Update

Lando Norris has secured pole position for the Spanish Grand Prix. Let’s take a look at how the qualifying hour unfolded.

Spanish Grand Prix at Madring

Formula 1 returns to Madrid this weekend, featuring the Spanish Grand Prix at the newly constructed Madring.

This street circuit winds around the IFEMA Exhibition Centre in Madrid, and it’s been labeled as a “brutal and unforgiving” challenge for drivers. One standout feature is La Monumental, a 550-meter long corner with a 24-degree banking, which surrounds a section of the track that could accommodate around 45,000 spectators.

Drivers got their first impression of the Madring on Friday, but it’s today when the lap times truly matter.

Mercedes kicked off with a strong performance in the opening two hours of practice, as George Russell led the timing sheets in FP1, while teammate Kimi Antonelli topped FP2. The Ferrari duo, Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc, also showed strong results, with Leclerc placing third and Hamilton fourth in FP1, then moving up to second and third positions respectively in FP2, causing Russell to drop to fourth.

Will those four contend for pole, or might someone else sneak in? One driver to keep an eye on is rookie Arvid Lindblad, who managed to break into the top five during FP1 before an accident curtailed his session, leaving him in seventh. Max Verstappen finished fifth in FP1, and Lando Norris was sixth.

However, Norris had a rougher time in FP2 due to a gearbox issue with his MCL40, which could put him at a disadvantage as he tries to catch up on Saturday.

The qualifying session started at 10:00 a.m. Eastern time, and you could follow along live here as updates rolled in.

Provisional Starting Grid for the Spanish Grand Prix

The provisional starting grid for the Spanish Grand Prix is as follows:

Let’s check out how the qualifying hour progressed—updates are reported in Eastern time.

11:02: LANDO NORRIS HAS CLAIMED THE FIRST POLE AT THE MADRING.

10:57: The cars are rushing out for their final push laps.

10:55: The last time Hamilton took pole for a Grand Prix was at the 2023 Hungarian Grand Prix.

10:53: Verstappen is currently P5; Hamilton has taken provisional pole after the initial laps in Q3.

10:52: Hamilton climbs to P1, though Verstappen is on a fast lap behind him.

10:51: Norris has received a black-and-white flag for not adhering to the race director’s instructions.

10:48: Q3 is in progress in Madrid.

10:47: Norris has been penalized for speeding in the pit lane, resulting in a fine for McLaren.

10:42: The ten drivers advancing to Q3 are Verstappen, Antonelli, Hamilton, Leclerc, Lawson, Russell, Norris, Colapinto, Piastri, and Lindblad, in that sequence.

10:41: Hülkenberg, Bortoleto, Ocon, Gasly, Tsunoda, and Albon failed to advance from Q2.

10:39: Just under a minute remains in Q2. Who will move on?

10:32: With less than eight minutes left, Bortoleto, Tsunoda, Ocon, Albon, Colapinto, and Gasly are in the drop zone. The Alpines have yet to hit the track during Q2.

10:30: Early times are being set, with Verstappen leading with a 1:32.557. He’s on C4 softs, while Antonelli, Russell, Lawson, and Norris follow closely behind.

10:25: Q2 is about to kick off, and Albon is stuck at the back of the pack, suggesting he might have had a different issue earlier.

10:24: Bearman expressed disappointment during a post-session interview. “Had a gust of wind… it’s unfortunate, I should’ve avoided that mistake. We’re determined to give it our all tomorrow,” he stated.

10:23: Some replays after Q1 have raised concerns for Williams. Albon may have exceeded track limits, and Sainz may have interfered with Bottas during the session. It’s uncertain if the race stewards will take any action.

10:20: The sixteen drivers progressing to Q2 include Russell, Antonelli, Lawson, Verstappen, Norris, Hamilton, Leclerc, Piastri, Colapinto, Bortoleto, Gasly, Tsunoda, Lindblad, Hülkenberg, Ocon, and Albon. Russell made his time right at the end, and his W17 appears to be undamaged.

10:19: Sainz, Alonso, Pérez, Bottas, Bearman, and Stroll have been eliminated in Q1.

10:18: Only a minute is left in Q1—Stroll might not set a time.

10:15: Replays show Russell grazing the wall, prompting him to pit for checks. Albon had previously tapped the wall and suffered suspension damage.

10:14: It’s interesting to see Verstappen, Hamilton, and Leclerc continue to clock laps on the C3 medium tires. Verstappen sits at P3, Hamilton at P4, and Leclerc at P5.

10:11: Seven minutes are remaining in Q1, and those in the drop zone currently include Alonso, Albon, Pérez, Bottas, Stroll, and Bearman. Bearman is already out, as Haas couldn’t prepare his VF-26 in time after an incident in FP3. Stroll has yet to put up a time.

10:10: Antonelli was setting a strong lap but went wide at Turn 17, forcing him to abandon that attempt.

10:08: Norris’s first run sees him momentarily sit in third, but Lawson quickly takes the lead with a 1:33.316, pushing Norris to fourth.

10:06: Audi’s Bortoleto moves up to third on soft tires. Could we see another surprise performance like Gasly’s last week?

10:05: Leclerc takes third, with Hamilton fourth, both on medium tires.

10:04: Some heavy hitters have hit the track, including Verstappen and Antonelli. Verstappen sets a purple time in the second sector, but Antonelli grabs the top spot with a 1:33.566, with Verstappen trailing by 0.178 seconds.

But that was done on mediums.

10:00: The green light shines in Madrid, marking the start with 18 minutes on the clock. Cadillacs lead the charge onto the circuit, with Bottas and Pérez heading out first.

9:59: F1TV reports that Haas is “far from” getting Bearman ready for the session.

9:53: James Hinchcliffe makes a Dodgeball reference during the pre-qualifying show, noting drivers have to “duck, dive, and dodge” to navigate their way through traffic.

9:50: Chris Medland from Haas indicated that, according to their mechanic, it might take a “minor miracle” to get Bearman ready for Q1.

9:49: Hinchcliffe points to VCARB and particularly Lindblad, as a potential dark horse that could reach Q3.

FP3 mirrored FP2, with Antonelli again leading the timing sheets. He set a lap time of 1:32.797, while Leclerc was close behind, clocking in 0.166 seconds slower.

Piastri, Norris, and Verstappen then completed the top five. Norris made the most of FP3, recovering after missing most of FP2 due to gearbox issues.

There were two separate crashes—one from Hamilton and another from Bearman—that caused red flags during the session.

Hamilton appeared set to top the table during a push lap before colliding straight into the barrier at the final corner, leading to the red flag.

In the closing moments, Bearman also crashed at Turn 10, prompting the team at Haas to work diligently to prepare his VF-26 for qualifying.