DRAMA Before Spanish GP: FIA Reveals Final Starting Grid After Late Punishments on… see details

DRAMA Before Spanish GP: FIA Reveals Final Starting Grid After Late Punishments on… see details

The starting grid for the inaugural Spanish Grand Prix at the new Madring circuit has been finalized after the FIA issued a series of post-qualifying verdicts and penalties.

Lando Norris will lead the field away from pole position after producing a sensational qualifying lap for McLaren. The championship contender edged Mercedes driver Kimi Antonelli by just 0.01 seconds, setting up another major battle between the two title protagonists.

Max Verstappen will start third for Red Bull, with Ferrari teammates Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc occupying fourth and fifth respectively. After the controversial opening-lap incident involving the two Ferrari drivers at Monza, attention will once again be focused on Hamilton and Leclerc when the lights go out in Madrid.

George Russell will begin the race from sixth, although the Mercedes driver’s qualifying result represented another setback in his championship campaign. His teammate Antonelli, meanwhile, starts from the front row and will have another opportunity to extend his advantage at the top of the standings.

Oscar Piastri completes the top seven, followed by Red Bull’s Liam Lawson in eighth. Alpine’s Franco Colapinto and Racing Bulls rookie Arvid Lindblad round out the top ten.

Further down the order, Nico Hulkenberg and Gabriel Bortoleto will start 11th and 12th for Audi, while Esteban Ocon takes 13th for Haas. Pierre Gasly will line up 14th, ahead of Racing Bulls driver Yuki Tsunoda and Williams’ Alex Albon.

Fernando Alonso starts 17th for Aston Martin, while Sergio Perez and Valtteri Bottas occupy 18th and 19th respectively.

Carlos Sainz, however, has suffered a significant setback at his home race. The Williams driver qualified 17th but was handed a three-place grid penalty after being found guilty of impeding Bottas during qualifying. As a result, Sainz has been dropped to 20th on the amended grid.

Lance Stroll has endured an even bigger penalty. The Aston Martin driver received a 40-place grid penalty for taking additional power unit components outside his permitted allocation. Since such a penalty exceeds the available grid positions, Stroll will start from the back of the field in 22nd.

Norris escapes major punishment

Despite being investigated after qualifying, Norris will retain his pole position. The McLaren driver was found to have exceeded the pit-lane speed limit, but the sporting consequence was handed to his team in the form of a €900 fine rather than a grid penalty.

Several other drivers also faced FIA investigations following the dramatic qualifying session.

The FIA examined incidents involving drivers navigating the newly designed chicane between Turns 5 and 6. Competitors are required to follow a designated route marked by a bollard when negotiating the section, with any significant deviation potentially resulting in a penalty.

Russell was investigated over his conduct at the section but avoided any further punishment.

Warnings for Mercedes drivers

Russell and Antonelli were also investigated for exceeding the maximum delta time during qualifying. The regulation is designed to prevent drivers from travelling unnecessarily slowly on out-laps and in-laps, helping maintain safety on track.

Both Mercedes drivers received formal warnings rather than grid penalties.

Audi’s Bortoleto was handed a similar warning after being investigated for the same infringement, while Ferrari’s Leclerc received a reprimand.

With the major penalties now applied, the grid is officially set for Sunday’s historic Spanish Grand Prix at the Madring circuit. With Norris starting from pole, Antonelli alongside him and Verstappen, Hamilton and Leclerc close behind, the opening laps could provide another dramatic chapter in the 2026 Formula 1 season.