Oscar Piastri defeated Lando Norris for the Pole position of the Grand Prix of Spain 2025, the star of Red Bull Max Verstappen having been able to qualify only in third position with a deficit of 0.302 seconds.
The championship leader, Piastri, made a time of 1’11 ”546 at the end of the Q3, ahead of Norris of 0” 209. This is the most important gap between the first and second place during a qualifying session since the start of the 2025 F1 season. George Russell made a time identical to that of Verstappen to rank fourth.
The Red Bull Verstappen driver and the Mercedes Russell driver failed to take over Piastri and Norris, even offering McLaren their first lockout on the front line to the GP in Spain since 1998. McLaren now hopes that having two pilots at the head of the Order will lead to his first victory in Spain since 2005.
Verstappen and Red Bull will fight against the Duo McLaren Piastri and Norris as well as the stars of Mercedes Russell and Andrea Kimi Antonelli, who qualified P6 alone, in the GP of Spain after Yuki Tsunoda failed to get out of the Q1 and achieved the slowest time of qualifications this Saturday. Thompson/Getty Images
Yuki Tsunoda qualifying P20 for the GP of Spain proves that he “hurts” Max Verstappen at Red Bull
Fearing damage, Tsunoda asked Red Bull to check his flat bottom after his first Run in Q1. But he could not sufficiently improve his performance at the end of the first qualifying phase and finished 20th, despite the mechanical problem of Franco Colapinto in Q1 in Spain.
Verstappen was 0.587 s faster than Tsunoda in Q1, the Dutchman finishing second in the first segment behind Piastri for 0.247 s. Nico Rosberg now believes that the lack of speed of Tsunoda in qualifying since his arrival at Red Bull in March “Night” in Verstappen, who must fight alone.
Rosberg said on Sky Sports F1 (31/05, 13:50): “This is the moment when the lack of a teammate strong for Verstappen, or a nearby teammate, hurts because he is unable to compare himself to anyone.
“He has only his own data, and that’s it, while everyone pushes each other to go always faster. It’s a disadvantage. »»
Yuki Tsunoda was slower than Max Verstappen in Spain than Liam Lawson in China
Red Bull promoted Tsunoda to replace Liam Lawson before the third round of the season, after seeing the 23 -year -old pilot finish the qualifications of the Shanghai sprint and the China Grand Prix as the slowest driver. Lawson was 0.813 s and 0.750 s slower respectively than Verstappen in Shanghai.
Tsunoda’s delay on Verstappen in qualifying for the GP of Spain even eclipses the difficult situation of Lawson in China, which cost its boat in New Zealanders. But Lawson was also 1.076 seconds slower than the quadruple holder of the title of champion of F1 pilots during the Q1 of the first GP in Australia.
Red Bull fears Tsunoda’s deficit on the Barcelona-Catalogne circuit, and this is one of the last things the Japanese pilot needed. Red Bull sees Isack Hadjar as an option to replace Tsunoda in 2026, his average delay in qualifying on Verstappen being now 0.722 s.
