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
‘Historic connection’: Ben Sulayem and Macron meet to reinforce FIA’s ties to France
- Key topics at talks include innovation in motorsport, road safety and sustainable mobility
DUBAI: FIA President Mohammed Ben Sulayem has held discussions with French President Emmanuel Macron to reaffirm the “historic” partnership between France and the world governing body for motorsport.
This is according to a statement released by the FIA about the meeting on Monday, which highlighted “shared priorities across motorsport, road safety, mobility, and the protection of young people online.”
“With the FIA’s headquarters situated in Paris, France holds a unique place in the federation’s heritage, and this was further highlighted yesterday as the FIA confirmed the renewal of its commitment to France as one of its key centers of excellence,” the organization stated on Tuesday.
Ben Sulayem reportedly said after the meeting: “Today highlights the deep and historic connection between France and the FIA, a bond that stretches back to the founding of our federation in Paris over a century ago.”
The leaders celebrated France’s role in global motorsport, from historic events such as the Paris–Rouen trial in 1894 to the 24 Hours of Le Mans.
The FIA stated that these contests continue to attract thousands of spectators and generates significant impact, supporting over 1,000 full time jobs and contributing over $187 million to the French economy.
Macron and Ben Sulayem also discussed France’s ongoing representation in the FIA Formula 1 Championship, and the French talent competing across the FIA World Championships.
They also highlighted the contributions of French manufacturers and promoters in shaping international motorsport, and support for the facilitation of visas for global FIA delegates attending meetings in Paris.
Also in attendance was Yann de Pontbriand, president of the Automobile Club de France, one of the FIA’s original members and the world’s first automobile club founded in 1895, and who is also president of the FIA Founding Members Clubs.
Pierre Gosselin, president of the Federation Francaise du Sport Automobile, also attended the meeting.
Ben Sulayem and Macron exchanged views on initiatives to make mobility safer, affordable, and sustainable, including the newly launched FIA Driver Safety Index, a global benchmark developed to measure and compare driver risk using artificial-intelligence technology.
Protecting young athletes and promoting respect online was another key topic. The leaders discussed the FIA’s United Against Online Abuse campaign, which aligns with France’s policies on social media safety for children.
By combining regulation, education and technology, the campaign aims to create safer, more inclusive environments for the sporting community and is supported globally by governments and sporting organizations.
“Together, we are committed to advancing safer roads, more sustainable and accessible mobility for all, and fostering innovation in motorsport that benefits communities worldwide,” Ben Sulayem added.
“France has always been at the heart of automotive progress, and it is a privilege to work alongside President Macron to ensure this legacy continues while addressing the challenges of the modern mobility landscape.”
