For the first time in three years Lando Norris will start a Formula 1 grand prix from pole position after eclipsing Max Verstappen in qualifying for the Spanish Grand Prix.
Norris edged Verstappen to take his second-ever F1 pole with what he described as “probably the best lap” of his career so far.
Verstappen’s team-mate Sergio Perez qualified eighth but a three-place grid penalty from the Canadian GP knocks him back to 11th and promotes each of Esteban Ocon, Oscar Piastri and Fernando Alonso up one place.
Logan Sargeant also has a grid penalty – three places from impeding Stroll in qualifying. But despite said penalty, he will actually start higher than he’d qualified, which was 20th.
This is because his Williams team-mate Alex Albon has had the energy store and control electronics unit swapped out on his FW46, without the approval of the FIA technical delegate – which means a pitlane start.
Albon is now above the season’s limit for both the energy store and the control electronics, but the pitlane start means the resulting grid penalties do not impact this.
Spanish Grand Prix starting order
1) Lando Norris (McLaren)
2) Max Verstappen (Red Bull)
3) Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes)
4) George Russell (Mercedes)
5) Charles Leclerc (Ferrari)
6) Carlos Sainz (Ferrari)
7) Pierre Gasly (Alpine)
8) Esteban Ocon (Alpine)
9) Oscar Piastri (McLaren)
10) Fernando Alonso (Aston Martin)
11) Sergio Perez (Red Bull)
12) Valtteri Bottas (Sauber)
13) Nico Hulkenberg (Haas)
14) Lance Stroll (Aston Martin)
15) Zhou Guanyu (Sauber)
16) Kevin Magnussen (Haas)
17) Yuki Tsunoda (RB)
18) Daniel Ricciardo (RB)
19) Logan Sargeant (Williams)
PL) Alex Albon (Williams)