Spanish Grand Prix 2025: McLaren’s Oscar Piastri stole the spotlight at the Spanish Grand Prix 2025 qualifying, grabbing pole with a blazing lap of 1:11.546. It marks his fourth pole of the season and puts him in a prime spot to close the gap in the championship.
Lando Norris, who took the win in Monaco last week, secured P2—just 0.209s behind his teammate. McLaren now holds a dominant front-row lockout, giving them a major edge going into Sunday’s race in Barcelona.
Red Bull’s Max Verstappen will start third. He set the exact same lap time as Mercedes’ George Russell but was classified ahead for finishing the lap first. Verstappen, always a race-day threat, will be eager to disrupt the McLaren duo.
Mercedes showed strong signs of recovery. Russell starts fourth, while young star Kimi Antonelli impressed with a P6 finish. Ferrari’s Lewis Hamilton took fifth, with teammate Charles Leclerc just behind in seventh.
Further down the grid, Alpine’s Pierre Gasly qualified eighth and Racing Bulls’ Isack Hadjar took ninth. Local favorite Fernando Alonso delighted Spanish fans by rounding out the top 10 in his Aston Martin.
Among those struggling were Williams’ Carlos Sainz, who ended up in 18th. Alpine’s Franco Colapinto suffered a technical issue and couldn’t improve, finishing 19th. Red Bull’s Yuki Tsunoda had a rough session and placed last.
Sunday’s race at Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya is expected to be dry and sunny. With McLaren leading the charge and Verstappen right behind, the Spanish GP 2025 could deliver one of the most intense battles of the season.