Norris on the line! While Max Verstappen (Red Bull) thought he had made everyone agree by improving his final attempt in Q3, the McLaren driver came out of his lair with a sensational lap in the money-time on Saturday afternoon. The Briton took pole position for the Spanish Grand Prix by 20 tenths. The Mercedes will be content with the second row in front of the Ferraris. The Alpine will start from the top 10 for the first time this season.
2024 is definitely the season of Lando Norris and McLaren. A month after his first victory in Miami, the Briton signed his second career pole position in Barcelona. We knew the Papaya single-seaters were very fast in Catalonia, as evidenced by Norris’ best time in FP1, but they seemed slightly behind in the first two segments of this hotly contested qualifying.
Mercedes on an upward slope
Fourth then fifth, Norris was the only one to frustrate Verstappen in his garden. The Dutchman had broken the track record in 1’11″403, the last shot in Q3, when his great friend spread his wings to narrowly beat him (1’11″383) with an MCL38 devoid of improvements unlike its weekend competitors.
Mercedes is doing much better since the introduction of the new front wing in Monaco. Lewis Hamilton and George Russell set the third and fourth fastest times of the session, locking the second row ahead of Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz (Ferrari). The Silver Arrows, who took pole in Canada two weeks ago, have unlocked the potential of the W15 and are now ahead of the Scuderia.
The two Alpines in Q3? No, it’s not a mirage! Pierre Gasly and Esteban Ocon finished seventh and ninth. A first since the United States Grand Prix last October. Enough to erase the chaotic start to the French team’s season, between poor results, internal tensions and the controversial appointment of Flavio Briatore as executive advisor.
The French were separated by Sergio Pérez (Red Bull), but the Mexican must serve a penalty of three positions on the grid, imposed following an infraction committed in Canada. Fernando Alonso (Aston Martin) therefore enters the top 10 behind Oscar Piastri (McLaren).
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