We’ve been saying it all along: whoever is fast at the Spanish Grand Prix at the Montmeló circuit will be fast all year long. And Piastri knew it after the first two days of the weekend, as the Australian took pole position in Barcelona, shouting with joy after a stratospheric lap by Alonso in Q3, who set the fifth fastest time in Q3 with just over two minutes to go. He will finally start 10th.
Piastri takes pole in Barcelona with Alonso setting a lap from another world
It’s not that a new World Championship is starting in Barcelona, but it is a Grand Prix where everything will count towards deciding a championship that is already past the first third of the season. And for this qualifying session, with Alonso breaking the lap records and putting his Aston Martin in 5th place, having been very fast all weekend, Piastri has once again secured a very important pole position for his championship aspirations, as he remains 3 points ahead of his teammate Norris.
The heat dropped considerably in Barcelona, as did the superiority of the MCL39. Now few point to the flexibility of the front wing as the cause of McLaren’s advantage and all of Red Bull’s problems. And all this in a qualifying session where the times were really close from first (Piastri) to last (Tsunoda).
Carlos Sainz was not at his best, being eliminated in Q1 and will start from 18th position after a disastrous day in his Williams.
After a Saturday in which the pace of the Woking-based team’s cars stood out from the start, Piastri produced a great final attempt that earned him pole position ahead of Lando Norris, his teammate for the Spanish Grand Prix. Max Verstappen produced a good final lap to take third place.
Alonso was the only driver to survive Q1. Carlos Sainz was eliminated at the first hurdle after a final attempt that left him out of contention. Esteban Ocon was his nemesis. The Frenchman was two thousandths of a second faster than the Spanish driver, who will start 18th in his home Grand Prix, while Franco Colapinto, with a problem with his Alpine, was unable to make it through to Q2 when he was on course to do so. Luck was not on the Argentine’s side.
Alonso confirmed that he was having a really good qualifying session, showing on every lap that he was able to squeeze every last millisecond out of his Aston Martin car. So much so that, on his first attempt in Q3, he was in fifth place, causing the stands to go wild. The Spaniard himself shouted with joy from inside his Aston Martin, aware that he had just completed a truly impressive lap. The Spaniard is saving an explosive start for tomorrow, just like in 2011 and 2013…
Sainz, condemned to the back of the grid
There is little to say about Carlos Sainz. The Williams driver fared much worse, being eliminated in Q1 for the first time this season. Sainz will start 18th, where he has been suffering since the first day of practice on Friday, and will start Sunday only ahead of Franco Colapinto, who was let down by his Alpine, and Yuki Tsunoda, who will start last with Red Bull. That car is definitely only made for one driver.
The big question on everyone’s mind, or one of the biggest for tomorrow, is whether Max Verstappen will be able to steal the show from Piastri or one of the McLarens again. The champion will start third, tied on time (literally) with George Russell, but one place ahead after setting his time earlier.
One to watch! 📺
From a McLaren 1-2 to shock eliminations, qualifying served up a fascinating grid ⬇️#F1 #SpanishGP pic.twitter.com/NlwsXzKPVd
— Formula 1 (@F1) May 31, 2025