Lando Norris takes Spanish GP pole at Madring with last-gasp 1m 31.8s lap
Synopsis
Lando Norris snatched pole for the inaugural Spanish GP at Madring's street circuit with a last-gasp 1m 31.824s, his 19th career pole. Verstappen and Antonelli trail on a brand-new venue where nobody has raced before — and home heroes Sainz and Alonso crashed out in Q1, dampening Spanish hopes before lights even go out.
Key Takeaways
Lando Norris took pole for the Spanish GP at Madring with a time of 1m 31.824s — his 19th career pole and third of 2025 .
Kimi Antonelli (Mercedes) qualified P2 , with reigning champion Max Verstappen (Red Bull) in P3 .
Spanish drivers Carlos Sainz and Fernando Alonso were both eliminated in Q1 ; Sainz faces a potential impeding investigation.
Oscar Piastri finished only P7 , extending his qualifying deficit to teammate Norris.
Ollie Bearman and Lance Stroll did not set qualifying laps due to car issues.
McLaren driver Lando Norris stormed to pole position for the inaugural Spanish Grand Prix at the Madring street circuit on Friday, 12 September, delivering a stunning final-lap effort in Q3 to clock 1m 31.824s and secure his 19th career pole. Mercedes' Kimi Antonelli and Red Bull's reigning world champion Max Verstappen were edged into second and third respectively, as Norris claimed his third pole of the 2025 season at the brand-new Madrid venue.
How qualifying unfolded
The session built to a gripping climax. After the initial Q3 runs, Lewis Hamilton held provisional pole before slipping to P4 on the final attempts. Charles Leclerc improved to slot in ahead of Hamilton, while George Russell completed a strong showing for Mercedes by finishing P5. Norris's decisive banker lap displaced all rivals in the closing seconds, underlining his growing mastery of street circuits this season.
McLaren's mixed afternoon
Oscar Piastri endured another frustrating qualifying gap to his teammate, finishing only P7. The Australian's deficit to Norris has become a recurring theme this campaign, raising questions about setup divergence within the McLaren garage. Liam Lawson, Franco Colapinto, and Arvid Lindblad — who had impressively recovered from a crash in FP2 — completed the top ten.
Audi's Q3 miss and midfield battles
Despite showing competitive pace throughout the weekend, Audi failed to advance beyond Q2. Nico Hulkenberg settled for P11, narrowly ahead of teammate Gabriel Bortoleto in P12. Further back, Esteban Ocon pipped compatriot and previous week's polesitter Pierre Gasly to P13, with Yuki Tsunoda (Racing Bulls) and Alex Albon (Williams) rounding out the Q2 exits.
Disappointment for the home crowd
Spanish fans were left deflated as both Carlos Sainz and Fernando Alonso were eliminated in Q1. Sainz reportedly faces a further investigation for an alleged impeding incident involving Cadillac's Valtteri Bottas. The Cadillac pairing of Sergio Perez and Bottas also exited in Q1, while Ollie Bearman (Haas) and Lance Stroll (Aston Martin) did not set qualifying times at all — Bearman's car could not be repaired after an FP3 crash, and Stroll was confined to the garage by a suspected water pressure issue.
What to watch on race day
Norris starts from the front of the grid on a circuit that no driver has raced on before in Formula 1, making strategy and tyre management wildcard factors. With Verstappen lurking in P3 and the Mercedes pair split across the grid, the opening laps through Madring's tight street-circuit sections could prove decisive. Sainz's potential grid penalty for impeding adds another variable to an already unpredictable weekend.
Point of View
However, is whether a street circuit debut scrambles the established order on Sunday. Verstappen rarely stays P3 for long, but on an untested track with zero historical tyre-deg data, the pole-sitter holds the strategic whip hand. Meanwhile, Piastri's persistent gap to Norris in qualifying is evolving from a data point into a pattern that McLaren will struggle to explain away.
NationPress
13 Sept 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Who took pole position for the 2025 Spanish GP at Madring?
Lando Norris (McLaren) secured pole with a time of 1m 31.824s on the new Madring street circuit. It is his 19th career pole and third of the 2025 season.
Why were Carlos Sainz and Fernando Alonso eliminated early?
Both Spanish drivers were knocked out in Q1 at the Madring circuit. Sainz additionally faces a stewards' investigation for reportedly impeding Valtteri Bottas during the session.
What is the Madring street circuit?
Madring is a new street circuit in Madrid hosting its inaugural Formula 1 Spanish Grand Prix in 2025. No driver has previously raced on this layout in an F1 event.
Where did Max Verstappen qualify for the Spanish GP?
Verstappen qualified in P3, behind pole-sitter Norris and Mercedes' Kimi Antonelli. The reigning world champion was displaced by Norris's final Q3 lap.
Why did Ollie Bearman and Lance Stroll not qualify?
Bearman's Haas could not be repaired in time after a crash during FP3, while Stroll's Aston Martin was sidelined by a suspected water pressure issue. Neither driver set a qualifying time.
