2026 F1 Spanish GP Qualifying – Highlights and Reaction

Welcome to Total-Motorsport.com for live coverage of Qualifying at the 2026 F1 Spanish GP, as Formula 1 prepares for the first battle for pole position at the new Madring circuit in Madrid. After three increasingly quick practice sessions, the leading teams remain closely matched heading into a qualifying hour that could have an enormous influence on Sunday’s race.

Kimi Antonelli arrives as the favourite after setting the pace in both FP2 and FP3 for Mercedes. The championship leader produced a 1:32.797 in final practice to finish 0.166 seconds ahead of Charles Leclerc for Ferrari.

Oscar Piastri was third for McLaren, only 0.189 seconds behind Antonelli, with teammate Lando Norris fourth after missing FP2 because of a gearbox change. Max Verstappen completed the top five for Red Bull Racing, leaving five drivers within 0.375 seconds of the benchmark.

Qualifying begins at 16:00 local time and could prove especially important around a circuit where overtaking opportunities are expected to be limited. The combination of close walls, high-speed sections and the spectacular La Monumental banking should leave little margin for error once Q1 gets underway.

2026 F1 Spanish GP Qualifying LIVE: Latest Updates

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Results in Spain: Norris secures shock pole

Lando Norris was not one of the favourites to take pole position at the Madring but as fans of Formula 1 know, this sport loves to throw suprises.

The McLaren driver delivers the goods on his final lap of the day to deny Lewis Hamilton a record-extending 105th pole position with Kimi Antonelli second on the grid.

Here are the results below:

Pos	Driver	Team	Time
1	Lando Norris	McLaren	1:31.824
2	Kimi Antonelli	Mercedes	+0.011
3	Max Verstappen	Red Bull	+0.140
4	Lewis Hamilton	Ferrari	+0.189
5	Charles Leclerc	Ferrari	+0.195
6	George Russell	Mercedes	+0.325
7	Oscar Piastri	McLaren	+0.470
8	Liam Lawson	Red Bull	+0.492
9	Franco Colapinto	Alpine	+1.079
10	Arvid Lindblad	Racing Bulls	+1.217
11	Nico Hulkenberg	Audi	+1.399
12	Gabriel Bortoleto	Audi	+1.564
13	Esteban Ocon	Haas	+1.843
14	Pierre Gasly	Alpine	+1.929
15	Yuki Tsunoda	Racing Bulls	+2.260
16	Alexander Albon	Williams	+3.708
17	Carlos Sainz Jnr	Williams	+3.488
18	Fernando Alonso	Aston Martin	+3.564
19	Sergio Perez	Cadillac	+4.089
20	Valtteri Bottas	Cadillac	+6.187
21	Lance Stroll	Aston Martin	No Time
22	Oliver Bearman	Haas	No Time

BREAKING: Lando Norris takes pole in Madrid!

Lando Norris becomes the first ever Formula 1 polesitter at the Madring as the defending world champion delivers a fantastic lap on his final effort of the day!

Despite missing the entirety of Free Practice 2, he was almost half-a-second up on his McLaren teammate Oscar Piastri! That’s a sensational lap from the British driver.

He now has command for Sunday’s Spanish Grand Prix at a venue where track position might be absolutely key on September 13!

4 minutes to go: Here come the challengers

The cars are coming out of the pit lane now at the Madring as the final laps begin to get underway in what has been an interesting Qualifying session so far.

It’s Lewis Hamilton on for a shock pole position in Spain but he must beat Kimi Antonelli and George Russell’s Mercedes cars if he hopes to do so.

But do not count out Charles Leclerc or Red Bull’s Max Verstappen either.

Can Hamilton take pole or is he to be denied?

6 minutes to go: Hamilton on for first pole since 2023?

Lewis Hamilton has not taken a Formula 1 pole position since the 2023 Hungarian Grand Prix when he pipped Max Verstappen by 0.004s at the Hungaroring.

That was almost 1150 days ago for the seven-time world champion but now he sits on the top of the field at the end of the first runs with that 1:32.079.

The 106-time Grand Prix winner has an extra set of soft tyres to use as he chases his 105th career pole at the Madring for this Spanish Grand Prix.

He came close in Barcelona and in Hungary.

Can he do it this time?

