Formula One championship leader Oscar Piastri hailed his “mega” McLaren after storming to pole position for the Spanish Grand Prix on May 31, with teammate Lando Norris securing second to complete a dominant front-row lockout for the team.
“Very happy. It’s been a good weekend so far,” said Piastri. “It didn’t start great — we were struggling a bit — but we found some pace last night, and today the car was incredible. I was able to put in some strong laps.”
The 23-year-old Australian, who qualified 10th at this race last year, now leads the drivers’ standings on 161 points — just three ahead of 24-year-old Briton Norris heading into Sunday’s race. Red Bull’s Max Verstappen sits third with 136 points.
Reflecting on the turnaround from last season, Piastri added: “This was a pretty miserable scene 12 months ago, so to come back like this is the perfect result.”
Norris praised his teammate’s performance while expressing satisfaction with McLaren’s showing: “Oscar drove very well. The pace is definitely there. A few small mistakes from me, but it’s a great result for the team. A one-two and an exciting start for tomorrow — though there are a lot of fast guys behind us, so we’ll have to stay sharp.”
Verstappen will start third, having set the same time as Mercedes’ George Russell, who will line up fourth due to completing his lap later. The Red Bull star acknowledged McLaren’s superiority this weekend.
“I’ve been lacking pace all weekend,” Verstappen admitted. “We executed well, and third is probably where we should be. I’ll give it my best tomorrow, but McLaren will be hard to beat.”
Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton qualified fifth, with 17-year-old rookie Kimi Antonelli impressively taking sixth in his first season as Hamilton’s successor at Mercedes. Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc was seventh, followed by Pierre Gasly (Alpine), Isack Hadjar (Racing Bulls), and Fernando Alonso (Aston Martin), who completed the top 10.
Off the Track: Horner Dismisses Ferrari Speculation
Meanwhile, Red Bull team principal Christian Horner dismissed fresh speculation linking him with a move to Ferrari. German newspaper Bild had reported that Ferrari was eyeing Horner as a potential replacement for Fred Vasseur, but the 51-year-old Briton insisted he remains fully committed to Red Bull.
“It’s always flattering to be linked with other teams, but my commitment is 100 per cent with Red Bull — it always has been and will be for the long term,” Horner said during a press conference.
Horner, who has led Red Bull since its 2005 debut, is the longest-serving team principal in Formula One. Under his leadership, the team has won eight drivers’ titles — with Sebastian Vettel and Max Verstappen — and six constructors’ championships.
His tenure hasn’t been without controversy. In 2024, Horner was cleared of allegations of inappropriate behavior toward a female employee. The team has also seen recent high-profile departures, including star designer Adrian Newey (now at Aston Martin) and former sporting director Jonathan Wheatley (now leading Sauber).
Speculation has also surrounded Verstappen’s future, despite the Dutchman being under contract through 2028. Tensions surfaced earlier this year when Verstappen’s father, Jos, clashed with Horner amid internal Red Bull friction.
As the off-track drama simmers, McLaren’s on-track momentum now sets up a potentially season-defining Sunday in Spain.
