Investigation against Antonelli and Leclerc
After qualifying, there are still several investigations. Among others, Charles Leclerc and Kimi Antonelli were caught because both slowed down too much at the end of Q3 and are said to have driven “unnecessarily slowly.” Gabriel Bortoleto was also summoned because of this.
Usually, this does not result in a sporting penalty, provided there is an explanation for why the drivers lifted off the throttle – for example, to let another car overtake. But of course, we are keeping an eye on it.
There is also an ongoing investigation against Carlos Sainz, who blocked Valtteri Bottas at the end of Q1. There could still be a penalty here.
And George Russell also has to go to the race stewards because he is said to have rejoined the track incorrectly once. Usually, this only results in a warning.
Definitely still a lot of work for the stewards …
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What happened with Piastri?
While Norris took pole, his teammate only landed in P7 – with almost half a second gap. The Australian explains on Sky: “I think the first lap wasn’t that bad, but the second lap was honestly quite shocking.”
“The first corner didn’t go particularly well, and in some places it was clearly better than the previous lap. But once you get out of rhythm here, it becomes very difficult,” explains Piastri, who is naturally disappointed.
“I feel the pace this weekend was decent. It was just about being consistent,” says Piastri, who exactly failed at that.
Norris lap a “masterpiece”
Team principal Andrea Stella praises on Sky: “I think [the pole lap] is a masterpiece.” He emphasizes: “We had seen all weekend that if we put everything together, we were not far from the best cars.”
“That’s why we worked step by step to try to exploit the full performance potential,” says Stella, who stresses that Norris’s lap could have been even better.
“He made a mistake in the last corner that cost three tenths.” Still, it was enough for pole. “So he drove an absolutely incredible lap,” says the team principal.
Verstappen happy with P3
“For us, it was a very good qualifying. Third place is a great result for me,” says the Dutchman and explains: “The car felt pretty good in qualifying, and I could take the corners as I wanted. So this qualifying is a very good result for us.”
World championship leader Kimi Antonelli can also live with P2. “I thought it was a good lap, but then this guy [the pole] just snatched it away from me. But hats off to them,” he says as a fair loser towards Norris and McLaren.
Norris: “The lap of a world champion”
Lando Norris is surprised by the pole himself. “I’m totally stunned! I’m a bit surprised to be here now. That was probably one of the best laps I’ve ever driven in my career,” says the world champion.
“It was just one of those laps where everything just fit,” he reports and says he is “very proud” of the pole. “I had a clear idea of what I wanted to do,” says Norris.
“The question was only whether my head would allow me in the last lap. Basically, everything worked perfectly,” he reports and explains that the lap was “almost perfect.”
Expert Martin Brundle sums it up simply on Sky: “That was the lap of a world champion.”
Qualifying overview
Report
Result
Starting grid
Photos: F1: Spanish Grand Prix (Madrid) 2026
Open session ticker now!
In ten minutes, qualifying begins in Madrid and we are moving the action back to our session ticker for now. So there is a short break here, after qualifying ends, it will continue here with the voices on Saturday.
And if you want to know how to watch the Spanish race live stream this weekend, you can find out here!
Palmer: Driver makes the difference
Who is the favorite in qualifying? Expert Jolyon Palmer explains that it is very close between Mercedes, Ferrari, and McLaren. He emphasizes on F1 TV: “The best driver will win in Q3 – not the best car.”
Two safety cars in Formula 2
Before the Formula 1 qualifying, the Formula 2 sprint race took place in Madrid. There was no red flag, but at least two safety car phases. Among others, championship leader Nikola Tsolov retired after a spin.
The win went to Ritomo Miyata. The Japanese driver thus took his first Formula 2 win in his third year. Oliver Goethe finished twelfth outside the points.
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No investigation against Hamilton
During practice, there was speculation that Lewis Hamilton could still get a penalty because he continued driving with a damaged car after his crash. The FIA does not like that.
So far, no investigation has been initiated, so we assume that the Ferrari driver will start qualifying without a handicap.
Penalty for Stroll
Small side note before qualifying: Lance Stroll has received a new engine for this race. Since he is over the allowed limit, he must start from the very back tomorrow.
Some say that this might have been the case anyway, even without a penalty…
The accident of Bearman …
… is now also available here again in video:
Wolff expects difficult qualifying
The Mercedes team principal explains on Sky: “No one really knows what to expect. The practice was very close. It’s about getting a lap without mistakes and without traffic.”
“It will be interesting to watch the situation in Q1 when all cars are on track. And then also in Q3: Do you do the lap early to avoid the risk of a yellow or red flag?”, says Wolff.
Mercedes should not be badly positioned, as the Silver Arrows set the best time in all three practice sessions.
Time is running out
Qualifying in Madrid is in less than two hours. Ferrari should manage to repair Hamilton’s car by then. Since the Briton crashed frontally, not much should be broken.
It looks different at Haas. Oliver Bearman’s accident happened later and was also more severe. It could be tight to repair the car in time by 16:00.
FT3 overview
Report
Result
Photos: F1: Spanish Grand Prix (Madrid) 2026
Hamilton crashed
The third practice is interrupted after a crash by Lewis Hamilton. Here is his off in video:
Open session ticker now!
In ten minutes, the third and final practice begins in Madrid. We are moving the action back to our session ticker for now. So there is a short break here, after the end of practice it will continue here as usual.
And if you want to know how to watch Formula 1 live stream at the Spain weekend, you can find out here!
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