Sainz at the Madring
Sainz at the Madring
© XPB Images

F1 Madrid LIVE: Qualifying reaction after surprise Norris Spanish GP pole

Live coverage of Saturday at the F1 Spanish Grand Prix

KEY MOMENTS

  • Norris storms to Madrid pole
  • Lewis Hamilton crash brings out red flag
  • Leclerc fastest at red flag

The 14th round of the 2026 Formula 1 season takes place at the Spanish Grand Prix.

The Madring becomes F1's newest grand prix venue as it replaces Barcelona as the home of the Spanish Grand Prix. The street track layout features 22 turns packed into a 5.414km distance, with the banked Turn 12 the focal point.

In the lead-up to the weekend, drivers have commented on an expectation of red flags, with many in the lower reaches keen to take advantage of any opportunities that may present themselves.

However, Friday saw only one stoppage, as Arvid Lindblad lost control of his Racing Bulls car at Turn 13 in the second practice session. 

Kimi Antonelli arrives at Madrid with an increased 66-point lead in the drivers' championship after taking victory in Monza from 19th place on the grid. This leaves team-mate and primary championship rival George Russell needing to claw back some of the margin this weekend, meaning he may be forced to take some uncomfortable risks.

Mercedes and Ferrari appeared to be the teams with the greatest pace, with McLaren, Red Bull, and Lindblad battling it out behind. 

2026 Spanish Grand Prix Saturday schedule

FP3 11:30am BST - 12:30pm BST

Qualifying: 3:00pm BST - 4:00pm BST

12 Sep 2026
15:06

Bortoleto goes third fastest with a 1m33.986s! Audi has looked rapid in the hands of both drivers so far this weekend. 

15:05

A 1m33.566s for Antonelli makes him the early benchmark, as Verstappen goes second by 0.178s.

Russell has a nightmare with a time 0.810s shy, as Leclerc and Hamilton force him back down the order. 

15:02

Of the 21 drivers taking part in Q1, 17 have taken to the track immediately. Ferrari and Verstappen are on medium tyres to begin with, but Mercedes are running softs on both cars. 

15:00
Green light for Q1

Q1 is underway! A mix of medium and hard tyres on display right now. 

14:59

We can't stress this enough, having seen the F2 and F3 races so far today, qualifying is crucial with overtaking so difficult on the Madring layout. 

And as we're about to get going, Haas confirms: "Ollie Bearman will not participate in qualifying for the Spanish Grand Prix as a result of the damage sustained to his VF-26."

14:56

The music has played, and it's time to get going. 

14:53

With blue skies continuing overhead, the official risk of rain in qualifying is 0%. Not long to go now! 

14:49

Less than 15 minutes remain before we get moving. So far this weekend, Mercedes has topped every session with Russell leading FP1, before Antonelli took FP2 and FP3. However, Ferrari has beeing right there on pace with both Hamilton and Leclerc. 

But things got more complicated still this morning, as McLaren entered the mix. If all six drivers can avoid drama in the early stages, this could be a top-notch qualifying session. 

14:44
Anthony Davidson criticises Lewis Hamilton for setting bad example to young drivers in Madrid F1 practice

Anthony Davidson criticises Lewis Hamilton for setting bad example to young drivers in Madrid F1 practice

Sky Sports F1 pundit and ex-Formula 1 driver Anthony Davidson has criticised Lewis Hamilton for setting a bad example to young drivers in final practice at the Spanish Grand Prix. 

Hamilton crashed at the final corner having looked set to post the fastest time in FP3 at Madrid, before reversing his Ferrari out of the barriers and attempting to limp his car back to the pits. 

Full story here...

Lewis Hamilton crashed in final practice in Madrid
Lewis Hamilton crashed in final practice in Madrid
14:35

Hamilton should have no problem with his repairs being completed in time for qualifying, however, that is not the same for Bearman. Should his car have sustained chassis damage, he will not be permitted to switch chassis before qualifying - forcing him out of the session. 

 

14:29

No red flags, and it's good news. We should be able to get things underway on time. Miyata took his first F2 victory, but now, it's time for the build-up to F1 qualifying. 

14:24

Less than two laps remain in the F2 race. If an incident can be avoided here, it's likely that F1 qualifying will get underway on time. 

14:16

In case you missed it earlier, Hamilton and Bearman both caused red flag periods in FP3, with Hamilton's causing a surprising amount of barrier damage, that saw the session not only red-flagged but 'temporarily suspended.

However, he could be under scrutiny from the stewards after driving most of a lap with the front wing stuck under his car, despite Ferrari telling him to stop. 

Full story here...

Lewis Hamilton driving with damage to his Ferrari
Lewis Hamilton driving with damage to his Ferrari
14:11

With red flags causing a delay to the action, the F2 race is continuing, and the championship picture has taken a sudden turn, as Tsolov spun out of fifth place, while battling team-mate Leon. He hit the inside wall at Turn 20 and around he want. But with title rival Camara now in seventh, things have changed massively in the title battle. 

14:08
Good afternoon

Good afternoon and welcome back to Madrid for a crucial qualifying session for the Spanish Grand Prix. Overtaking looks to be incredibly difficult this weekend, so the coming hour of action will be crucial for a strong result come the end of Sunday. 

13:05
2026 F1 Spanish Grand Prix - Madrid Final Practice Results

2026 F1 Spanish Grand Prix - Madrid Final Practice Results

Kimi Antonelli set the fastest time in a red-flag-disrupted final practice session at the Spanish Grand Prix.

Antonelli backed up his pace in FP2 by leading the way on Saturday morning, as he negotiated a pair of red-flag stoppages to lead the way once again. 

Full results here...

Lewis Hamilton driving with damage to his Ferrari
Lewis Hamilton driving with damage to his Ferrari
12:57
Kimi Antonelli tops final Madrid F1 practice delayed by Lewis Hamilton shunt

Kimi Antonelli tops final Madrid F1 practice delayed by Lewis Hamilton shunt

Andrea Kimi Antonelli set the pace for Mercedes in a truncated final practice at Formula 1’s Spanish Grand Prix as Ferrari’s Lewis Hamilton crashed. 

Mercedes continued its impressive start to the weekend in Madrid as Antonelli jumped to the top of the timesheets in the closing minutes of FP3, having edged out Charles Leclerc in the Ferrari by 0.166 seconds. 

Full report here...

Kimi Antonelli has topped two of the three practice sessions in Madrid
Kimi Antonelli has topped two of the three practice sessions in Madrid
12:51

A heavy hit, heavy damage, and it's not a good end to FP3 for Haas and Bearman. 

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12:49
Chequered flag

The session is over, and Bearman will be lucky to take any part in qualifying. 

The top 10 in the session were: 

  1. Antonelli
  2. Leclerc
  3. Piastri
  4. Norris
  5. Verstappen
  6. Russell
  7. Lawson
  8. Hulkenberg
  9. Hamilton
  10. Bortoleto
12:47

The medical car has been deployed and it's Ollie Bearman ending FP3 in the wall at Turn 11. His Haas has taken a heavy hit there. 

12:47
Red flag

One minute remaining and it's another red flag. 

12:45

Gasly is caught by Norris, again, pointing to the fact that traffic will be a huge factor later on. 

12:43

Into the final five minutes, and Antonelli is back to the top. The track is ramping up, the grip is improving, and times are getting quicker and quicker. 

12:42

Julkenberg has gone purple in sector one, but he gets blocked by one of the Alpines in sector two. He improves to P8, but that could have been so much more. 

12:40

Hold the phone, Norris is back up to second place, 0.07s shy of Leclerc. This could be a thrilling battle in qualifying later on today. 

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