8 minutes to go: Hamilton on provisional pole

Lewis Hamilton punches in a 1:32.079 and that’s good enough to beat everyone else around the Madring as the 41-year-old takes provisional pole!

He is just 0.061s ahead of Kimi Antonelli’s Mercedes as the 20-year-old, his replacement at the Silver Arrows, remains frighteningly close to the benchmark as ever.

George Russell is into third ahead of Charles Leclerc, Max Verstappen, Lando Norris, Oscar Piastri, Liam Lawson, Franco Colapinto and Arvid Lindblad.

GREEN FLAG: Who will take pole position for the Spanish Grand Prix?

The battle for pole position begins now at the Madring but it’s already an uphill battle for McLaren as Lando Norris has just the one set of soft tyres.

Ferrari have managed to get through to Q3 with three sets, but it’s not likely they will have the time to use all of them over the following 12 minutes.

Everyone else has two.

CHEQUERED FLAG: Colapinto makes the Q3 cut!

Franco Colapinto makes it through to Q3 at the expense of his teammate Pierre Gasly as the Argentinian driver ends the second portion in eighth!

Gasly feels as though something on his car has shifted away from him at the end of Q3 but the afternoon comes to an end for him as it does for Alex Albon, Yuki Tsunoda, Esteban Ocon, Gabriel Bortoleto and Nico Hulkenberg.

Here are the Q2 results:

Pos	Driver	Team	Gap
1	Max Verstappen	Red Bull	1:32.431
2	Kimi Antonelli	Mercedes	+0.160
3	Lewis Hamilton	Ferrari	+0.279
4	Charles Leclerc	Ferrari	+0.324
5	Liam Lawson	Red Bull	+0.349
6	George Russell	Mercedes	+0.419
7	Lando Norris	McLaren	+0.442
8	Franco Colapinto	Alpine	+0.607
9	Oscar Piastri	McLaren	+0.773
10	Arvid Lindblad	Racing Bulls	+0.773
11	Nico Hulkenberg	Audi	+0.792
12	Gabriel Bortoleto	Audi	+0.957
13	Esteban Ocon	Haas	+1.236
14	Pierre Gasly	Alpine	+1.322
15	Yuki Tsunoda	Racing Bulls	+1.653
16	Alexander Albon	Williams	+3.101

2 minutes to go: Who is at risk?

Ferrari haul themselves out of trouble by running opposite to the rest of the field as Lewis Hamilton goes into third with Charles Leclerc in fourth.

But there are some names who have to find some extra time as Alpine’s Pierre Gasly and Franco Colapinto have no time on the board at the moment.

They’re joined by Alex Albon, Esteban Ocon, Yuki Tsunoda and Gabriel Bortoleto.

Can they find the time they need?

7 minutes to go: Second runs due up shortly

The next round of runs will start filtering through shortly as drivers come back into the pit lane to begin to cool their cars, change their tyres, adjust fuel levels and study data.

Sky Sports F1’s Bernie Collins thinks anyone from Lando Norris up is safe and does not have to go for another run at the Madring. McLaren will breathe a sigh of relief.

But that means Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton and Oscar Piastri have work to do.

10 minutes to go: Verstappen tops the times!

Max Verstappen delivers a good lap to beat the Mercedes of Kimi Antonelli by just 0.046 with a 1:32.557 as Red Bull continue to come good with Liam Lawson slotting into fourth.

But the pace of the Ferrari cars seems to have vanished on the soft tyres at the Madring! Charles Leclerc is over half-a-second off-the-pace of the duo.

Franco Colapinto had to catch a huge snap in La Monumental and the Argentinian showed excellent car control to avoid a massive accident at Turn 12.

Top 10 after the first runs: Verstappen, Antonelli, Russell, Lawson, Norris, Leclerc, Hamilton, Piastri, Hulkenberg and Lindblad.

GREEN FLAG: Q2 begins

The second part of Qualifying for the Spanish Grand Prix begins without Madrid’s Carlos Sainz, and things may get even worse for the Williams driver.

The 32-year-old blocked Valtteri Bottas’ Cadillac and the Finn didn’t get a lap in at the end, finishing two seconds behind his teammate Sergio Perez.

That could be a grid drop.

