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Amended Spanish GP Starting Grid after FIA Confirms  Late Penalties
The FIA has confirmed an amended starting grid for the 2026 Spanish Grand Prix after late penalties changed the order following Saturday’s qualifying session at the new Madring circuit in Madrid.
Lando Norris will retain pole position for the historic first Spanish Grand Prix at the new venue, with championship leader Kimi Antonelli starting alongside him on the front row. Norris produced a remarkable final qualifying lap to beat Antonelli by just 0.011 seconds.
However, the biggest change to the grid came after Carlos Sainz was handed a three-place penalty for impeding Valtteri Bottas during Q1.
The FIA stewards determined that Sainz had unnecessarily impeded Bottas while the Cadillac driver was on a flying lap. The Williams driver was originally classified 17th, but the three-place drop sends him down to 20th for his home race. Bottas, Sergio Perez and Fernando Alonso consequently move up one position.
The amended order also includes Lance Stroll at the back of the field. The Aston Martin driver carries a 40-place grid penalty after his team fitted a completely new Honda power-unit package, which subsequently suffered a water leak before he could set a qualifying time. Because the penalty exceeds the available grid positions, Stroll starts 22nd.
Amended Spanish GP Starting Grid
Lando Norris – McLaren
Kimi Antonelli – Mercedes
Max Verstappen – Red Bull
Lewis Hamilton – Ferrari
Charles Leclerc – Ferrari
George Russell – Mercedes
Oscar Piastri – McLaren
Liam Lawson – Red Bull
Franco Colapinto – Alpine
Arvid Lindblad – Racing Bulls
Nico Hulkenberg – Audi
Gabriel Bortoleto – Audi
Esteban Ocon – Haas
Pierre Gasly – Alpine
Yuki Tsunoda – Racing Bulls
Alex Albon – Williams
Fernando Alonso – Aston Martin
Sergio Perez – Cadillac
Valtteri Bottas – Cadillac
Carlos Sainz – Williams
Oliver Bearman – Haas
Lance Stroll – Aston Martin
For Norris, the amended grid represents another major opportunity in his championship campaign. The McLaren driver secured his third pole position of the 2026 season after producing a late qualifying lap that overturned Mercedes’ advantage.
Antonelli, meanwhile, starts second and will be determined to convert his strong qualifying performance into another major points haul as he continues to lead the championship.
Behind them, Verstappen starts third, while Hamilton and Leclerc occupy fourth and fifth for Ferrari. George Russell completes the top six.
With overtaking expected to be difficult around the new Madring layout, qualifying position could prove crucial. The late FIA penalties therefore add another layer of intrigue to an already historic Spanish Grand Prix.
The race will begin with Norris leading the field away, while Sainz faces the difficult task of fighting back from 20th in front of his home crowd.
Source check: The grid changes are based on the latest published reports, including Sainz’s three-place penalty and Stroll’s 40-place penalty.