F1 Qualifying Results: Lando Norris produced a stunning final lap to take pole position for the F1 Spanish Grand Prix 2026 at Madrid’s new Madring circuit. The McLaren driver clocked 1:31.824 to edge championship leader Kimi Antonelli by just 0.011 seconds in a gripping qualifying session.
Lewis Hamilton secured third for Ferrari, while Max Verstappen and Charles Leclerc completed the top five. Norris’ breakthrough also ended Mercedes’ perfect qualifying record in the opening rounds of the new Madrid F1 weekend.
Lando Norris Ends Mercedes’ Qualifying Dominance
Norris saved his best performance for the decisive Q3, delivering a 1:31.824 that proved just enough to deny Antonelli. The Mercedes driver had looked formidable throughout the session and briefly held the advantage before Norris produced a late surge.
Hamilton finished third, 0.140 seconds off pole, giving Ferrari a strong presence near the front. Verstappen qualified fourth, while Leclerc followed in fifth. George Russell took sixth for Mercedes, with Oscar Piastri seventh after finishing 0.470 seconds behind his McLaren teammate.
Liam Lawson impressed with eighth for Red Bull, while Alpine’s Franco Colapinto reached Q3 to claim ninth. Racing Bulls rookie Arvid Lindblad completed the top 10.
F1 Qualifying Results: Full Spanish GP Standings
Lando Norris — McLaren — 1:31.824
Kimi Antonelli — Mercedes — +0.011s
Lewis Hamilton — Ferrari — +0.140s
Max Verstappen — Red Bull — +0.189s
Charles Leclerc — Ferrari — +0.195s
George Russell — Mercedes — +0.325s
Oscar Piastri — McLaren — +0.470s
Liam Lawson — Red Bull — +0.492s
Franco Colapinto — Alpine — +1.079s
Arvid Lindblad — Racing Bulls — +1.217s
Norris’ pole is particularly significant because Mercedes had taken every pole position before arriving in Madrid. The tight margins underline the competitive nature of the new circuit, with only 0.254 seconds separating the leading five drivers.
Drama Throughout Madrid F1 Qualifying
The session followed a chaotic final practice, where Hamilton crashed his Ferrari and Haas driver Oliver Bearman suffered another heavy incident. Bearman subsequently missed qualifying.
Carlos Sainz and Fernando Alonso were among the notable Q1 casualties, while Nico Hulkenberg, Gabriel Bortoleto, Esteban Ocon, Pierre Gasly, Yuki Tsunoda and Alex Albon failed to reach Q3.
The F1 result gives Norris a crucial advantage ahead of Sunday’s race, while Antonelli will start alongside him on the front row. The narrow Madring layout is expected to make overtaking difficult, placing even greater importance on Saturday’s F1 results.Â
