FIA Confirms a Team Disqualification at Spanish GP Following D

FIA Confirms a Team Disqualification at Spanish GP Following Dangerous… read more

McLaren delivered a statement performance at the 2025 Spanish Grand Prix qualifying session, securing a commanding front row lockout in what has been their most dominant weekend of the season so far. Oscar Piastri clinched pole position with a blistering final lap, knocking his team-mate Lando Norris off the top spot by over two-tenths of a second. The result underscores the fierce in-house battle between the two McLaren drivers, who are both contenders in the ongoing fight for the drivers’ championship.

Piastri’s final effort was a masterclass in precision and speed, comfortably outpacing the competition. Max Verstappen, typically a frontrunner, had no answer for the pace of the McLarens. The Red Bull driver found himself trailing Piastri by more than three-tenths of a second and was consistently slower in every sector throughout the session. The performance gap was a surprise, considering Verstappen’s usual dominance in qualifying.

However, Verstappen’s team-mate, Yuki Tsunoda, was the unexpected talking point on Saturday for all the wrong reasons. The Japanese driver recorded the slowest time of the day, ending up 20th and last, compounding a disappointing day for the Red Bull garage.

Mercedes had a solid showing, with George Russell matching Verstappen’s time exactly and securing fourth on the grid behind the top three. Rookie Kimi Antonelli continued to impress with a sixth-place start, reinforcing Mercedes’ competitive edge.

Ferrari experienced a mixed session. Lewis Hamilton, who struggled with setup issues during free practice, bounced back in qualifying. He barely made it through Q1, advancing in 11th place, but found better pace in Q2 and Q3. Ultimately, he secured fifth on the grid, outqualifying his team-mate Charles Leclerc, who lines up seventh. It was only the second time this season that Hamilton has outqualified Leclerc in a Grand Prix session.

Further down the order, Alpine’s Pierre Gasly took eighth place, while Isack Hadjar impressed for Racing Bulls, securing ninth. Fernando Alonso rounded out the top ten for Aston Martin.

The session was not without drama. In Q1, Franco Colapinto brought proceedings to a near standstill when his Alpine car failed to move at the pitlane exit. The resulting traffic jam affected several drivers’ final attempts. The Argentine was unable to set a final lap and was eliminated in Q1, ending up 19th.

The bottom five in Q1 included Colapinto, Esteban Ocon (Haas), Nico Hulkenberg (Sauber), Carlos Sainz (Williams), and Tsunoda. Q2 then saw Alex Albon (Williams), Gabriel Bortoleto (Sauber), Liam Lawson (Racing Bulls), Lance Stroll (Aston Martin), and Ollie Bearman (Haas) drop out of contention.

As the grid is set for Sunday’s race, McLaren look poised to capitalise on their strong form. With both drivers starting at the front and fighting for championship glory, the Spanish Grand Prix promises high-stakes action from the first lap.