Norris takes Spanish GP pole in Madrid by 0.011s

Norris claimed pole for the Spanish Grand Prix with a final qualifying effort that several outlets described as a standout lap. The McLaren driver said he was shocked by the result and called it one of the best laps of his career.

The margin at the front was extremely small, with Norris taking pole by 0.011 seconds over Mercedes' championship leader Kimi Antonelli. Verstappen was third, while Antonelli had looked set for pole before Norris' late improvement.

The result came as something of a surprise after Mercedes had led the practice sessions and McLaren had not appeared to be the clear benchmark through the weekend. Norris also said there was a moment in the lap when he thought he was going to hit the wall, underlining how close the run was on his way to pole for the first Formula 1 race at Madring.