Mixed feelings but clear progress
Lewis Hamilton admitted that qualifying fifth for the Spanish Grand Prix wasn’t exactly what Ferrari hoped for—but it’s a sign of real progress. After a string of underwhelming performances, Hamilton called his P5 result “definitely an improvement,” especially after describing the car as “undriveable” during early practice sessions.
Practice chaos to Q3 comeback
Heading into qualifying, Hamilton dealt with a number of setbacks, including steering problems and a 2% aero loss at the front end. Despite those issues, he delivered a strong final run to safely reach Q3 and lock in his best grid position since the Chinese Grand Prix in March.
Podium in sight
Looking ahead to Sunday’s race, Hamilton remains optimistic. With McLaren’s Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris on the front row, along with Verstappen and teammate Russell just ahead, Hamilton acknowledged the challenge but stayed confident: “It’s really close between us all, so I’m going to try and get on the podium for once!”
Leclerc takes a tyre gamble
Ferrari teammate Charles Leclerc qualified seventh, hindered by a lack of new soft tyres. While others had more fresh sets available for Q3, Leclerc had to manage with just one flying lap. However, he’s hoping his strategy—saving mediums and hards—will pay off under Barcelona’s hot race conditions.
McLaren dominate Saturday
The big story of qualifying was McLaren’s front-row lockout, their first in Spain since 1998. Piastri topped the session with a commanding lap, outpacing Norris and securing the season’s largest pole margin.
As the race countdown continues, Hamilton’s comeback story may just be warming up.