Norris becomes the MADRING’s first polesitter, McLaren reach 180 pole positions and Lindblad reaches Q3 for the seventh race in a row. Here are the facts and statistics from qualifying at the 2026 Spanish Grand Prix!
NORRIS ON POLE AT THE 2026 SPANISH GRAND PRIX
Lando Norris became the first polesitter at the MADRING, taking pole position for the 2026 Spanish Grand Prix. Norris has secured pole position at three of the last four races.
This was the 19th pole position of Norris’ career, moving ahead of Mario Andretti, Rene Arnoux and Kimi Raikkonen to 18th on the all-time list of most poles in F1 history.
This is the first time McLaren secured the first pole position at a brand new venue since Lewis Hamilton secured pole position at Yas Marina Circuit for its first appearance on the calendar at the 2009 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.
Norris secured pole position for the 2026 Spanish Grand Prix by 0.011s. It is the smallest pole margin of the year so far – the previous smallest being 0.012s, also for Norris, at the Hungarian Grand Prix. This was the smallest pole margin since the 2025 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, when Max Verstappen took pole by 0.010s.
This was McLaren’s 180th pole position. They became the second team to reach the milestone after Ferrari, who achieved the feat at the 2006 Bahrain Grand Prix.
IN THE TOP TEN
Kimi Antonelli narrowly missed out on pole position at the 2026 Spanish Grand Prix, qualifying on the front row for the first time since the Belgian Grand Prix.
Max Verstappen qualified in the top three for the first time since the Belgian Grand Prix. This was his fourth top three qualification of the 2026 season.
Both Ferrari drivers qualified in the top five for the second race weekend in a row, with Lewis Hamilton fourth and Charles Leclerc fifth – the same positions but in the opposite order to last weekend at Monza.
Setting the seventh fastest time in Q3, George Russell qualified outside of the top five for only the third time in the last 17 race weekends.
Qualifying eighth, Liam Lawson equalled his best qualifying result of the season so far at the 2026 Spanish Grand Prix. He also qualified eighth at the Australian, Barcelona and Dutch Grands Prix.
Franco Colapinto reached Q3 for the fourth time this year, reaching Q3 at successive races for the second time in his career, having last done so at the 2026 Miami and Canadian Grands Prix.
Colapinto out-qualified team-mate Pierre Gasly for the first time since the Barcelona Grand Prix.
This was the first time that Alpine have seen at least one of their cars reach Q3 at successive races since doing so at five races in a row between the 2026 Chinese and Monaco Grands Prix.
Arvid Lindblad maintained his streak of reaching Q3 at all of the last seven Grands Prix. This was the tenth race in a row in which a Racing Bulls driver qualified in the top ten. The Chinese and Miami Grands Prix are the only races this year at which the team has not appeared in Q3.
ELIMINATED IN Q2
Audi recorded their seventh double Q2 exit of the year, with Nico Hulkenberg qualifying 11th and Gabriel Bortoleto qualifying 12th.
Hulkenberg qualified 11th for the fifth time this season. Of the 14 races so far this year, an Audi driver has qualified 11th in half of them.
Esteban Ocon qualified 13th for the 2026 Spanish Grand Prix – his best qualifying result since setting the 12th fastest time in qualifying for the 2026 Japanese Grand Prix.
Pierre Gasly exited in Q2 for the seventh time in the last eight race weekends – the only exception being his pole position at Monza.
Gasly equalled his worst qualifying result of the season to date, having also qualified 14th at the Australian, Canadian and Barcelona Grands Prix.
Alex Albon progressed beyond Q1 for only the sixth time this season. Of occasions that he has reached Q2 in 2026, this was the fourth time that he has set the slowest lap time in the session.
OUT IN Q1
Carlos Sainz exited in Q1, missing out on a spot in Q2 to his team-mate by just 0.005s. Qualifying 17th, this was the fifth race weekend in a row at which Williams recorded a Q1 elimination. It is the first time Williams have recorded as many as five successive Q1 eliminations since the end of the 2024 season.
Sainz exited in Q1 for the third time in the last four races. This was his sixth Q1 exit of the year.
Cadillac remain yet to make it out of Q1 in Formula 1, with Sergio Perez qualifying 19th and Valtteri Bottas qualifying 20th for the 2026 Spanish Grand Prix.
After crashing out in Free Practice 3, Ollie Bearman did not take part in qualifying for the 2026 Spanish Grand Prix. This was the ninth time in the last 12 weekends that a Haas driver has recorded a Q1 elimination. 21st marks his worst qualifying result of the season so far.
Aston Martin recorded their 13th double Q1 exit of the season, with Fernando Alonso’s Q2 appearance at the Hungarian Grand Prix being their only Q2 progression so far this season.
Taking grid penalties for power unit changes, Lance Stroll did not set a lap time in Q1 at the 2026 Spanish Grand Prix. He was classified last in Q1 for the seventh time this year.