Piastri on pole as sizzling season-best sets up thriller; baffled Red Bull star left last — F1 qualifying
Series leader Oscar Piastri has erased “miserable” memories as he outpaced team-mate Lando Norris to deliver McLaren’s first front row lockout at the Spanish Grand Prix since 1998.
The 24-year-old Australian, who leads Norris by three points in the drivers’ championship, clocked a final lap in one minute 11.546 seconds to beat Norris by two-tenths of a second, the biggest winning pole margin this year.
It brought him his fourth pole this season and fourth of his career and set up the two McLaren men as clear favourites for Sunday’s race - 31 of the 34 Spanish Grands Prix to date having been won by a car starting on the front row.
“It’s been a good weekend so far. It didn’t start off in the best way. We were struggling a little last night, but we found some pace and the car has been mega,” said Piastri.
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“I feel like I was able to put in some fast laps as well so thank you to the team for all the hard work. This was a pretty miserable scene 12 months ago so to have turned it around in the best way is a great result.” Piastri was 10th on the grid last year after having a qualifying lap deleted when he ran off into a gravel trap and finished seventh in the race.
“Oscar drove very well,” said Norris, who pushed hard to take pole in the final qualifying session.
“I think the pace is definitely there, but for just a couple of little mistakes. Oscar has been driving very well all weekend. It’s a good result for the team and an interesting start for tomorrow.
“Hopefully, it’s an easy race for me. It’s a long run down into turn one, which is normally interesting. We’ve got a lot of quick guys behind us and we won’t count them out. It’s a good result for today.”
There was an interesting moment between the pair when Norris tried to get in Piastri’s slipstream to get tow for a flying lap in the third qualifying session.
Piastri’s race engineer told him: “Watch for Lando opening close behind”, to which Piastri replied: “Cheeky.”
Piastri slowed to a crawl and moved to the side of the track to try avoid giving Norris a tow.
“He almost stopped on the track to avoid giving him any kind of tow.” 2016 F1 world champion Nico Rosberg said on Sky Sports.
“Lando cheekily sorted himself out like that to get himself in position.”
Norris said after the race it was “just a coincidence”
“I mean, I was 10th or something in the queue; I don’t know who I’m going to get a slipstream from, because you’re waiting like two minutes in the pit lane.”
Four-time world champion Max Verstappen was third for Red Bull ahead of Mercedes’ George Russell, seven-time champion Lewis Hamilton of Ferrari and Kimi Antonelli in the second Mercedes.
Charles Leclerc was seventh in the second Ferrari ahead of Alpine’s Pierre Gasly, RB’s impressive rookie Isack Hadjar and local hero two-time champion Fernando Alonso of Aston Martin.
“I think we were lacking all weekend compared to McLaren, but I think we executed well and I think that third position is where we should be,” said Verstappen.
“I think it’s quite close behind as well so it’s fun around here squeezing everything out the car.
“I will try my best. They will be tough to beat but we will see what we can do.” The McLaren duo went into a gripping qualifying having also topped all three practice sessions.
After an early fast lap from Aston Martin’s Lance Stroll in Q1, the big guns arrived in torrid heat with a track temperature of 50 degrees Celsius (122 degrees Fahrenheit), and the air at 29, punishing conditions for tyres on a high-degradation track.
The session was briefly stalled when Alpine’s Franco Colapinto stopped in the pitlane and, after a delay, forced others to undertake him leading to a frantic final two minutes.
Yuki Tsunoda in the second Red Bull was eliminated in 20th and last place along with Colapinto, Williams’ Carlos Sainz - his worst qualifying result at his home event - in 18th, Esteban Ocon of Haas and Sauber’s Nico Hulkenberg.
For Tsunoda, it was a major setback as he sought to solve Red Bull’s dilemma in searching for a partner to push Verstappen.
Out in Q2 went Alex Albon of Williams, Sauber’s Gabriel Bortoleto, Racing Bulls’ Liam Lawson, Stroll and Oliver Bearman in his Haas, leaving the way clear for McLaren’s to sparkle in the Spanish sunshine.
TSUNODA STUNNED BY SHOCKER
Tsunoda was left baffled after qualifying 20th and last in a Red Bull car while team-mate Max Verstappen was third.
The Japanese driver had received support in his struggles from team boss Christian Horner on Friday, but on Saturday hit a new low that confirmed how challenging the car is for anyone other than the four-time world champion.
Last season, Sergio Perez experienced a series of problems and poor results which led to his exit and this year began with Liam Lawson in the second car, but for only two races.
Tsunoda was promoted from Red Bull’s junior RB team but has struggled to shine and his best result is ninth in Bahrain.
He was 17th in Monaco last Sunday.
Apart from being outperformed comprehensively by Verstappen, the team’s second drivers all appear to find the car very difficult to drive.
In the first qualifying session Tsunoda was eliminated after lapping more than half a second slower than Verstappen.
“It’s pretty tough,” he said.
“Throughout the weekend, I tried to solve the issue as much as possible. I was mentioning from FP1 (first practice) that I had some strange issue and that it was just not gripping at all.
He added that he had no feeling with the car.
“So far what I feel is just the car is eating its tyres a lot and every lap, whatever I do, I have degradation,” he added.
Horner said: “We need to have a good look at it because I don’t really understand it. Let’s see if he’s picked up some damage or something because it’s unusual to be that far off.” Tsunoda could be under pressure to keep his seat from RB rookie Isack Hadjar who has been in impressive form and finished sixth in Monaco.
ASTON MARTIN’S INJURY BLOW
Aston Martin announced late Saturday that Lance Stroll would miss the Spanish Grand Prix with an injured hand.
The Canadian was due to start on the seventh row of Sunday’s grid after qualifying in 14th behind McLaren pole-sitter Oscar Piastri.
“Over the course of the past six weeks Lance has been experiencing pain in his hand and wrist, which his medical consultant believes is in relation to the procedure he underwent in 2023,” a statement from Aston Martin explained.
“As a result his medical team have confirmed that he will not race tomorrow (Sunday) and he will undergo a procedure to rectify these issues before focusing on his recovery.” Stroll suffered fractures and a broken toe after a cycling accident during the 2023 pre-season, which required surgery followed by a process of rehabilitation.
The 26-year-old, whose father Lawrence Stroll owns the team, is in his seventh season with Aston.
He has picked up 14 points this year.
His celebrated two-time former world champion teammate Fernando Alonso sets off from the fifth row in front of his home fans hoping to secure his first points of a disappointing season.
Grid for the Spanish Grand Prix, the ninth round of the 24-race Formula One world championship::
Front row Oscar Piastri (AUS/McLaren), Lando Norris (GBR/McLaren) 2nd row Max Verstappen (NED/Red Bull), George Russell (GBR/Mercedes) 3rd row Lewis Hamilton (GBR/Ferrari), Kimi Antonelli (ITA/Mercedes) 4th row Charles Leclerc (MON/Ferrari), Pierre Gasly (FRA/Alpine) 5th row Isack Hadjar (FRA/RB), Fernando Alonso (ESP/Aston Martin) 6th row Alex Albon (THA/Williams), Gabriel Bortoleto (BRA/Sauber) 7th row Liam Lawson (NZL/RB), Lance Stroll (CAN/Aston Martin) 8th row Oliver Bearman (GBR/Haas), Nico Hulkenberg (GER/Sauber) 9th row Esteban Ocon (FRA/Haas), Carlos Sainz (ESP/Williams) 10th row Franco Colapinto (ARG/Alpine), Yuki Tsunoda (JPN/Red Bull)