CHEQUERED FLAG: Home heroes out in Q1

The home heroes in Spain are both out of qualifying as Carlos Sainz can’t hustle his Williams into Q2 and Fernando Alonso faced a tall order for Aston Martin anyway.

That’s disappointing for this crowd at the Spanish Grand Prix but it was far from unexpected, with both teams being off-the-pace throughout the year.

Joining them are Ollie Bearman, Lance Stroll, Valtteri Bottas and Sergio Perez and then comes Alonso and Sainz, who is 17th on the grid.

Pos	Driver	Team	Time
1	George Russell	Mercedes	1:33.211
2	Kimi Antonelli	Mercedes	+0.056
3	Liam Lawson	Red Bull	+0.099
4	Max Verstappen	Red Bull	+0.170
5	Lando Norris	McLaren	+0.258
6	Lewis Hamilton	Ferrari	+0.320
7	Charles Leclerc	Ferrari	+0.321
8	Oscar Piastri	McLaren	+0.618
9	Franco Colapinto	Alpine	+0.752
10	Gabriel Bortoleto	Audi	+0.775
11	Pierre Gasly	Alpine	+1.035
12	Yuki Tsunoda	Racing Bulls	+1.100
13	Arvid Lindblad	Racing Bulls	+1.129
14	Nico Hulkenberg	Audi	+1.206
15	Esteban Ocon	Haas	+1.456
16	Alexander Albon	Williams	+2.096
17	Carlos Sainz Jnr	Williams	+2.101
18	Fernando Alonso	Aston Martin	+2.177
19	Sergio Perez	Cadillac	+2.702
20	Valtteri Bottas	Cadillac	+4.800
21	Oliver Bearman	Haas	No Time
22	Lance Stroll	Aston Martin	No Time

2 minutes to go: Who is at risk?

Ollie Bearman and Lance Stroll do not currently have laps on the board with the Haas driver likely out of the session whilst Stroll’s Aston Martin has been nursing an issue.

The Canadian will get one lap but given the relative pace of his equipment and limited running, it’s very unlikely he will be making it through to Q2.

Those in danger are: Bearman, Stroll, Valtteri Bottas, Sergio Perez, Alex Albon and Fernando Alonso.

4 minutes to go: Russell hits the wall!

George Russell does get the lap he needs on the board as the Mercedes driver improves to sixth overall, and that should see him through into Q2.

However, the mechanics have some work to do as the Brit says he hit the wall and needs the car to be checked!

Is everything okay on his W17?

8 minutes to go: Mistake by Antonelli

Kimi Antonelli’s first lap should be good enough to see him safely through to Q1 but Mercedes do not want to take the risk and have the Italian out there on a second lap.

However it goes wrong as he locks up at Turn 7 and runs wide! He will now lose that lap!

He won’t want to do that in Q3.

10 minutes to go: Lawson fastest

Liam Lawson goes to the top of the times for Red Bull with a very strong lap on the soft tyres as he delivers a 1:33.316 to clear the Mercedes of Kimi Antonelli by 0.250.

Red Bull haven’t looked overly competitive this weekend, are they finally turning up the heat at the Spanish Grand Prix when it starts to matter the most?

What can Max Verstappen do on his next lap? He’s currently third.

14 minutes to go: Bad lap by George Russell

Fortunately there is still a lot of time left on the clock for the Mercedes of George Russell, who completes his lap some eight tenths down on his teammate.

Kimi Antonelli sets the opening benchmark of the day with a 1:33.566 and the margin between them means Russell will need to improve if he wants to make to Q2.

Things aren’t too tense at the moment though.

GREEN FLAG: Qualifying begins for the Spanish Grand Prix

The pit lane opens and Qualifying officially begins at the Madring for the Spanish Grand Prix, with both Ferrari cars running the medium tyres. That can help them in Q2 or Q3 – but they must first get there to begin with!

Mercedes have opted to play it safe and will send George Russell and Kimi Antonelli out on the red-walled soft tyres, which are grippier and have more lap time.

Which strategy will prove correct?

How does Qualifying for the Spanish GP work?

Qualifying is the session that determines the starting order for the Spanish Grand Prix, with drivers competing against the clock to set the fastest lap possible. The session is split into three parts: Q1, Q2 and Q3, with the slowest drivers eliminated after each stage.

