Lando Norris edges Kimi Antonelli by 0.011 seconds for Spanish Grand Prix pole in Madrid

Deciding laps on the new street track

McLaren driver Lando Norris claimed pole position on Saturday for the Spanish Grand Prix on the new Madring street circuit. Norris completed his fastest lap in 1:31.824 during the final knockout stage to lead the starting grid for Sunday's race. Championship leader Kimi Antonelli secured second place in his Mercedes, missing pole position by 0.011 seconds. Max Verstappen placed third for Red Bull, finishing 0.140 seconds behind the benchmark set by Norris. Ferrari teammates Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc locked down fourth and fifth positions, while George Russell took sixth place in the second Mercedes.

Norris expressed surprise at his performance after securing the front grid slot.

“I am shocked and surprised. That was one of the best laps I have ever driven in my career. Everything came together.”

Antonelli acknowledged the small margin separating the top two drivers.

“I thought it was a good lap, but then this guy just snatched the place away from me.”

Turnaround after practice setbacks

The result represented Norris's third pole position in the past four qualifying events, confirming his competitive form after an uncertain start to the weekend in Madrid. A technical issue had sidelined the British driver during the second free practice session, preventing him from setting lap times and collecting setup data on the new circuit. Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff praised the recovery on Saturday afternoon.

“That was not to be expected, but hats off.”

In the midfield battle, Nico Hülkenberg of Emmerich took eleventh position in his Audi, missing promotion to the third qualifying session by 0.021 seconds. The session proceeded without the severe stoppages that several teams had anticipated across the narrow track sections.

Kimi Antonelli0.011

Max Verstappen0.14

Kimi Antonelli

0.011 s

Max Verstappen

0.14 s

Data from the article text

Practice incidents and tight circuit barriers

The qualifying session took place on a newly constructed layout situated on the Madrid exhibition grounds. Two of the weekend's three practice sessions were interrupted by red flags due to driver collisions with the perimeter walls. Hamilton misjudged his braking during the third practice session and damaged the front nose of his Ferrari against the barriers. The 41-year-old driver initially attempted to reverse his car back to the pit lane before following instructions from his team to stop. Ferrari mechanics repaired the vehicle before the afternoon session, enabling Hamilton to participate alongside Leclerc.

Haas driver Oliver Bearman was unable to enter qualifying after sustaining heavier damage in a separate practice collision. Ferrari team principal Fred Vasseur noted that while the team missed pole, both cars remained competitive during the final knockout segment.

Grid positions and race outlook

Drivers across the paddock pointed to the circuit's narrow profile and lack of extensive run-off zones as factors that will limit overtaking during Sunday's Grand Prix. Hamilton described the upcoming race as unpredictable for all competitors. Russell, who trails his teammate Antonelli by 66 points in the drivers' standings, will start from sixth place as he attempts to reduce that margin.

Norris stated that maintaining the lead against pursuing rivals will require substantial effort throughout the afternoon. The 14th race of the Formula 1 season is scheduled to start on Sunday at 15:00 local time.