Lando Norris Claims Pole Position at Spanish Grand Prix
In a thrilling qualifying session at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya, McLaren’s Lando Norris clinched his second career Formula 1 pole position. The young British driver produced a “perfect lap” to edge out Red Bull’s Max Verstappen by just 0.020 seconds.
“I’m super, super happy,” said Norris. “We’ve been close to the front all weekend, but needed to have a perfect lap, and I think we delivered that.”
The McLaren driver has been quick throughout the weekend and looked in contention for pole, but he needed a flawless final run in Q3 to snatch the top spot from the reigning world champion.
Verstappen was left frustrated after his final lap, admitting that “McLaren were quick the whole weekend and we have been a little bit behind them.” The Dutchman will start alongside Norris on the front row, with Mercedes duo Lewis Hamilton and George Russell locking out the second row.
It was a mixed day for the other teams, with Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz starting fifth and sixth respectively. Alpine enjoyed a strong qualifying, with Pierre Gasly and Esteban Ocon both making it into the top 10. Aston Martin and Haas struggled, with Fernando Alonso and Nico Hulkenberg just missing out on Q3.
“We are in a great position to convert pole into a victory,” said Norris, “but it’s going to be incredibly tough against Max, against Lewis and everyone behind them.”
The stage is set for an exciting race on Sunday, with Norris aiming to secure his second F1 win and the first for McLaren this season.
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