All drivers take part in Q1, with the six slowest eliminated. The remaining 16 progress to Q2, where another six will be knocked out at the Madring.

The final 10 drivers compete in Q3 for pole position, with the fastest driver starting the race from first place unless penalties or other FIA decisions alter the grid.

• Q1: All 22 drivers compete; the six slowest are eliminated.
• Q2: 16 drivers compete; the six slowest are eliminated.
• Q3: The remaining 10 drivers fight for pole position.
• Pole position: Goes to the fastest driver in Q3.
• Starting grid: Qualifying sets the order, but grid penalties can change the final starting positions.

Hamilton looks good to go for Qualifying

Fans were stunned to see Lewis Hamilton lock-up into the final corner and crash, before a rather bizarre situation occurred as he ttried to get the car to the pits.

He eventually stopped after multiple pleas from his race engineer and never made it back to the pits, on a disappointing start to Saturday for the 41-year-old.

Fortunately, his crash was a fairly slow frontal impact so his car looks good to go for Qualifying.

Oliver Bearman in a race against time

Ollie Bearman is racing the clock in Qualifying – but not in the manner he would have hoped after hitting the wall in the closing stages of Free Practice 3.

The Haas driver lost control on entry and leaves himself with a massive repair job after destroying his front and rear left suspensions at Turn 10.

His mechanics now face a massive job to get the car ready, and there is a good chance they won’t be able to do it.

Will he compete in Qualifying?

Welcome to the Blog!

Qualifying for the Spanish Grand Prix is almost upon us and we have a potential treat in store for Formula 1 fans around the world with Mercedes and Ferrari set to go head-to-head.

Kimi Antonelli led Charles Leclerc in Free Practice 2 earlier on Saturday but McLaren emerged as a surprising factor through Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris.

Elsewhere, what can Lewis Hamilton do after his crash in FP3, and can Max Verstappen turn his weekend around for Red Bull?

Find out here with Total-Motorsport.com!

Antonelli takes control after three changing practice sessions

The competitive picture has shifted throughout Formula 1’s first weekend at Madring, but Antonelli has increasingly emerged as the driver to beat. George Russell initially set the pace in FP1 with a 1:34.077, leading Antonelli by 0.286 seconds as Mercedes completed a one-two.

Antonelli responded in FP2 by lowering the benchmark to 1:33.662 and finishing 0.113 seconds ahead of Leclerc. Lewis Hamilton was only 0.149 seconds away in third, while Arvid Lindblad placed fourth and Russell slipped to fifth.

Saturday then brought another step forward from the championship leader as Antonelli became the first driver into the 1:32s. His 1:32.797 gave him the fastest time of the weekend and strengthened his position heading into the first qualifying session ever held at Madring.

The Italian already holds a 66-point championship advantage over Russell after winning seven races this season, including his extraordinary recovery from 19th to victory at Monza. A first pole position in Madrid would put him in an ideal position to extend that advantage further on Sunday.

Leclerc keeps Ferrari firmly in the pole fight

Leclerc has quietly put together one of the most consistent practice programmes of the weekend and enters Qualifying as a serious threat to Antonelli. The Ferrari driver finished third in FP1, second in FP2 and second again in FP3 as his confidence around the unfamiliar circuit increased.

His final-practice deficit of only 0.166 seconds suggests the SF-26 has enough one-lap performance to challenge Mercedes. The bigger question is whether Leclerc can produce a clean lap when the circuit is at its fastest and traffic becomes more difficult to manage.

Leclerc had already highlighted before the weekend that qualifying could matter more than usual because Madring appears to offer relatively few overtaking opportunities. That assessment looks even more significant after drivers experienced the narrow walls and limited passing zones during Friday and Saturday practice.

A place on the front row would therefore carry considerable value for Ferrari. Starting further back could make strategy and track position much more complicated in Sunday’s 57-lap race.

Hamilton faces qualifying race against time after FP3 crash

Hamilton’s preparations suffered a major setback when he crashed during FP3 at the final corner. The Ferrari driver locked up, hit the barriers and initially attempted to return to the pits before stopping the damaged car, triggering a red flag while repairs were made to the circuit.

