Norris beats Antonelli with 'masterpiece' to take Spanish GP pole — SkimNews
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- Lando Norris produced a dramatic final qualifying lap to claim pole at the new Madring circuit, beating Kimi Antonelli by 11 thousandths of a second after not appearing in pole contention at any prior point in the session.
- Max Verstappen edged out Lewis Hamilton for third, with Hamilton recovering from a crash in final practice earlier on Saturday to qualify fourth for Ferrari.
- Norris missed almost all of Friday's second practice with a gearbox failure and still trailed his McLaren team-mate Oscar Piastri by nearly half a second in pace, making the pole a surprise turnaround.
- McLaren team principal Andrea Stella called Norris's effort "a masterpiece" and "one of the best laps of his life," noting Norris lost an estimated three tenths with a near-crash slide in the final corner.
- George Russell could only manage sixth for Mercedes, nearly a full second off pole pace, while Charles Leclerc qualified fifth for Ferrari behind his team-mate.
- Local drivers Carlos Sainz (Williams) and Fernando Alonso (Aston Martin) were both knocked out in Q1, disappointing Madrid fans as F1 returned to the Spanish capital for the first time since 1981.
- Haas driver Oliver Bearman was unable to take part in qualifying after heavy crash damage to his car in final practice, though the session itself passed without the red-flag stoppages many had expected at the new circuit.
Why it matters: Norris's pole hands McLaren a crucial front-row start on a weekend where Antonelli — who leads the championship — arrives as the favorite after winning the Italian Grand Prix. With Russell qualifying only sixth and Antonelli's Mercedes team-mate far off the pace, Norris has a genuine shot at cutting into the championship lead on a new circuit where qualifying position tends to dictate race result.
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