McLaren's Piastri and Norris out to break Verstappen's hold on Spanish Grand Prix
MONTMELO, Spain — Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris have just three points between them at the top of the F1 standings as the McLaren pair aim to break Max Verstappen's hold on the Spanish Grand Prix this weekend.
Verstappen has driven his Red Bull to victory at the race held north of Barcelona for the last three seasons, using the high-speed track as a stepping stone toward his haul of four straight world championships so far.
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New York Times
39 minutes ago
- New York Times
Oscar Piastri quickest again
Follow live coverage of today's Formula 1 action with Oscar Piastri getting the better of Lando Norris in qualifying Getty Images McLaren's Oscar Piastri has qualified on pole position at the Spanish Grand Prix. The Australian, who leads the F1 World Driver's Championship standings, beat his team-mate Lando Norris as McLaren secured a one-two for tomorrow's race. Max Verstappen qualified third, ahead of British duo George Russell and Lewis Hamilton. Email: live@ GO FURTHER F1 Spanish GP qualifying: Oscar Piastri secures pole as McLaren dominates Connections: Sports Edition Spot the pattern. Connect the terms Find the hidden link between sports terms Getty Images Wow! A 1:11.836 to go top! George Russell moves into second with a superb 1:12.075, ahead of Max Verstappen in third. Despite the dark clouds growing near the circuit, the team radars aren't showing anything due to hit the track itself through Q3. I think we'll get to the end without showers. Can anybody stop McLaren here?! Getty Images I think Alex Albon and Williams will be pretty happy with 11th there. Albon gave his car up for Williams young driver Victor Martins in FP1, and then was sidelined by a suspected brake issue through much of Q3, meaning he had just one flying lap completed on Saturday heading into qualifying. At a track that really does not suit Williams, to be so close to reaching Q3 is a decent return. 11. Alex Albon , Williams , Williams 12. Gabriel Bortoleto , Sauber , Sauber 13. Liam Lawson , Racing Bulls , Racing Bulls 14. Lance Stroll , Aston Martin , Aston Martin 15. Ollie Bearman , Haas , Haas 16. Nico Hulkenberg , Sauber , Sauber 17. Esteban Ocon , Haas , Haas 18. Carlos Sainz , Williams , Williams 19. Franco Colapinto , Alpine , Alpine 20. Yuki Tsunoda, Red Bull And as Yuki Tsunoda slumps to last, Isack Hadjar puts in another great qualifying display for Racing Bulls to reach Q3, off the heels of finishing sixth in Monaco last weekend. He's putting in a good case for future consideration for that second Red Bull seat, surely... Getty Images The young Racing Bulls driver looked to be in trouble but produced a fine lap to go sixth. Ollie Bearman is the last man out on the track … but fails to significantly improve his time and stays in P15. Alex Albon, Gabriel Bortoleto, Liam Lawson and Lance Stroll join him in exiting Q2. His last flying lap is only good enough for 8th. Lance Stroll is out. He's currently sat in 13th. The top five are all in the pits. Just about everybody else is on an out lap. Getty Images The drivers in the danger zone are: Gabriel Bortoleto, Liam Lawson, Alex Albon, Lance Stroll and Oliver Bearman. Oscar Piastri still on top at this stage, but Lando Norris again had to pass a slower car at Turn 12, which will have contributed to the 0.058 second gap to the other McLaren. They are so close right now, with Piastri edging it in the first sector, Norris mighty in sector two. Max Verstappen actually has the quickest time in sector three, with a big 0.36 second gap to the leaders. Getty Images Lando Norris goes quickest with a 1:12.056. But Lewis Hamilton and Oscar Piastri are both on flying laps and both go quicker through the first sector… Hamilton, however, loses time in the third and final sector and goes third, behind Norris and Max Verstappen. Piastri then nudges them all down a spot with a blistering 1:11.998. Max Verstappen has set the quickest lap so far in Q2: a 1:12.358. He's followed by Gabriel Bortoleto, Liam Lawson and Alex Albon. Getty Images Looks like a big 0.2 second gap between the McLaren drivers in Q1, but Lando Norris had a big moment three corners from home when he passed a slower car and had to step off the gas to save a big snap. There's surely more time to come from him heading into Q2. Fernando Alonso is the first out onto the track. Getty Images Oscar Piastri, once again, was the fastest man of the session. He was followed by Max Verstappen, Lando Norris, George Russell and Kimi Antonelli. Getty Images 16. Nico Hulkenberg , Sauber , Sauber 17. Esteban Ocon , Haas , Haas 18. Carlos Sainz , Williams , Williams 19. Franco Colapinto , Alpine , Alpine 20. Yuki Tsunoda, Red Bull Oh dear, that's not a good result for Yuki Tsunoda. The second Red Bull 'curse' shows zero sign of abating right now. He's plum last in qualifying, even if he is 'only' six-tenths of a second off Verstappen's lap time up in P2. Getty Images Yuki Tsunoda has qualified last! 0.834 seconds behind the leader, Oscar Piastri. There's also disappointment for home favourite Carlos Sainz, who qualifies 18th, one place ahead of the unlucky Franco Colapinto. Nico Hulkenberg is 16th, Esteban Ocon 17th.
