Lando Norris secured a narrow pole position at the qualifying session for the 2026 Spanish Grand Prix, edging out championship leader Kimi Antonelli by just 0.011 seconds. The session took place on the newly introduced Madring circuit, a 5.4km layout near Madrid that combines street-style corners with high-speed sections.
Norris’s pole lap of 1:31.824 marked his third pole of the season, highlighting McLaren’s strong qualifying pace. Antonelli, driving for Mercedes, had set the early benchmark in the final phase of qualifying with a 1:31.835 before Norris’s last-lap effort displaced him. Max Verstappen completed the top three, despite an error on his initial flying lap in Q3.
The qualifying session ran smoothly overall, with no major incidents despite the challenges posed by the new circuit. Lewis Hamilton, now racing for Ferrari, initially led Q3 but ultimately qualified fourth behind Verstappen. George Russell took sixth place for Mercedes, while McLaren’s Oscar Piastri secured seventh. Alpine’s Franco Colapinto recovered from a near spin to qualify eighth.
Not all drivers completed qualifying as planned. Oliver Bearman missed the session due to a heavy crash during practice, while Lance Stroll did not set a time because of a suspected water pressure issue and is facing a grid penalty. The session also confirmed Mercedes’ ongoing challenges in qualifying, marking their fourth consecutive defeat despite Antonelli’s strong pace.
The Madring circuit’s debut provided a fresh challenge for teams and drivers, combining technical street sections with fast straights that tested car balance and driver precision. Norris’s ability to deliver a last-moment lap under pressure demonstrated McLaren’s competitiveness in qualifying conditions this season.
With Norris and Antonelli separated by just over a hundredth of a second, the qualifying session highlighted how tight the margins remain at the front of the grid. The performance of Verstappen and Hamilton also showed that Red Bull and Ferrari remain closely matched contenders in the championship fight.
This qualifying result sets the grid for the Spanish Grand Prix and reflects the current form of several key drivers and teams as they adapt to the new circuit layout. The session underlined the fine margins that define starting positions in the championship, with Norris narrowly taking the advantage over Antonelli and Verstappen.