Norris takes surprise Spanish GP pole in Madrid

Lando Norris claimed pole position for the Spanish Grand Prix with a late lap in qualifying at Madrid’s Madring circuit. Multiple reports described the effort as a surprise, with McLaren not appearing to have the fastest package through the weekend.

Mercedes had led every practice session, and Kimi Antonelli looked set for pole before Norris moved ahead by just 0.011 seconds. Red Bull driver Max Verstappen qualified third.

The lap drew strong praise, including from McLaren team principal Andrea Stella, who called it a “masterpiece”. With overtaking expected to be difficult in the race, starting from pole gives Norris a significant opportunity on Sunday.