What the teams said – Qualifying in Spain

Lando Norris secured pole position for the inaugural Spanish Grand Prix in Madring, delivering a near-perfect final lap to beat Mercedes' Kimi Antonelli by just 0.011 seconds. The McLaren driver expressed pride in his performance, acknowledging the tight margins and the importance of starting at the front on a track where overtaking is expected to be extremely difficult. Red Bull's Max Verstappen completed the top three, narrowly outpacing the Ferrari duo of Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc, both of whom were in contention for pole but ultimately settled for fourth and fifth respectively. The session was marked by high intensity and challenging track conditions, with teams struggling to get tyres into the optimal operating window. Mercedes' George Russell and McLaren's Oscar Piastri faced difficult sessions, ending up in sixth and seventh, respectively. Despite the close competition, the grid remains tight, setting the stage for an unpredictable race where tyre degradation and strategy will be paramount. Further down the order, Alpine's Franco Colapinto impressed by reaching Q3 in ninth, while Haas and Williams faced setbacks, including incidents and grid penalties, complicating their prospects for Sunday's race.