Qualifying Report & Results 2026 Spanish F1 Grand Prix

Event: Spanish Grand Prix
Track: Madring circuit

Weather: Dry, Sunny & clear 31°C / 87.8°F
Tarmac: dry 54°C / 129.2°F
Humidity: 18%
Wind: 0.9 km/h North West
Pressure: 943 mbar

Norris Snatches Historic Madring Pole by 0.011s

Lando Norris secured the 19th pole position of his Formula 1 career today. The McLaren driver will start tomorrow’s 2026 Spanish Grand Prix from pole after setting the fastest qualifying lap at the Madring. It was Norris’s third pole of the 2026 season and the 180th Formula 1 pole position for McLaren.

Lando Norris produced one of the laps of his career to claim pole position for the first Spanish Grand Prix at the Madring, denying championship leader Kimi Antonelli by just 0.011s in a breathless qualifying session in Madrid. Max Verstappen secured third for Red Bull, with Lewis Hamilton fourth for Ferrari as four different teams filled the first four places on the grid.

Norris had never looked dominant during the weekend and had lost almost the whole of FP2 with a gearbox problem, but when qualifying reached its decisive seconds the McLaren driver delivered. Antonelli briefly appeared to have done enough for pole before Norris crossed the line and stole it by the smallest of margins.

Norris delivers when it matters most

Mercedes had controlled practice, topping all three sessions across Friday and Saturday, and Antonelli carried that pace straight into qualifying.

The championship leader was immediately quick in Q3, setting the early benchmark before Hamilton edged ahead by 0.061s. Ferrari suddenly held provisional pole, but the margins remained so small that the final runs were always going to decide it.

Antonelli struck first.

The Mercedes driver matched team-mate George Russell through the opening sector before beginning to pull clear, eventually crossing the line 0.244s faster than the provisional benchmark. Leclerc could not match him, Hamilton fell short and for a few seconds it appeared Antonelli had converted Mercedes’ practice advantage into pole.

Then Norris arrived.

The McLaren driver attacked the Madring with the confidence of someone who knew there was nothing left to save and crossed the line 0.011s faster than Antonelli.

It was a remarkable turnaround for a driver who had completed only two laps in FP2 and entered Saturday still catching up on experience around Formula 1’s newest circuit. Norris himself described it as one of the best laps of his career, and McLaren team principal Andrea Stella called it a masterpiece.

Verstappen puts Red Bull back in the fight

Verstappen completed the top three after Red Bull found considerably more performance in qualifying than their practice pace had suggested.

The RB22 had not been expected to particularly enjoy the Madring’s kerbs and technical sections, but Verstappen began revealing its potential in Q2 when he went fastest, edging Antonelli by 0.046s.

He remained a genuine threat deep into Q3 and produced another strong final lap to secure third, putting himself directly behind Norris and alongside Hamilton on the second row.

For Red Bull, it represented a significant step forward from practice. Verstappen had rarely looked like a serious pole contender earlier in the weekend, yet when the grip increased and qualifying intensity arrived, he was once again among the leading group.

Hamilton beats Leclerc after difficult Saturday

Hamilton responded strongly after his FP3 crash to qualify fourth, narrowly ahead of Ferrari team-mate Charles Leclerc.

The seven-time World Champion had hit the barriers at the final corner during final practice, damaging his front wing and losing a sizeable amount of running while the resulting barrier repairs caused a lengthy stoppage.

Any concerns that the accident might affect his confidence disappeared quickly.

Hamilton was competitive from Q1 onwards and even held provisional pole during the opening Q3 runs with a 1:32.079. He could not match Antonelli and Norris when the track improved on the final attempts, but still beat Leclerc by just 0.006s.

Ferrari therefore leave qualifying without the front-row start their pace occasionally suggested was possible, but Hamilton’s fourth and Leclerc’s fifth leave both cars firmly involved in Sunday’s race.

Russell loses more ground in title fight

For Russell, qualifying was considerably more frustrating.

The Mercedes driver had opened the weekend by topping FP1, but Antonelli increasingly gained the upper hand as the Madring rubbered in. Russell survived a scruffy Q1, including a brush with the wall, and remained competitive through Q2.

But when it mattered in Q3, the gap opened.

Russell ended up sixth, around three tenths away from the sharp end and four positions behind Antonelli on the grid.

That matters enormously in the championship picture. Russell already trails his team-mate by 66 points and needs to start consistently finishing ahead of Antonelli if he is to keep his title hopes alive.

Instead, Antonelli starts from the front row while Russell faces the prospect of fighting forward on a circuit where overtaking is expected to be difficult.

Piastri only seventh as McLaren fortunes split

Oscar Piastri could not reproduce Norris’s final-lap heroics and endured a disappointing end to qualifying.

