Norris Grabs Madring Pole by 0.011s Over Antonelli

Key Takeaways

How Norris edged out Antonelli

Lando Norris took pole position for the Spanish Grand Prix by 0.011 seconds over Kimi Antonelli, the smallest possible margin separating the top two on the timesheet at the end of Q3. Norris set a best lap of 1m31.824s in his McLaren, with Antonelli’s Mercedes coming up just short despite topping final practice earlier in the weekend. It is Norris’s third pole of the 2026 season and comes at a circuit where no Formula 1 car had ever set a competitive lap before this weekend. The gap between first and second was smaller than a blink, underlining how tight the fight at the front has become as the Madring hosted its first F1 qualifying session.

The rest of the front-runners

Max Verstappen took third on the grid, 0.140s off Norris’s pole time, giving Red Bull a strong starting position for Sunday. Lewis Hamilton qualified fourth for Ferrari at 0.189s back, with teammate Charles Leclerc fifth at 0.195s, meaning the two Ferrari drivers will line up on consecutive rows, Hamilton on row two and Leclerc on row three. George Russell rounded out the top six for Mercedes at 0.325s off pole, while Oscar Piastri could only manage seventh in the sister McLaren, 0.470s down on Norris. Liam Lawson took eighth for Red Bull, standing in for the injured Isack Hadjar, with Franco Colapinto ninth and Racing Bulls’ Arvid Lindblad completing the top ten, both over a second off the pace.

A difficult weekend for Ollie Bearman

Ollie Bearman failed to set a time in qualifying after crashing during Friday practice at the Madring. Lewis Hamilton also crashed during Friday practice at the Madring. Lance Stroll also failed to post a time in qualifying. The incidents added to a demanding build-up to qualifying at a circuit every driver on the grid was learning for the first time.

Midfield and Q1 casualties

Nico Hulkenberg led the Q2 eliminated group, missing out on Q3 by just 0.019s in his Audi. Gabriel Bortoleto was next up in the sister Audi, followed by Esteban Ocon, Pierre Gasly, Yuki Tsunoda and Alex Albon, who was over two seconds off pole in sixteenth. In Q1, Carlos Sainz missed out on progressing by 0.005s, one of the tightest eliminations of the session, with Fernando Alonso, Sergio Perez and Valtteri Bottas also failing to make it through to Q2.

What it means for Sunday’s race

The Madring is hosting its first Formula 1 race weekend, so neither the teams nor the drivers arrive with historical race data to lean on. That puts unusual weight on Saturday’s grid order. Norris starts from pole with Antonelli alongside him on the front row, but Verstappen’s third place and the closely matched Ferrari pair in fourth and fifth mean the run to the first corner is likely to be contested hard. With Piastri down in seventh, McLaren’s constructors’ hopes for the weekend may rest heavily on Norris converting pole into a strong result.

FAQ

Q: Who took pole position for the Spanish Grand Prix at the Madring?
Lando Norris took pole position with a lap of 1m31.824s, beating Kimi Antonelli by 0.011 seconds in qualifying for F1’s first race at the Madring.

Q: How close was the gap between Norris and Antonelli in qualifying?
The gap was 0.011 seconds, one of the tightest margins between pole and second on the grid in the 2026 season.

Q: Where did Max Verstappen qualify for the Spanish Grand Prix?
Max Verstappen qualified third, 0.140 seconds off pole position, ahead of both Ferrari drivers.

Q: Why did Ollie Bearman not set a qualifying time?
Ollie Bearman crashed during Friday practice at the Madring and was unable to set a lap in qualifying.

Q: Is the Madring a new circuit for Formula 1?
Yes, the Spanish Grand Prix weekend marked the first time Formula 1 has held a qualifying session at the Madring in Madrid.

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