Overview

• Oscar Piastri outpaced teammate Lando Norris by two tenths of a second to claim pole for the Spanish Grand Prix.
• McLaren shrugged off the FIA’s tougher front wing tests, maintaining its qualifying streak since Monaco.
• Max Verstappen qualified third after introducing Red Bull upgrades but cautioned that soft-tyre grip remains insufficient.
• A Q3 incident saw Piastri abruptly brake to thwart Norris’s slipstream bid, highlighting tension within the McLaren camp.
• Lance Stroll withdrew with hand pain, reducing the field to 19 cars as abrasive asphalt and high track temperatures set to strain tyre strategies.