Norris stuns Antonelli to take Spanish GP pole

Lando Norris secured a surprise pole position for the 2026 Spanish Grand Prix, delivering a stunning final lap to beat championship leader Kimi Antonelli by just 0.011 seconds at the new Madring circuit. The McLaren driver's time of 1:31.824 in the dying moments of Q3 denied Mercedes a fourth consecutive pole and set up a front-row duel with his closest title rival. Norris, who trails Antonelli by 96 points in the standings, described the effort as one of the best laps of his career. "I'm shocked, I'm a little bit surprised to be here now, but my God, it was probably one of the best laps I've done in my career," Norris said. "It was just one of those laps where everything came together." Antonelli, who had topped two of the three free practice sessions, initially looked set for pole after setting a 1:31.835 on his final Q3 run. However, Norris responded immediately, drifting wide on the exit of the final corner but still finding the crucial margin to snatch the top spot. Max Verstappen qualified third for Red Bull, 0.140 seconds off the pace, in a welcome resurgence for the team after a difficult Friday. Lewis Hamilton secured fourth for Ferrari, 0.