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Tsunoda under pressure after new Red Bull driver hits bottom of qualifying in Spain
MONTMELO, Spain (AP) — Yuki Tsunoda is under immense pressure to turn things around after the new Red Bull driver bottomed out in qualifying for the Spanish Grand Prix on Saturday. Tsunoda will start his seventh race for Red Bull from ignominious last place. Only a massive drive on Sunday will get him back into the points. Advertisement The Japanese driver was promoted from Red Bull's junior Racing Bulls team after the season was already underway. Red Bull made the stunning decision after only two rounds to drop Liam Lawson as the teammate of Formula 1 champion Max Verstappen. Lawson crashed out of the season-opening Australian Grand Prix and qualified in last place for the Chinese Grand Prix and its sprint race. Now it is the 25-year-old Tsunoda who needs to show he's capable in the Red Bull seat after four previous seasons with the junior team. Tsunoda was at a loss to explain why he and his team can't get it right. 'Whatever I do, every lap, even like a long run was a good example, just whatever I do, nothing happens,' Tsunoda said. 'It doesn't really stack up … I don't know what it is, and I can't really have any answer to that.' Advertisement Red Bull's second seat is, naturally, constantly compared to Verstappen, and has become something of a poisoned chalice. The experienced Sergio Pérez struggled as Verstappen's partner and his performance dipped so much last season that Red Bull lost to McLaren the constructors' title even though Verstappen won a fourth straight drivers' title. Tsunoda's best finish so far was ninth in Bahrain. He finished last week's Monaco GP in 17th. Verstappen will start Sunday's Spanish GP from third, behind pole sitter Oscar Piastri and his McLaren teammate Lando Norris. ___ AP auto racing: Joseph Wilson, The Associated Press
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Tsunoda under pressure after new Red Bull driver hits bottom of qualifying in Spain
Red Bull driver Yuki Tsunoda of Japan sits in his car during the qualifying session ahead of the Spanish Grand Prix Formula One race at the Barcelona Catalunya racetrack in Montmelo, near Barcelona, Spain, Saturday, May 31, 2025. (Juan Medina/Pool Photo via AP) Red Bull driver Yuki Tsunoda of Japan sits in his car during the qualifying session ahead of the Spanish Grand Prix Formula One race at the Barcelona Catalunya racetrack in Montmelo, near Barcelona, Spain, Saturday, May 31, 2025. (Juan Medina/Pool Photo via AP) Red Bull driver Yuki Tsunoda of Japan sits in his car during the qualifying session ahead of the Spanish Grand Prix Formula One race at the Barcelona Catalunya racetrack in Montmelo, near Barcelona, Spain, Saturday, May 31, 2025. (Juan Medina/Pool Photo via AP) Red Bull driver Yuki Tsunoda of Japan sits in his car during the qualifying session ahead of the Spanish Grand Prix Formula One race at the Barcelona Catalunya racetrack in Montmelo, near Barcelona, Spain, Saturday, May 31, 2025. (Juan Medina/Pool Photo via AP) Red Bull driver Yuki Tsunoda of Japan sits in his car during the qualifying session ahead of the Spanish Grand Prix Formula One race at the Barcelona Catalunya racetrack in Montmelo, near Barcelona, Spain, Saturday, May 31, 2025. (Juan Medina/Pool Photo via AP) MONTMELO, Spain (AP) — Yuki Tsunoda is under immense pressure to turn things around after the new Red Bull driver bottomed out in qualifying for the Spanish Grand Prix on Saturday. Tsunoda will start his seventh race for Red Bull from ignominious last place. Only a massive drive on Sunday will get him back into the points. Advertisement The Japanese driver was promoted from Red Bull's junior Racing Bulls team after the season was already underway. Red Bull made the stunning decision after only two rounds to drop Liam Lawson as the teammate of Formula 1 champion Max Verstappen. Lawson crashed out of the season-opening Australian Grand Prix and qualified in last place for the Chinese Grand Prix and its sprint race. Now it is the 25-year-old Tsunoda who needs to show he's capable in the Red Bull seat after four previous seasons with the junior team. Tsunoda was at a loss to explain why he and his team can't get it right. 'Whatever I do, every lap, even like a long run was a good example, just whatever I do, nothing happens,' Tsunoda said. 'It doesn't really stack up … I don't know what it is, and I can't really have any answer to that.' Advertisement Red Bull's second seat is, naturally, constantly compared to Verstappen, and has become something of a poisoned chalice. The experienced Sergio Pérez struggled as Verstappen's partner and his performance dipped so much last season that Red Bull lost to McLaren the constructors' title even though Verstappen won a fourth straight drivers' title. Tsunoda's best finish so far was ninth in Bahrain. He finished last week's Monaco GP in 17th. Verstappen will start Sunday's Spanish GP from third, behind pole sitter Oscar Piastri and his McLaren teammate Lando Norris. ___ AP auto racing:
