BARCELONA: Lando Norris brushed aside the drama of his McLaren team’s hospitality unit catching fire to produce “the best lap of my life” and deprive Max Verstappen of pole for the Spanish Grand Prix in qualifying on Saturday.
Lewis Hamilton will start on the second row alongside his Mercedes teammate George Russell.
Verstappen looked sure to set off for Sunday’s 10th round of the season from the front of the grid.
But in the last throw of the top-10 shoot-out Norris denied the Red Bull ace by a mere two hundredths of a second.
“Today was the perfect lap,” said Norris after only his second career pole.
“My best lap by a long way, I knew I had to do something perfect, it was probably my best lap ever.”
Norris produced his one minute 11.383 seconds of magic after a “stressful” day when the McLaren hospitality unit caught fire before third practice.
McLaren team boss Zak Brown told Sky Sports one staff member had to go to hospital but had been discharged, adding: “Happy to report everyone is fine.”
“I lost my shoes. It’s all been a bit messy,” said Norris.
“I like to listen to my music loud beforehand, but didn’t have that this time. But it’s not the end of the world. I’m not going to complain about it.”
Turning back to a vintage qualifying session, Norris, whose only other pole came in Russia in 2021, reflected: “It’s been a while since Sochi!
“Max seemed a bit stronger today, but we made some changes,” added the Briton who won his maiden Grand Prix in May in Miami.
“I’m super happy to be on pole, it’s going to be tough but we’re here to win!“
Verstappen, targeting a fourth straight world title, leads the championship by 56 points from Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc, who starts Sunday’s race in fifth, with Norris seven points back in third.
“I think the whole of qualifying was better than practice for me,” said Verstappen, who won his maiden Grand Prix in Barcelona in 2016 and is on a hat-trick after wins in Catalonia in 2022 and 2023.
“It all clicked much better. The other teams are catching up, we need to bring more performance to the car.”
Ferrari-bound Hamilton was happy to be toward the front of the grid as he out-qualified his teammate Russell for only the second time this year.
“It’s good to be back up here, great to see we are progressing,” he said.
“We are slowly climbing closer to the guys in front, it’s really on a knife edge.
“I’m really happy to be in P3 with that long straight to turn one.”
Joining Leclerc on the third row will be his Ferrari teammate and home favorite Carlos Sainz.
Next came the Alpine of Pierre Gasly, the second Red Bull of Sergio Perez, who has a three-place grid penalty from Canada, Esteban Ocon in the other Alpine and Oscar Piastri in the second McLaren.
After only a tenth of a second had covered the top four in final practice earlier the stage was set for an intriguing pole battle.
Complicating matters was a sizeable drop in temperature, with morning sunshine giving way to heavy cloud cover with the wind picking up.
The action on track though was anything but cool, as drivers scrambled to eke out every last ounce of performance for a Grand Prix won from pole in 24 of 33 races run at the circuit.
After clipping the McLaren of Norris at the end of final practice Leclerc tuned up for qualifying with a trip to the FIA’s headmaster’s study as the race stewards investigated the incident.
Leclerc was arguably fortunate to escape with only a reprimand rather than a grid penalty, announced just before qualifying got under way.
Hamilton grabbed the honors in the first qualifying run, jumping from 14th to first, with Verstappen leading the Mercedes duo after the second session.
Verstappen came alive when it counted most — after a quietish time in the three practice sessions he led Q3 after the first flurry of laps.
All the drivers pitted to prepare for one last attempt at depriving the Red Bull ace from Sunday’s pole, with Norris nailing it to end a trying day on a high.
This is the 10th round of the 24-race season and the first of a triple header with Austria and Silverstone coming up over the next two weekends.
Norris shrugs off McLaren fire to nab Spanish pole after ‘best ever lap’
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Norris shrugs off McLaren fire to nab Spanish pole after ‘best ever lap’
- Lewis Hamilton will start on the second row alongside his Mercedes teammate George Russell
- Norris produced his one minute 11.383 seconds of magic after a “stressful” day when the McLaren hospitality unit caught fire before third practice
Mitch Evans wins in Berlin, Rowland’s Formula E title bid on hold
- Rowland would have been champion with three races to spare had he finished 69 points clear of closest rival Pascal Wehrlein but instead he retired
BERLIN: Jaguar's Mitch Evans won the first of two Formula E races in Berlin on Saturday as Nissan's Oliver Rowland failed to finish on a grey and soggy afternoon that left the Briton's title bid on hold for another day at least.
Rowland would have been champion with three races to spare had he finished 69 points clear of closest rival Pascal Wehrlein but instead he retired with a damaged car and his lead reduced to 50.
It was the leader's first retirement of the season.
Porsche's Wehrlein, the defending champion from Germany, finished second with a bonus point for fastest lap at Berlin's Tempelhof Airport circuit and Mahindra's Swiss driver Edoardo Mortara was third for his second successive podium.
Rowland can still clinch the title on Sunday if he finishes 59 points clear of Wehrlein, otherwise the chase continues to the final two races in London at the end of the month.
There are still 87 points to be won.
Rowland slipped from third to fifth at the start, with the safety car deployed after Jake Dennis's Andretti was stranded on the grid, but the key moment came six laps from the end when he made contact with Stoffel Van Doorne's Maserati and spun around.
The impact damaged the car's right front suspension and Rowland had to stop.
The win, from pole position and through two safety car periods, was New Zealander Evans's second of the season and the record-equalling 14th of his career as well as Jaguar's 50th podium in Formula E.
McLaren's Taylor Barnard finished fourth and moved up to third in the championship, 68 points behind Rowland.
In the teams' championship, Porsche -- who had Antonio Felix da Costa demoted from third to 10th thanks to a five-second penalty for an overly-aggressive move -- have 221 points to Nissan's 191 and DS Penske on 153.
Sauber’s success is an F1 anomaly as teams switch focus to 2026
- Sauber’s Nico Hulkenberg had a surprise third place at the British Grand Prix on Sunday
- It was his first podium as a driver and the team’s best finish in 13 years
SILVERSTONE, England: Sauber celebrated a rare podium finish with Champagne donated by its Formula 1 rivals. After all, this wasn’t meant to be its year.
Mercedes sent over a staffer to Sauber bearing bottles of Champagne and a message of congratulations after Nico Hulkenberg’s surprise third place at the British Grand Prix on Sunday. It was his first podium as a driver and the team’s best finish in 13 years.
Sauber personnel jumped and sang as the sparkling wine was sprayed around the team’s hospitality site.
Not bad for a “building year,” as Hulkenberg put it in February. Sauber was one of the teams eyeing 2026 opportunities before 2025 even began.
The biggest rule change in a generation brings smaller cars with movable front and rear wings and more electrical power. Teams who have been also-rans in 2025 have the chance to make a big step forward.
The teams eyeing a leap forward
At the halfway point of the 2025 season, Aston Martin, Williams and Sauber – to be rebranded Audi next year – all have ambitious plans for 2026.
Development work at Aston Martin’s brand-new wind tunnel across the road from the Silverstone circuit is 99 percent focused on next year’s car, team principal Andy Cowell said Friday.
It’s the first Aston Martin overseen by design great Adrian Newey, who’s created title-winning cars for Williams, McLaren and Red Bull over nearly 40 years in F1 and is the star signing of the team’s new era.
“He pushes the boundaries,” Cowell said. “He packages 10 things into the space where only one would normally fit.”
It’s been a quiet 2025 on track. Aston Martin had its first double points finish of the season Sunday, with Lance Stroll seventh and Fernando Alonso ninth.
At Williams, driver Alex Albon was testing out 2026 ideas in the simulator before the 2025 season began. The team has invested heavily in behind-the-scenes reforms to recapture its glory days as a serial title-winner in the 1980s and 1990s.
Turning Sauber into the Audi works team brings a new level of expectation, while General Motors joins F1 in 2026 with its Cadillac brand.
Front-runners have more to lose
Top teams in particular face a tricky question to judge when to stop developing this year’s car and go all-in on 2026.
Red Bull was the big winner from the last major changes in 2022 as Max Verstappen won four straight titles. There’s big change this time without Newey and with a new engine partnership between its Red Bull Powertrains unit and Ford.
Verstappen’s future is unclear amid speculation he could leave for Mercedes. It would be a “disaster” for Red Bull to lose him, McLaren boss Zak Brown said on Saturday.
“Sport goes in cycles,” Red Bull team principal Christian Horner said last week. “We’ve had two incredibly successful cycles in Formula 1, and what we want to do is build toward the next cycle.”
“Of course we want that to be with Max but we understand the pressure that there is next year, with us coming in as a new power unit manufacturer.”
The last time the rules changed, McLaren showed it’s possible to start a new F1 era slowly but evolve into a title contender. It took over two years until the breakthrough win, though.
Emotional Norris wins epic rain-hit British Grand Prix
- Nico Hulkenberg finished a stirring third for Sauber to claim the first podium appearance of his long career after 239 races
SILVERSTONE, UK: An emotional Lando Norris boosted his world title bid in memorable fashion on Sunday when he drove to a commanding rain-splashed victory ahead of McLaren team-mate Oscar Piastri in a chaotic British Grand Prix.
The 25-year-old Briton made the most of series leader Piastri’s mid-race misfortune, when he was given a 10-second penalty for slowing excessively while leading behind the safety car, to finish 6.8112 seconds clear.
It was his first home win, his fourth win of the year and the eighth of his career, lifting him within eight points of the Australian.
“Thank you, McLaren, thanks everyone,” said Norris.
“This is beautiful. Winning at home. This is a dream.”
Nico Hulkenberg finished a stirring third for Sauber to claim the first podium appearance of his long career after 239 races.
“It feels good,” the veteran German said.
“A long time coming! But we had it in us and I had it in me somewhere. It’s pretty surreal. All a bit crazy now.”
Piastri was careful not to express his disappointment at the time penalty verdict.
“I want to congratulate Nico,” he said.
“That’s the best story of the day — but I don’t want to say much else to avoid getting into trouble.”
Norris became the 13th different home winner of the British race.
Lewis Hamilton took fourth for Ferrari ahead of Red Bull’s four-time champion Max Verstappen.
In an epic event run in extreme and changeable weather conditions, Pierre Gasly was sixth for Alpine, ahead of Aston Martin’s Lance Stroll, Williams’ Alex Albon, two-time champion Fernando Alonso in the second Aston Martin and Mercedes’ George Russell.
On a cool and wet summer’s day in central England, the race began as the sun slanted through the clouds following torrential rain, Verstappen leading a controlled formation lap behind the safety car.
In F1’s 75th anniversary year, it was the 1,173rd race since the inaugural world championship event at Silverstone on May 13, 1950, and with the field so closely-packed few races had been more keenly anticipated.
Russell and Leclerc gambled on switching to slick tires before the start as Verstappen led the opening lap from his 44th pole ahead of Piastri, Norris and Hamilton.
RB’s’ Liam Lawson went off at Stowe on lap one, triggering a virtual safety car (VSC), and Franco Colapinto retired his Alpine after stalling in the pit-lane.
The race re-started on lap five with Piastri hounding Verstappen before a second VSC intervention when Gabriel Bortoleto abandoned his Sauber. It was stop-go stuff with everyone waiting for more rain.
After chasing him, Piastri passed Verstappen at Stowe on lap eight to lead. Verstappen then ran off at Becketts and Norris passed him before they all pitted as the rain resumed.
Norris suffered a slow stop, giving second, behind Piastri, back to Verstappen, in appalling conditions that prompted another full safety car and wiped out the Australian’s 13-second advantage.
“There’s water in my visor, a huge splash and I can’t see,” reported Leclerc after bouncing across the grass at Becketts.
Hamilton was also blinded by spray, dropping to eighth, as the field cruised through puddles.
Racing resumed on lap 18 amid plumes of spray before a third full safety car was deployed when RB rookie Isack Hadjar crashed into Antonelli’s Mercedes at Copse.
The action re-started on lap 22 with a gripless Verstappen sliding off out of Copse as he spun, after Piastri had braked dramatically in front of him before the safety car peeled in.
After a brief investigation, Piastri was given a 10-second penalty.
By lap 26, and mid-race, Piastri led Norris before the Australian pitted to serve his time penalty, leaving Norris to soak up a memorable win.