The Australian had shown encouraging pace in FP3 and progressed safely through the opening stage, although he needed fresh tyres late in Q2 after sitting uncomfortably close to the elimination zone.

His first Q3 effort was respectable, but the final lap unravelled as he lost rhythm around the demanding street circuit. Piastri ultimately finished seventh, one place behind Russell, leaving McLaren with sharply contrasting emotions.

Norris starts from pole. Piastri faces a much harder route into podium contention.

Lawson, Colapinto and Lindblad break into Q3

Behind the established front-runners, three midfield performances stood out.

Liam Lawson put Red Bull eighth on the grid after another solid qualifying display, while Franco Colapinto delivered an impressive late Q2 lap to put Alpine into the top-10 shootout.

Arvid Lindblad’s Q3 appearance was arguably the most impressive recovery of all.

The Racing Bulls rookie had crashed heavily in FP2, forcing the team to change his chassis overnight. Repairs continued into FP3 and Lindblad only managed limited running before qualifying.

None of that stopped him reaching Q3.

After surviving Q1 and progressing through a fiercely contested Q2, Lindblad secured tenth on the grid and completed a remarkable turnaround from Friday’s accident.

Both Spaniards eliminated in Q1

The home crowd had little to celebrate during the opening phase of qualifying.

Carlos Sainz was eliminated in 17th for Williams, while Fernando Alonso followed in 18th for Aston Martin. Sergio Perez and Valtteri Bottas were also knocked out, while Ollie Bearman and Lance Stroll completed the bottom six.

Bearman never took part after Haas confirmed that the damage from his FP3 accident could not be repaired in time.

Sainz also attracted the attention of the stewards after appearing to impede Bottas at Turn 7 during the closing stages of Q1.

For Alonso, the early elimination capped a difficult weekend so far after losing running with a clutch problem on Friday and struggling to build consistent momentum around the new circuit.

Q2 eliminates Hulkenberg, Ocon and Tsunoda

The margins tightened further in Q2.

Verstappen topped the session after Red Bull found another step, while Antonelli again looked comfortable near the front. Behind them, however, the battle for the final Q3 places became increasingly tense.

Nico Hulkenberg missed out in 11th, followed by Gabriel Bortoleto, Esteban Ocon and Pierre Gasly. Yuki Tsunoda was 15th, while Alex Albon ended up 16th after his disrupted FP3 preparations.

Colapinto was one of the biggest beneficiaries, jumping into eighth late in the session to book his place in Q3, while Lindblad also progressed after a difficult build-up to qualifying.

Four teams ready to attack Turn 1

The final grid creates a fascinating opening lap.

Norris and Antonelli share the front row, while Verstappen and Hamilton line up directly behind them. Four drivers from four different teams will attack the first corner with very different priorities.

Norris is chasing another victory after taking two wins from the previous three Grands Prix. Antonelli has a championship lead to protect but has shown little inclination to race conservatively. Verstappen remains one of the most dangerous opportunists on the grid, while Hamilton has another chance to turn Ferrari’s Madrid pace into a major result.

Behind them, Russell desperately needs to recover championship ground.

Strategy could make the race even more unpredictable. High temperatures and significant tyre degradation have raised the possibility of a two-stop race, while Safety Cars and red flags remain an ever-present threat around a circuit where several drivers have already found the barriers.

Norris owns the Madring’s first pole

Mercedes had controlled every practice session. Antonelli looked increasingly like the favourite. Verstappen emerged as a threat and Ferrari remained close throughout.

Yet when the decisive lap arrived, Norris found the fraction none of them could.

By 0.011s, the reigning World Champion became the first Formula 1 driver to take pole position at the Madring.

Antonelli has the championship advantage. Norris has the best starting position.

And with four different teams occupying the first two rows, Formula 1’s first race around Madrid’s new street circuit could hardly be better set.

Quali Times 2026 Spanish F1 GP

The quickest sector times during this qualifying session were:

• Sector 1: 28.226 sec by Lando Norris with the McLaren MCL40.
• Sector 2: 32.730 sec by Max Verstappen with the Red Bull RB22.
• Sector 3: 30.521 sec by Kimi Antonelli with the Mercedes W17.

As this was the first ever qualifying session on Madring, there is no reference time of last season.

✅ Check out our 2026 Spanish F1 Grand Prix Preview.

What's Your Podium Prediction for the upcoming F1 Grand Prix?

United States Grand PrixAustin · round 18 of 23

The Predictor F1-Fansite data model

Championship form and recent form. The starting grid joins in after qualifying, then the chances update.

1Kimi AntonelliMercedes · #1237%to win

2Max VerstappenRed Bull · #314%to win

3George RussellMercedes · #639.5%to win

Beat the PredictorHow it works

Predict the podium

You need a free F1-Fansite account to make your podium prediction and climb the season leaderboard.

