lastly struck again within the 2026 Components 1 world title combat as he ended Kimi Antonelli’s dominant streak to take pole for the Barcelona Grand Prix.
Russell set a 1m14.679s for his third pole of 2026, 0.064s faster than second-placed with Antonelli in third and three tenths behind his team-mate.
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The Briton’s pole this weekend isn’t any shock after topping two of the three apply periods, whereas additionally going quickest in Q2 following second within the opening qualifying outing.
In Q3, in the meantime, drivers needed to overcome an early pink flag as crashed on the Flip 4 exit after drifting onto the dustier line which out of the blue triggered him to lose the again finish.
By that time solely two laps have been accomplished, ’s 1m15.176s to ’s 1m15.328s, each of which have been subsequently crushed to provisional pole by Russell.
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Lando Norris is the lead McLaren
Lando Norris is the lead McLaren
The Mercedes driver set a 1m15.145s, 0.031s faster than Piastri, whereas team-mate Antonelli may solely obtain a provisional fourth after going 0.269s slower than the Briton.
Antonelli improved to a 1m14.998s on his second run although, initially leaping forward of his team-mate, earlier than Russell took pole again moments later by 0.319s.
The championship chief dropped once more after Hamilton’s late time, a 1m14.743s, which means he’ll share the second row with who set a 1m15.001s on the finish for .
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Verstappen in the end certified fifth, bettering to a 1m15.021s late on, together with his Purple Bull team-mate 0.056s behind in sixth to finish the third row.
It was a scrappy finish for Piastri who slipped to seventh, having solely improved to a 1m15.090s, and his McLaren might be joined on the fourth row by in-form man .
The Kiwi set a 1m16.542s, nonetheless a way off the highest 4 groups, however extra crucially a tenth forward of ninth-placed for with tenth going to Leclerc.
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Charles Leclerc ended Q3 within the wall
Charles Leclerc ended Q3 within the wall
It may have been worse for McLaren although as each of its automobiles have been in danger on the finish of Q2 with Norris eighth and Piastri solely tenth, however the pair improved to outlive the scare.
So eleventh went to Racing Bulls rookie , 0.161s forward of Twelfth-placed for Audi with thirteenth going to ’s .
It means the Argentine has now outqualified team-mate in 5 of the final six periods – together with sprints – as 14th went to the Frenchman, a day after his Monaco podium was reinstated.
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in the end took fifteenth for Haas with sixteenth going to in a Q2 session topped by Russell, who was second to former Mercedes team-mate Hamilton in Q1.
Q1 noticed qualify seventeenth for the third consecutive race after being pushed into the elimination zone late on by Sainz, whose team-mate took 18th.
It’ll be an all-Cadillac tenth row with in nineteenth, once more outqualifying in twentieth, whereas Aston Martin was a second behind the American outfit on the again.
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Fernando Alonso completed in twenty second in Spain
Fernando Alonso completed in twenty second in Spain
For the primary time in 2026, certified forward of stablemate by taking twenty first, whereas twenty second went to the world champion.
F1 Barcelona GP: Qualifying consequence
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Pictures from Barcelona-Catalunya Grand Prix – SaturdayGeorge Russell, Mercedes
George Russell, Mercedes
Sam Bloxham / LAT Photographs through Getty Photographs
Lewis Hamilton, Ferrari
Lewis Hamilton, Ferrari
Alastair Staley / LAT Photographs through Getty Photographs
Gabriel Bortoleto, Audi F1 Group
Gabriel Bortoleto, Audi F1 Group
Alastair Staley / LAT Photographs through Getty Photographs
Andrea Kimi Antonelli, Mercedes
Andrea Kimi Antonelli, Mercedes
Sam Bloxham / LAT Photographs through Getty Photographs
George Russell, Mercedes
George Russell, Mercedes
Sam Bloxham / LAT Photographs through Getty Photographs
Koji Watanabe, President, CEO and Consultant Director of Honda Racing Company
Koji Watanabe, President, CEO and Consultant Director of Honda Racing Company
Alastair Staley / LAT Photographs through Getty Photographs
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Franco Colapinto, Alpine
Franco Colapinto, Alpine
Alastair Staley / LAT Photographs through Getty Photographs
Fernando Alonso, Aston Martin Racing
Fernando Alonso, Aston Martin Racing
Alastair Staley / LAT Photographs through Getty Photographs
Oliver Bearman, Haas F1 Group
Oliver Bearman, Haas F1 Group
Sam Bagnall / Sutton Photographs through Getty Photographs
Esteban Ocon, Haas F1 Group
Esteban Ocon, Haas F1 Group
Simon Galloway / LAT Photographs through Getty Photographs
Fernando Alonso, Aston Martin Racing
Fernando Alonso, Aston Martin Racing
Andy Hone/ LAT Photographs through Getty Photographs
Oliver Bearman, Haas F1 Group
