ONE FINAL LAP. 0.011 SECONDS. NORRIS TAKES MADRING’S FIRST POLE.

After a gearbox problem cost him FP2, Lando Norris delivered a 1:31.824 on his final Q3 run to beat Kimi Antonelli by just 0.011 seconds and claim the first pole position at Formula 1’s new Madrid circuit.

Madring’s first Formula 1 pole position was decided by eleven thousandths of a second. Norris entered qualifying after losing most of Friday’s second practice session to a gearbox problem, but recovered to produce the fastest lap when it mattered most.

Lewis Hamilton led after the opening Q3 runs before Antonelli moved to the top of the timing screens. Norris answered on his final attempt with a 1:31.824, surviving a tense final corner to take pole from the championship leader by the narrowest margin of the session. Norris later described it as one of the best laps of his career.

Max Verstappen qualified third, 0.140 seconds behind Norris. Hamilton and Charles Leclerc completed the top five, with only 0.195 seconds covering all five drivers. George Russell took sixth ahead of Oscar Piastri, Liam Lawson, Franco Colapinto and Arvid Lindblad.

Madrid’s home drivers endured a very different afternoon. Alex Albon denied Carlos Sainz a place in Q2 by just 0.005 seconds, leaving Sainz classified 17th and Fernando Alonso 18th. Sainz subsequently received a three-place grid penalty for impeding Valtteri Bottas, meaning the official starting grid will differ from the qualifying classification.