Oscar Piastri takes Pole Position during Qualifying at the Spanish GP in a battle with his team-mate Lando Norris. Championship contender Max Verstappen with start third behind the McLarens.
We entered qualifying after both McLaren driver topped all three practice session, with Oscar Piastri going fastest in FP3 earlier in the day. With the great weather and track conditions, drivers had to extract everything they could to advance in qualifying. This was the first qualifying with the new technical directive. Teams now have to stiffen up the front wings to avoid flexing; flexing could provide and advantage to a driver and teams.
Q1
The first drivers on track at the for qualifying at the Spanish GP were Lance Stroll, Alex Albon, Franco Colapinto, Esteban Ocon, and Oliver Bearman. Colapinto was the first driver out, setting a 1:13.897. Albon went second fastest set a 1:13.745 The Williams driver did not have a lot of practice time after missing FP1 and having a break issue in FP3.
As most drivers had to the track, Lawson topped the charts in his Racing Bulls, with Nico Hülkenberg sliding right under him. Soon after, Lando Norris went fastest in is speedy McLaren. Oscar Piastri responded to his teammate going fastest with a 1:12.551.
The Ferraris cross the line with Charles Leclerc in P4 and Lewis Hamilton in P7. Verstappen makes a McLaren sandwich as he goes second fastest, sliding above Norris.
After all the drivers had some time in the pits, Colapinto had a problem on pit lane holding up drivers, preventing them from taking to the track. The McLarens were able to get ahead of Colapinto but they decided they were happy with the times they set earlier
The Saubers set a top ten lap time with Bortoleto in P7 and Hülkenberg P9. Sainz slid into P13 as most drivers do their fast lap. Lawson went P7 as Esteban Ocon knocked out Sainz at home. Yuki Tsunoda was not able to find the pace, and ended in the elimination zone in P20.
Hülkenberg, Ocon, Sainz, Colapinto, and Tsunoda knocked out in Q1.
The P18 place stung Sainz as he has always finished in the points whenever he is at home at the Spanish GP
Q2
We continue qualifying at the Spanish GP as Albon, Bearman, and Alonso were the first one out in Q2. Albon was the fellow Q2 early bird, Bearman with the Williams diver half a second faster.
Reigning World Champion, max Verstappen, went to the top of the chart with a 1:12.358. As Norris was on his push lap, Gasly and Hadjar were in P2 and P3 respectively. Norris was the fastest thus far, three tenths faster than Verstappen. Piastri answers back as he went fastest, half a tenth of a second faster. The Ferrari drivers slid into P5 and P6, with Hamilton faster than Leclerc.
As drivers headed out of the pits with a few minutes left in the session, Stroll was not able to make it out of the elimination zone, going from P13 to P12. Antonelli was eighth fastest as Albon placed P10, shy of the elimination zone. Hadjar eliminates Albon as his teammate, Lawson, slid into the elimination zone in P13.
Albon, Bortoleto, Lawson, Stroll, and Bearman eliminated in Q2 at the Spanish GP.
Q3
Piastri was the first to try to get pole positions as everyone else trickled onto the track. The Australian set a 1:11.836 as Norris goes purple in the first sector. No one was able to touch Piastri’s time until Norris took provisional pole, going a hundredth faster than his teammate.
Leclerc was able to place his Ferrari to P4, with Verstappen making a Ferrari sandwich with the Dutchman in P3 and Hamilton in P6.
With everyone in the pits, Alonso had a free track to set personal bests to slide into P5 at his home track. The crowd was excited to see their fellow countryman cross the start/finish line.
Leclerc ended qualifying early, staying in the pits less than two minutes left of Q3, however, Hamilton went back out to improve is P7 slot.
The McLaren battle for pole began as Piastri takes Norris’s purple sectors away. Norris was unable to improve in the middle sector, as Piastri took away Norris’s provisional pole. Hamilton put his lap into good use going third fastest and Russell than Verstappen taking it away.
Qualifying Result
- Oscar Piastri
- Lando Norris
- Max Verstappen
- George Russell
- Lewis Hamilton
- Kimi Antonelli
- Charles Leclerc
- Pierre Gasly
- Isack Hadjar
- Fernando Alonso
- Alex Albon
- Gabriel Borteleto
- Liam Lawson
- Lance Stroll
- Oliver Bearman
- Nico Hülkenberg
- Esteban Ocon
- Carlos Sainz
- Franco Colapinto
- Yuki Tsunoda
