F1 leader Piastri claims pole position for Spanish GP
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Australia’s Formula One championship leader Oscar Piastri has grabbed pole position for the Spanish Grand Prix ahead of McLaren teammate Lando Norris.
Piastri npw leads Norris by three points in the standings after eight of 24 races.
Defending champion Max Verstappen will start Sunday’s race from third in his Red Bull. He is 25 points off Melburnian Piastri’s lead.
It was the Australian’s fourth pole place of the season.
“It wasn’t the perfect lap but I think around here with the tyres going off so much through the lap it’s very tough to do that,” said Piastri, who said over the radio that Norris’ slipstream drive was ‘cheeky’.
“I’m very happy with all the work we’ve put in.”
Red Bull’s Verstappen was one spot clear of Mercedes’ George Russell. Verstappen and Russell set identical times with the former taking the higher grid slot after setting his time first.
Ferrari’s Lewis Hamilton qualified fifth with Kimi Antonelli sixth for Mercedes and Charles Leclerc, who completed just one quick lap in Q3, seventh.
McLaren have won six of the eight rounds so far, and their rivals might have hoped that a clampdown on flexible front wings – which some believe has contributed to the British team’s rise – would slow them down.
However, the rule tweak has done little to influence McLaren’s speed, with Piastri and Norris embroiled in a tense battle for pole.
Norris secured top spot in Monaco a week ago before going on to claim his first win since March’s season-opening round in Melbourne.
He ended the first runs in Q3 holding a slender 0.017 sec margin over his team-mate.
The McLaren duo returned for a final shot at pole and although Norris improved on his first lap, it was Piastri who lit up the timesheets by taking top place on the grid by two tenths.
“I am very happy,” said Piastri. “It didn’t start off in the best way. I was struggling but I found pace and the car has been mega.
“I improved quite a lot in Turn 1 on my second lap and it all came together. It wasn’t the perfect lap. It is going to be an interesting one tomorrow and I am pretty glad I am starting from pole.”
Norris conceded his lap was scrappy as team-mate Piastri in the other papaya car soared to the top of the order.
“Oscar drove very well but the pace was easily there today,” he said.
“Sometimes you don’t put the lap in. I know where I lost that time. I made a mistake at Turn 1 and on the exit of Turn 4.
“I was trying a little bit too much and I wasn’t tidy enough. Just one too many mistakes. I am still fine and happy with second. It is not the end of the world.”
Fellow Briton Hamilton called his car “undriveable” in practice on Friday, but he will take comfort from out-qualifying Leclerc for the first time since the second round in China, albeit half-a-second back from Piastri.
Home favourite Carlos Sainz qualified a disappointing 18th while Red Bull’s Yuki Tsunoda will prop up the grid after he clocked the slowest time with just eight tenths separating first to last in Q1.
Tsunoda’s best finish so far was ninth in Bahrain. He finished last week’s Monaco GP in 17th.
British rookie Ollie Bearman progressed to Q2, and will line up from 15th, two places clear of Esteban Ocon in the other Haas.
AP
