completing the top ten. After such a tightly fought qualifying session, Sunday’s inaugural Madrid race is set up for an intriguing battle at the front.