Heavy rain falls ahead of the British Grand Prix, with Verstappen on pole
- If the rain continues, it will mix up teams’ strategies for the race
- Saturday’s qualifying and all three practice sessions were run in dry conditions
SILVERSTONE, England: Persistent heavy rain fell at Silverstone on Sunday morning ahead of the British Grand Prix as reigning Formula 1 champion Max Verstappen prepared to start on pole position, with title rivals Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris close behind.
If the rain continues, it will mix up teams’ strategies for the race. Saturday’s qualifying and all three practice sessions were run in dry conditions.
Red Bull’s Verstappen had struggled in practice but found extra pace in qualifying to take pole ahead of McLaren’s Piastri and Norris, who both made small but costly mistakes.
It could be a hectic fight for the win with Red Bull, McLaren, Mercedes and Ferrari all showing strong pace in qualifying, with the top six cars covered by just 0.229 of a second.
The leading contenders are using contrasting setups which mean different strengths and weaknesses at various points on the track. Verstappen’s car in particular sacrifices grip through the corners for top speed on the straights.
Piastri leads the standings by 15 points from Norris, the winner of last week’s Austrian Grand Prix, with Verstappen a distant third, 61 points off the lead.
Shining Verstappen shades Piastri for pole at Silverstone
- The Monegasque driver was quickest in one minute and 25.498 seconds to outpace Piastri
- Verstappen was third for Red Bull ahead of Lando Norris in the second McLaren
SILVERSTONE, UK: Max Verstappen produced one of the finest and fastest qualifying laps of his career on Saturday to seize pole position for Sunday’s British Grand Prix and demonstrate why he is the hottest property in Formula One.
The four-time world champion was struggling with a strong wind and cool and damp conditions after choosing a low downforce set-up that trimmed his wings but enabled higher speed on the straights.
Before his final run of a tense and closely-fought qualifying hour, Verstappen was two-tenths slower than McLaren’s championship leader Oscar Piastri, but the Dutchman powered to a fastest lap of one minute and 24.892 seconds to beat the Australian by 0.103 seconds.
“You went motor racing Max!” said his race engineer Gianpiero Lambiase, his deadpan delivery hiding Red Bull’s delight as the team fight to find the performance that will ensure their star driver stays with them next year.
The 27-year-old Dutchman, who has declared he wants to stay, has been linked with Mercedes, whose team boss Toto Wolff has confirmed making contact. Unconfirmed Italian media reports this week claimed Verstappen had agreed to the move.
Verstappen did his talking on the track, claiming his third pole at Silverstone and the 44th of the career with a virtuoso lap to keep alive faint hopes of defending his drivers’ title in the second half of the season.
Weather permitting, a third British victory would help him trim his 61-point deficit to Piastri but if it rains, as forecast, Verstappen’s set-up might leave him vulnerable to his rivals including Lando Norris, in the second McLaren, who is 15 points behind Piastri in the title race and third on the grid.
“The changes helped a lot and the car definitely turned in better,” said Verstappen. “On my last lap, it all came together and the balance was much better and we were fast on the straights, but the high-speed corners were more difficult.
“We are pushing for more performance. It was tricky out there with the wind as the car is so sensitive to it. We have to wait to see what tomorrow will do and if there’s rain around or not.
“I’m happy with qualifying. It’s a big boost for the team as well and I’m excited to go racing tomorrow. We’ll try! We are going to have fun and try to do the best we can.”
Piastri was less happy.
“I was trying to think of how I was going to go faster and I didn’t,” he said. “The last lap was a little bit messy, but it’s been tight all weekend.
“I think my first lap was very good...but I left a little bit on the table.”
“It’s tough, especially when you think it’s a good lap. You don’t want to overdo it and try and go over the limit. There were a couple of corners where maybe I was a bit safe on the way in and tried to make up for it on the way out and it didn’t quite work.”
Norris was third in the second McLaren, a tenth adrift.
“It was tough,” Norris said. “We are not just fast enough today, but it’s all good fun and I am happy with third. Credit to Max, he did a great job. It’s going to be fun tomorrow, a good battle.”
George Russell was next in a Mercedes. The Ferraris of seven-time champion Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc filled the third row.
Kimi Antonelli was seventh fastest in the second Mercedes but suffered a three-place penalty.
Ollie Bearman was eighth for Haas but collected a 10-place grid penalty.
