McLaren’s Oscar Piastri secured pole position for the Spanish Grand Prix after outpacing his title rival and teammate Lando Norris in a thrilling qualifying session. Piastri clocked a near flawless final lap of 1:11.546 to beat Norris by 0.209 seconds, giving McLaren a dominant one-two on the grid.
Max Verstappen of Red Bull claimed the third spot, followed by George Russell of Mercedes, Lewis Hamilton of Ferrari, and Kimi Antonelli in the second Mercedes. Charles Leclerc of Ferrari, Pierre Gasly of Alpine, Racing Bull’s rookie Isack Hadjar, and local hero Fernando Alonso of Aston Martin completed the top ten.
With this pole position, Piastri extended his lead in the drivers’ championship over Norris by three points. This marks his fourth pole of the season and career, showcasing his exceptional driving skills.
During the qualifying session, Piastri expressed his satisfaction with being on pole and emphasized the importance of a good start due to the long run to the first corner. Norris acknowledged Piastri’s performance and praised the team for their excellent result.
The session was intense, with high track temperatures posing a challenge for the drivers and their tyres. Despite a brief delay caused by Franco Colapinto’s stoppage in the pitlane, the final minutes were frantic as drivers pushed for their best lap times.
In the end, Piastri topped Verstappen and Norris, securing McLaren’s first front row lockout in Spain since 1998. The Australian driver’s two-second advantage over second place was the largest gap seen in qualifying this season.
Overall, McLaren’s strong performance in qualifying sets the stage for an exciting race day, with Piastri aiming to capitalize on his pole position and extend his lead in the championship standings.