Oliver Bearman, Haas F1 Group
Alastair Staley / LAT Photographs through Getty Photographs
Franco Colapinto, Alpine
Franco Colapinto, Alpine
Sam Bagnall / Sutton Photographs through Getty Photographs
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Fernando Alonso, Aston Martin Racing
Fernando Alonso, Aston Martin Racing
Alastair Staley / LAT Photographs through Getty Photographs
Gabriel Bortoleto, Audi F1 Group
Gabriel Bortoleto, Audi F1 Group
Simon Galloway / LAT Photographs through Getty Photographs
Gabriel Bortoleto, Audi F1 Group
Gabriel Bortoleto, Audi F1 Group
Andy Hone/ LAT Photographs through Getty Photographs
Pierre Gasly, Alpine
Pierre Gasly, Alpine
Sam Bagnall / Sutton Photographs through Getty Photographs
Esteban Ocon, Haas F1 Group
Esteban Ocon, Haas F1 Group
Andy Hone/ LAT Photographs through Getty Photographs
Flavio Briatore, Alpine
Flavio Briatore, Alpine
Sam Bagnall / Sutton Photographs through Getty Photographs
Nico Hulkenberg, Audi F1 Group
Nico Hulkenberg, Audi F1 Group
Andy Hone/ LAT Photographs through Getty Photographs
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Esteban Ocon, Haas F1 Group
Esteban Ocon, Haas F1 Group
Simon Galloway / LAT Photographs through Getty Photographs
Nico Hulkenberg, Audi F1 Group
Nico Hulkenberg, Audi F1 Group
Andy Hone/ LAT Photographs through Getty Photographs
Oliver Bearman, Haas F1 Group
Oliver Bearman, Haas F1 Group
Simon Galloway / LAT Photographs through Getty Photographs
Carlos Sainz, Williams
Carlos Sainz, Williams
Steven Tee / LAT Photographs through Getty Photographs
Oliver Bearman, Haas F1 Group
Oliver Bearman, Haas F1 Group
Sam Bagnall / Sutton Photographs through Getty Photographs
Valtteri Bottas, Cadillac Racing
Valtteri Bottas, Cadillac Racing
Sam Bagnall / Sutton Photographs through Getty Photographs
Valtteri Bottas, Cadillac Racing
Valtteri Bottas, Cadillac Racing
Sam Bagnall / Sutton Photographs through Getty Photographs
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Oliver Bearman, Haas F1 Group, Sergio Perez, Cadillac Racing
Oliver Bearman, Haas F1 Group, Sergio Perez, Cadillac Racing
Sam Bagnall / Sutton Photographs through Getty Photographs
Oliver Bearman, Haas F1 Group
Oliver Bearman, Haas F1 Group
Simon Galloway / LAT Photographs through Getty Photographs
Max Verstappen, Purple Bull Racing
Max Verstappen, Purple Bull Racing
Sam Bloxham / LAT Photographs through Getty Photographs
Alexander Albon, Williams
Alexander Albon, Williams
Sam Bloxham / LAT Photographs through Getty Photographs
Nico Hulkenberg, Audi F1 Group
Nico Hulkenberg, Audi F1 Group
Andy Hone/ LAT Photographs through Getty Photographs
Esteban Ocon, Haas F1 Group
Esteban Ocon, Haas F1 Group
Andy Hone/ LAT Photographs through Getty Photographs
Oscar Piastri, McLaren
Oscar Piastri, McLaren
Sam Bagnall / Sutton Photographs through Getty Photographs
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Isack Hadjar, Purple Bull Racing
Isack Hadjar, Purple Bull Racing
Simon Galloway / LAT Photographs through Getty Photographs
Nico Hulkenberg, Audi F1 Group
Nico Hulkenberg, Audi F1 Group
Simon Galloway / LAT Photographs through Getty Photographs
Lando Norris, McLaren
Lando Norris, McLaren
Steven Tee / LAT Photographs through Getty Photographs
Lewis Hamilton, Ferrari
Lewis Hamilton, Ferrari
Sam Bagnall / Sutton Photographs through Getty Photographs
Lando Norris, McLaren
Lando Norris, McLaren
Steven Tee / LAT Photographs through Getty Photographs
Nico Hulkenberg, Audi F1 Group
Nico Hulkenberg, Audi F1 Group
Andy Hone/ LAT Photographs through Getty Photographs
George Russell, Mercedes
George Russell, Mercedes
Alastair Staley / LAT Photographs through Getty Photographs
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Oscar Piastri, McLaren
Oscar Piastri, McLaren
Simon Galloway / LAT Photographs through Getty Photographs
George Russell, Mercedes, Andrea Kimi Antonelli, Mercedes, Isack Hadjar, Purple Bull Racing
George Russell, Mercedes, Andrea Kimi Antonelli, Mercedes, Isack Hadjar, Purple Bull Racing
Sam Bloxham / LAT Photographs through Getty Photographs
Franco Colapinto, Alpine
Franco Colapinto, Alpine
Andy Hone/ LAT Photographs through Getty Photographs
Lewis Hamilton, Ferrari
Lewis Hamilton, Ferrari
Sam Bloxham / LAT Photographs through Getty Photographs
George Russell, Mercedes, Andrea Kimi Antonelli, Mercedes
George Russell, Mercedes, Andrea Kimi Antonelli, Mercedes
Sam Bloxham / LAT Photographs through Getty Photographs
George Russell, Mercedes, Andrea Kimi Antonelli, Mercedes
George Russell, Mercedes, Andrea Kimi Antonelli, Mercedes
Andy Hone/ LAT Photographs through Getty Photographs
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George Russell, Mercedes
George Russell, Mercedes
Andy Hone/ LAT Photographs through Getty Photographs
Lewis Hamilton, Ferrari, George Russell, Mercedes, Andrea Kimi Antonelli, Mercedes
Lewis Hamilton, Ferrari, George Russell, Mercedes, Andrea Kimi Antonelli, Mercedes
Sam Bloxham / LAT Photographs through Getty Photographs
George Russell, Mercedes
George Russell, Mercedes
Sam Bloxham / LAT Photographs through Getty Photographs
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