The Dutchman Max Verstappen (Red Bull) won this Saturday the fourth pole position of the season, the first in Barcelona, for the Formula 1 Spanish Grand Prix, of the seventh race of the season, which will be held on Sunday.
The two-time world champion, who added his 24th pole of his career, and the second in a row, after having already been the fastest in Monaco, he set the best lap in the first of the two attempts in the final qualifying phase, Q3, with 1.12.272 minutes.
Verstappen left the Spanish Carlos Sainz (Ferrari) in second position, 0.462 seconds away, with the British Lando Norris (McLaren) third, 0.520 seconds away.
“The car has been very good for me. I love Barcelona, the track and the fans”, said the championship leader, who took pole position in Spain for the first time in his career, at the circuit where he has won twice, in 2022 and 2016, the latter on First in Formula 1.
After setting the final record, he ended up giving up improving, on the second attempt, near the end of Q3, to save a set of tyres, at a time when he had already secured pole position and was even improving his time. . .
The big surprise was the elimination of Monegasque Charles Leclerc (Ferrari) early in Q1, complaining that the car was “undrivable” in the left-hand corners. Leclerc will start from 19th position.
For Carlos Sainz, who races here at home, second place was his best qualifying result this season.
“I needed this result. It was one of the toughest qualifiers I’ve had in Barcelona. Now we can focus on getting a podium tomorrow.” [no domingo]”, he is stressed.
Pierre Gasly (Alpine) was fourth, 0.544sec behind Verstappen, but the French driver could still be penalized for impeding two other drivers.
Britain’s Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes) was fifth, 0.546 seconds. The former champion had an incident with his teammate, the also British George Russell (Mercedes), who collided with him when he started a fast lap at the end of Q2, being eliminated after finishing in 12th position, behind the Mexican Sérgio Pérez (Red Bull), who took the lead after not braking and will start from 11th.
Canadian Lance Stroll (Aston Martin) was sixth, followed by Frenchman Esteban Ocon (Alpine) and German Nico Hulkenberg (Haas).
The Spanish Fernando Alonso (Aston Martin) did not go beyond ninth position, after having damaged the flat bottom of his car in an off-track during Q1.
Australian Óscar Piastri (McLaren) completed the top 10.
The Spanish Grand Prix is the eighth stage of the Formula 1 World Cup, but it turns out to be the seventh race, due to the cancellation of the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix, due to the floods that affected that Italian region.
Max Verstappen, who has four victories, arrives in Catalonia at the top of the championship, with 144 points, 39 more than his teammate Sérgio Pérez, who won the other two.
Source: TSF
