Lando Norris secured the first position on the grid for the Formula 1 Spanish Grand Prix in an exciting final lap. The McLaren driver surpassed Max Verstappen from Red Bull in the closing moments of the qualifying session. This marks Norris’ second pole position in his career, with the first being in Sochi in 2021. Lewis Hamilton, who was struggling in qualifying, managed to secure third place.
The excitement before qualifying was palpable, as Carlos Sainz, Norris, and Charles Leclerc were separated by less than a tenth of a second in the final practice session. Leclerc initially set the pace in Q1, leading the standings before the final laps in the 18-minute session.
However, much of the attention was focused on the drivers at the back of the pack, especially on who would be eliminated in Q1. Alex Albon seemed to be in danger of missing out on Q2, with Daniel Ricciardo also on the verge of elimination in 15th place. Albon managed to improve his position to 12th with less than three minutes remaining in Q1, but the competition continued to get faster. In the end, Albon found himself starting on the last row of the grid, alongside his Williams teammate Logan Sargeant in last place.
Lance Stroll narrowly made it into Q2, finishing in 15th place and knocking out Haas’ Kevin Magnussen from contention. Both Red Bull drivers, led by Yuki Tsunoda in 17th, were also eliminated, much to Tsunoda’s surprise. Additionally, Daniel Ricciardo, who had implemented extensive upgrades to his car, found himself in 18th place. This disappointing result means that the Faenza-based team will need to reassess their strategy.
In front of the grid, the expected fierce competition between the top three drivers – Hamilton, Leclerc, and Verstappen – materialized, with less than two tenths of a second separating them. The focus then turned to Q2, where Lance Stroll was the first driver to take to the track after narrowly making it through Q1. Zhou Guanyu, representing Sauber, made his first appearance in Q2 in 2024. However, the Spanish crowd was mainly concerned with local hero Carlos Sainz, and they erupted in applause as he accelerated down the start/finish straight.
Stroll and Zhou’s journeys ended in Q2, finishing in 14th and 15th places, respectively. Valtteri Bottas and Nico Hulkenberg finished just ahead of them in 12th and 13th places. Unfortunately for Spanish fans, Fernando Alonso narrowly missed out on Q3, finishing in 11th place.
Verstappen, on the other hand, advanced to the final round of qualifying as the fastest driver in the second qualifying round, with Hamilton and Russell ready to challenge him after recording the second and third fastest times.
Norris and Sainz completed the top five in the second qualifying round, making for a fierce battle with only 0.221s separating the top four drivers, increasing the anticipation for the battle for the top 10 positions in the final round.
The 10 drivers vying for pole position completed their initial laps and all followed Verstappen, who set a provisional pole time of 1:11.673s, with Norris behind by 0.123s in second place and Hamilton in third, 0.143s behind.
With two minutes remaining, the drivers returned to the track for their final flying laps. However, Piastri, who was looking for a 10th place starting position, found himself in the gravel in the final sector, ending his chances of securing pole.
Verstappen seemed to be the favorite for pole after setting a time of 1:11.403s, but Norris, in the McLaren #4, had the advantage on Saturday, securing pole position at the last moment.
Hamilton finished in third place, 0.318s behind, surpassing his Mercedes teammate George Russell for only the second time this season, who finished in fourth place, 0.320s behind the pole position time.
Leclerc led the Ferrari team in fifth place, followed by Sainz, with both drivers finishing 0.348s and 0.335s, respectively, behind the fastest time.
Pierre Gasly secured an impressive seventh place for Alpine, while Red Bull’s Sergio Perez completed the “French sandwich” in eighth place. Esteban Ocon recorded the ninth fastest time.
Piastri’s mistake in the final round of qualifying relegated him to 10th position.
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A major sports event took place last weekend, which excited fans across the country. The thrilling game was played between two rival teams, and the result was a real surprise to all spectators. The stadium was packed with eager fans to see their favorite players in action.
During the match, there were moments of tension and excitement. The players showed incredible skills and made impressive plays. The audience was ecstatic, applauding and cheering at every move. The fans also had the opportunity to interact with the players, taking photos and asking for autographs.
The game was decided in the final minutes, with an incredible goal that secured the victory for one of the teams. The fans went wild, celebrating and singing support songs. It was a true party at the stadium.
After the game, the players were interviewed by the press. They talked about the match and the importance of the victory for the team. They also expressed their gratitude to the fans for their unconditional support.
The fans are eager for the next match, which promises to be as exciting as this one. They are confident that their favorite team will continue to show exceptional performance and achieve more victories.
Don’t miss the full coverage of this incredible sports event. Stay tuned for more news and updates about the world of sports.
