Lando Norris surprised in the 2024 Spanish Grand Prix qualifying by securing the pole position, beating Max Verstappen by a minimal difference. The session in Montmeló was marked by high competitiveness and very close times among the top drivers.
Overall Qualifying
The qualifying at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya was one of the closest of the season. During FP3, there was notable equality that continued in Q1 and culminated in Q3. Max Verstappen seemed destined to take the pole, but Norris beat him by 20 milliseconds, thus achieving his second pole in Formula 1.
The cloudy weather did not prevent the qualifying from taking place in dry conditions. Norris and Verstappen will head the front row, followed by the Mercedes, with Lewis Hamilton and George Russell separated by only two milliseconds.
The Ferraris positioned themselves on the next line, with Charles Leclerc in fifth place and Carlos Sainz in sixth. Aston Martin could not keep up with their competitors, resulting in Fernando Alonso being eliminated in Q2 by 19 milliseconds.
Sergio Pérez, who qualified eighth, will start from the eleventh position due to a penalty carried over from Canada, allowing Alonso to advance one place and start from the points zone.
Details of Q1 and Q2
In Q1, the initial strategy was conservative, with the main drivers waiting to get on the track. Max Verstappen set a time of 1:12.306, with Lando Norris very close. Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz were also in the fight, showing the high competitiveness of the event. Finally, the eliminated drivers were the two Williams, the Visa CashApp, and Kevin Magnussen.
Q2 continued with high competitiveness. Lance Stroll was the first to go out, followed by almost all the other drivers. Max Verstappen took the lead with a time of 1:11.653. Fernando Alonso, despite improving his time, was eliminated, finishing in eleventh place, just 19 milliseconds away from passing to Q3.
Final Results of Q3
In Q3, Verstappen took the top spot with a time of 1:11.673, followed by Carlos Sainz and Oscar Piastri. Lando Norris moved up to second place with a time of 1:11.383, beating Verstappen by only 20 milliseconds and securing the pole. Lewis Hamilton completed the top three positions, followed by George Russell and Charles Leclerc. Carlos Sainz will start sixth, while Sergio Pérez, although he qualified eighth, will start in the eleventh position due to a penalty.
| Pos | Driver | Time |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | L. Norris McLaren F1 | 1'11.383 |
| 2 | M. Verstappen Red Bull Racing | +0.020 1'11.403 |
| 3 | L. Hamilton Mercedes | +0.318 1'11.701 |
| 4 | G. Russell Mercedes | +0.320 1'11.703 |
| 5 | C. Leclerc Ferrari | +0.348 1'11.731 |
| 6 | C. Sainz Ferrari | +0.353 1'11.736 |
| 7 | P. Gasly Alpine | +0.474 1'11.857 |
| 8 | S. Pérez Red Bull Racing | +0.678 1'12.061 |
| 9 | E. Ocon Alpine | +0.742 1'12.125 |
| 10 | O. Piastri McLaren F1 | |
| 11 | F. Alonso Aston Martin Racing | +0.745 1'12.128 |
| 12 | V. Bottas Sauber F1 Team | +0.844 1'12.227 |
| 13 | N. Hulkenberg Haas F1 Team | +0.927 1'12.310 |
| 14 | L. Stroll Aston Martin Racing | +0.989 1'12.372 |
| 15 | G. Zhou Sauber F1 Team | +1.355 1'12.738 |
| 16 | K. Magnussen Haas F1 Team | +1.554 1'12.937 |
| 17 | Y. Tsunoda Visa CashApp RB | +1.602 1'12.985 |
| 18 | D. Ricciardo Visa CashApp RB | +1.692 1'13.075 |
| 19 | A. Albon Williams | +1.770 1'13.153 |
| 20 | L. Sargeant Williams | +2.126 1'13.509 |
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