The seven-time world champion still finished ninth despite losing track time, but the greater concern is whether Ferrari can completely repair the car before Qualifying. Any delay would be particularly damaging at a circuit where building confidence and rhythm is essential.

Hamilton had looked much more competitive on Friday, finishing fourth in FP1 before improving to third in FP2 and ending only 0.149 seconds behind Antonelli. That pace suggests he should be involved in the fight near the front if the car is returned to full working order.

His crash nevertheless introduces another layer of uncertainty for Ferrari just hours before Qualifying. Engineers must not only repair the damage but ensure the car behaves exactly as Hamilton expects when he returns to the circuit.

McLaren recover after Norris misses FP2

McLaren enter Qualifying in a much stronger position than they appeared to occupy on Friday evening. Norris missed the entire second practice session because of a gearbox change, leaving him with significantly less Madring running than most of his rivals.

The reigning world champion responded impressively in FP3 by finishing fourth, only 0.236 seconds away from Antonelli. That put him immediately behind teammate Piastri, who was third and just 0.189 seconds from the fastest time.

Having both McLaren cars inside the top four suggests the team could become a major factor in Q3. The MCL40 has become increasingly competitive during the second half of the season, and Madring’s combination of medium and high-speed corners appears to offer another opportunity.

Norris’ lack of Friday afternoon running remains a disadvantage, particularly when it comes to understanding track evolution and tyre preparation. However, his immediate pace in FP3 showed that he has adapted quickly enough to remain in contention for pole.

Verstappen remains within striking distance

Verstappen has yet to top a session in Madrid, but the Red Bull Racing driver remains close enough to challenge if he finds another step in Qualifying. Fifth place in FP3 left him 0.375 seconds behind Antonelli, a manageable deficit given the amount of track evolution expected during Q1, Q2 and Q3.

The four-time world champion has described the Madring as a demanding circuit where mistakes can be heavily punished by the walls. That places extra emphasis on building speed progressively rather than attempting to extract everything from the car immediately.

Red Bull Racing will also need to judge tyre preparation carefully because one poorly timed out-lap could leave Verstappen vulnerable to traffic. Madring’s enclosed sections offer fewer obvious places for drivers to move aside than many permanent circuits.

The Dutchman remains one of the grid’s strongest qualifiers and should not be discounted if the final Q3 runs come down to execution. A clean lap could still move him considerably higher than his practice positions suggest.

Russell searches for pace after leading FP1

Russell began the weekend as Madring’s first Formula 1 benchmark setter, but his position has gradually slipped as rivals have improved. After leading FP1, he finished fifth in FP2 and sixth in final practice, where he ended 0.702 seconds behind teammate Antonelli.

That margin is larger than Mercedes will have wanted heading into Qualifying. Russell now needs to determine whether the deficit reflects setup choices, traffic or a genuine difference in pace between the two W17s.

The championship situation adds further importance to his afternoon. Russell trails Antonelli by 66 points and has openly acknowledged that he needs both stronger performances and some good fortune if he is to bring himself back into serious title contention.

Qualifying ahead of his teammate would be an important first step. Starting several rows behind Antonelli, by contrast, could allow the championship leader to strengthen his advantage again on Sunday.

Bearman crash adds another red flag warning

Oliver Bearman provided another reminder of how unforgiving Madring can be when he crashed his Haas at Turn 11 in the final minute of FP3. The incident brought out a second red flag and prevented several drivers from completing their final qualifying simulations.

That could be particularly relevant once Qualifying begins because the field is likely to wait until late in each segment to exploit maximum track evolution. A crash or yellow flag in the closing moments could leave drivers eliminated without completing their decisive lap.

Madring’s walls sit close to the racing line in several places and the speeds have risen considerably since Friday morning. Drivers are now pushing harder on a track that still offers little margin when something goes wrong.

The safest strategy may therefore be to bank an early representative time before chasing improvements later. Teams that leave everything until the final run will be gambling on an uninterrupted circuit.

Track evolution could transform the qualifying order

Track evolution has been one of the defining features of Madring’s first Formula 1 weekend. Russell’s FP1 benchmark of 1:34.077 was already more than a second slower than Antonelli’s 1:32.797 in FP3, demonstrating how rapidly both drivers and circuit conditions have improved.

