George Russell captured pole position for the 2026 Formula 1 Barcelona Grand Prix after a dramatic qualifying session at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya, ending teammate Kimi Antonelli’s unprecedented streak.
Russell secured his third pole of the season with a 1:14.679 flyer that put him just 0.064 seconds ahead of Ferrari’s Lewis Hamilton, who will start Sunday’s race from second place alongside the Mercedes on an all-British front row that has never happened at Barcelona before.
Title leader Antonelli will headline the second row after qualifying third, while reigning world champion Lando Norris joins him in the leading McLaren.
Max Verstappen will line up on the third row alongside Red Bull teammate Isack Hadjar, followed by Oscar Piastri and Racing Bulls’ Liam Lawson on the fourth row.
Audi’s Nico Hulkenberg will start from ninth, while Charles Leclerc completes the top ten after a disappointing qualifying that saw the Monesgaque suffer a heavy crash at Turn 5 during his first Q3 run.
| Pos | Driver | Team |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | George Russell | Mercedes |
| 2. | Lewis Hamilton | Ferrari |
| 3. | Kimi Antonelli | Mercedes |
| 4. | Lando Norris | McLaren |
| 5. | Max Verstappen | Red Bull |
| 6. | Isack Hadjar | Red Bull |
| 7. | Oscar Piastri | McLaren |
| 8. | Liam Lawson | Racing Bulls |
| 9. | Nico Hulkenberg | Audi |
| 10. | Charles Leclerc | Ferrari |
| 11. | Arvid Lindblad | Racing Bulls |
| 12, | Gabriel Bortoleto | Audi |
| 13. | Franco Colapinto | Alpine |
| 14. | Pierre Gasly | Alpine |
| 15. | Oliver Bearman | Haas |
| 16. | Carlos Sainz | Williams |
| 17. | Esteban Ocon | Haas |
| 18. | Alex Albon | Williams |
| 19. | Sergio Perez | Cadillac |
| 20. | Valtteri Bottas | Cadillac |
| 21. | Lance Stroll | Aston Martin |
| 22. | Fernando Alonso | Aston Martin |
Kimi Antonelli capitalized on a Virtual Safety Car to edge Lando Norris before holding off Max Verstappen to win the inaugural Formula 1 Spanish Grand Prix at Madring
Complete F1 2026 Driver standings after Spanish GP: Kimi Antonelli extended his lead to 81 points over Mercedes teammate George Russell, Lewis Hamilton title chances
Full F1 2026 Spanish Grand Prix Race Results, Madring: 1. Kimi Antonelli, Mercedes; 2. Max Verstappen, Red Bull, +4.351s; 3. Lando Norris, McLaren, +5.089s; 4. Charles Leclerc, Ferrari, +29.116s
Full 2026 F1 Spanish Grand Prix Qualifying Results: Lando Norris snatched the first-ever pole position at Madring from Kimi Antonelli by just 0.011s in a dramatic final-lap showdown
Full starting grid for 2026 F1 Spanish Grand Prix: 1. Lando Norris, McLaren; 2. Kimi Antonelli, Merecedes; 3. Max Verstappen, Red Bull; 4. Lewis Hamilton, Ferrari; 5. Charles Leclerc, Ferrari
Full F1 2026 Spanish Grand Prix FP2 Results: Kimi Antonelli delivered a fastest lap of 1:33.662 to beat Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton by a tenth, while Arvid Lindblad crashed