Log in or sign up

All 22 drivers: win, podium and points chances

#	Driver	Win	Podium	Points	Why
1	Kimi AntonelliMercedes	37%	80%	100%	P1 in the championship · 4 podiums in the last 5
2	Max VerstappenRed Bull	14%	46%	98%	P4 in the championship · 5 podiums in the last 5
3	George RussellMercedes	9.5%	32%	95%	P2 in the championship · 2 podiums in the last 5
4	Charles LeclercFerrari	8.2%	28%	93%	P5 in the championship · 1 podium in the last 5, 1 DNF
5	Lewis HamiltonFerrari	7.7%	29%	93%	P3 in the championship · 1 podium in the last 5, 1 DNF
6	Lando NorrisMcLaren	6.8%	23%	88%	P6 in the championship · 1 podium in the last 5, 1 DNF
7	Oscar PiastriMcLaren	3.6%	14%	74%	P7 in the championship · no podium in the last 5
8	Isack HadjarRed Bull	3.2%	11%	66%	P8 in the championship · 1 podium in the last 5
9	Liam LawsonRacing Bulls	1.6%	6.7%	47%	P9 in the championship · no podium in the last 5
10	Arvid LindbladRacing Bulls	1.2%	4.8%	36%	P11 in the championship · no podium in the last 5
11	Nico HülkenbergAudi	0.9%	3.4%	26%	P14 in the championship · no podium in the last 5
12	Pierre GaslyAlpine	0.8%	2.8%	25%	P10 in the championship · no podium in the last 5, 1 DNF
13	Esteban OconHaas	0.8%	2.5%	21%	P18 in the championship · no podium in the last 5
14	Franco ColapintoAlpine	0.8%	2.9%	22%	P12 in the championship · no podium in the last 5, 2 DNFs
15	Oliver BearmanHaas	0.7%	2.8%	22%	P13 in the championship · no podium in the last 5
16	Carlos SainzWilliams	0.5%	2.1%	16%	P17 in the championship · no podium in the last 5, 1 DNF
17	Gabriel BortoletoAudi	0.5%	2.0%	16%	P15 in the championship · no podium in the last 5, 1 DNF
18	Valtteri BottasCadillac	0.4%	1.4%	12%	P22 in the championship · no podium in the last 5, 1 DNF
19	Fernando AlonsoAston Martin	0.4%	1.7%	14%	P16 in the championship · no podium in the last 5, 2 DNFs
20	Lance StrollAston Martin	0.4%	1.4%	11%	P23 in the championship · no podium in the last 5, 4 DNFs
21	Alex AlbonWilliams	0.4%	1.4%	12%	P19 in the championship · no podium in the last 5, 3 DNFs
22	Sergio PérezCadillac	0.4%	1.3%	13%	P21 in the championship · no podium in the last 5, 1 DNF

Podium = chance of a top-three finish, Points = chance of a top-ten. Rounded; the win column adds up to 100%.

Season standings · 2026

PThe Predictormodel38 pts

1An Sionnach37 pts

2Shroppyfly37 pts

3Nobodysperfect31 pts

4Leopold Pleijsier28 pts

5Jere Jyrälä18 pts

6Casparovic16 pts

7ipeluri12 pts

8yhee10 pts

9Juandiez10 pts

10Kasra8 pts

11bearman's7 pts

12Mo6 pts

13Raceworks Media6 pts

14Rahmi Can6 pts

15Killabee6 pts

16Carlo6 pts

17MKL6 pts

18Sudhjd6 pts

19Tori Green6 pts

20Marcos Torres Barker6 pts

How the Predictor works

No bookmakers, no odds: every number comes from the F1-Fansite results database. Each driver gets a strength score from the factors below; the race is then simulated 10,000 times and we count how often each driver wins, finishes on the podium or scores points. It does not know about weather or reliability, and it says so. Grid penalties count as soon as the official starting grid is in.

60%Championship formPoints this season, relative to the leader.

40%Recent formThe last five finishes; a DNF counts as P20.

0%Starting gridHow often each grid slot has won over the last eight seasons. Joins after qualifying.

Before qualifying the model is honest about the odds: three or four candidates share most of the chance. After qualifying the grid takes over and the call sharpens.

12/17winners called

1.9/3podium drivers per race

2exact podiums

70prediction points

Calibration this season: when it said 7%, it happened 0% of the time; when it said 15%, it happened 7% of the time.

About the author

Leopold

Leopold Pleijsier founded F1-Fansite.com in 2001 and has followed Formula 1 since the early 1980s. He writes about daily F1 news, race weekends, drivers and the sport’s history.

Related topics