More grip should continue to appear through Qualifying as the Soft tyres lay additional rubber onto the racing line. That places extra value on running late in each session but simultaneously increases exposure to red and yellow flags.

Teams must therefore decide how aggressively to manage their run plans. Sending a driver out early offers insurance, while waiting provides potentially quicker conditions.

The new asphalt has also left engineers with less historical information than normal when estimating how much faster the circuit will become. Q1 could consequently produce much larger improvements than teams are accustomed to seeing at established venues.

Traffic management could decide Q1

Traffic caused frustration almost immediately when Formula 1 first took to Madring on Friday. Drivers complained about being impeded around several parts of the circuit, and those problems are likely to become considerably more severe with all 22 cars chasing qualifying laps simultaneously.

Creating a gap will be difficult because slowing dramatically can simply move the problem further around the lap. Drivers also need to maintain enough tyre temperature before beginning their timed attempts.

La Monumental may prove particularly awkward because of the high speed carried through the long banked corner. Catching a slow-moving car at the wrong moment could destroy an entire lap before the driver reaches the final sector.

Q1 therefore has genuine potential to produce a surprise elimination. Even a front-running car could find itself vulnerable if its final run is compromised by traffic or a yellow flag.

La Monumental becomes qualifying’s defining challenge

Turn 12 has already emerged as Madring’s signature corner and should become even more spectacular as drivers move towards maximum qualifying commitment. La Monumental stretches for around half a kilometre, features banking of up to 24 percent and places sustained loads through both car and tyres.

Drivers have gradually explored different lines through the corner during practice as grip has improved. Qualifying should reveal which approach ultimately delivers the best lap time.

The corner also feeds into a crest that briefly changes a driver’s visual reference before the lap continues towards the final sector. Small mistakes through that sequence can therefore compromise considerably more than a single corner.

Commitment will be rewarded, but the consequences of getting it wrong have already been demonstrated elsewhere around Madring. Finding the limit without crossing it will be one of the defining tests of Q3.

Qualifying could prove decisive for Sunday’s race

Drivers have repeatedly highlighted the importance of grid position because overtaking opportunities around Madring appear limited. Leclerc suggested before the weekend that teams may place greater emphasis on qualifying pace than race pace because of how difficult passing could become.

That increases the significance of every qualifying segment. A driver who unexpectedly drops out in Q2 could face an extremely difficult recovery race on Sunday.

Pole position should carry even greater value. Controlling the opening lap would allow the leader to dictate pace and strategy without immediately having to fight through traffic.

The first Spanish GP at Madring may therefore be heavily shaped before Sunday’s lights even go out. Saturday afternoon could prove to be the most important hour of the entire weekend.

What to watch in Spanish GP Qualifying

• Antonelli’s attempt to convert FP2 and FP3 pace into the first Madring pole position
• Leclerc’s challenge after finishing second in both Friday afternoon and final practice
• Hamilton’s recovery after his FP3 crash
• Piastri’s pole chances after taking third in final practice
• Norris’ pace after missing FP2 because of a gearbox change
• Verstappen’s attempt to bring Red Bull Racing into the front-row battle
• Russell’s response after dropping from first in FP1 to sixth in FP3
• Mercedes’ intra-team battle with the championship at stake
• Bearman’s car repairs after his Turn 11 crash
• Traffic management during a potentially chaotic Q1
• Track evolution on Madring’s new asphalt
• Soft tyre preparation before flying laps
• La Monumental at full qualifying commitment
• Red and yellow flag risks around the close-walled circuit
• Lap-time improvements as drivers continue learning the venue
• The midfield battle for the final places in Q3
• Grid position at a circuit where overtaking is expected to be difficult

With Antonelli fastest in both FP2 and FP3, Leclerc consistently close behind and McLaren putting both cars inside the top four in final practice, the first Madring pole battle looks considerably more open than Friday morning suggested. Verstappen, Russell and Hamilton remain capable of joining that fight, although Hamilton’s FP3 crash has left Ferrari facing a race against time before the session begins.

Qualifying starts at 16:00 local time, with Q1, Q2 and Q3 set to establish the first Formula 1 Grand Prix grid in Madring history. Stay with Total-Motorsport.com for live lap times, eliminations, pole position updates, driver reactions and all the key moments from Qualifying at the 2026 F1 Spanish GP.