Barcelona, Spain (AP) – Max Verstappen is intensifying his efforts to keep his Spanish Grand Prix title as Oscar Piastri secures his second consecutive win after clinching pole position ahead of McLaren teammate Lando Norris on Saturday.
The front row lockout for McLaren provides a significant advantage over Verstappen, who will start Sunday’s race from third on the grid with Red Bull.
The new regulations for the front wing appeared to have no impact on McLaren’s lap speed. Verstappen couldn’t top the time charts in the final qualifying session, with intense competition among McLarens.
Piastri, the current points leader, was trailing Norris until he unleashed a powerful final lap to grab the pole position.
This race marks Piastri’s six wins in the first eight races of the season, with Verstappen facing a risky F1 challenge. Piastri holds a three-point lead over Norris in the standings throughout the early part of the season.
“Tomorrow is going to be tough,” said Verstappen. “That doesn’t mean we won’t give it our all.”
Piastri has now earned four poles this season. With his four race wins, he has bested Verstappen and Norris in the last two Grand Prix events.
Piastri won from pole in China and Bahrain, while Verstappen triumphed after starting on pole in Saudi Arabia and Miami. His only blemish came from losing to Verstappen after achieving pole at Imola two rounds ago.
The excitement of the Formula 1 season is heating up as he captured his lap times in Spain, two tenths faster than Norris. Now, he looks to maintain his lead from the starting grid to the first corner.
“It’s been a great weekend so far. The car is fantastic, and I’m pleased with my lap,” Piastri noted. “It’s a long way to turn one, so I need to ensure I get off to a strong start.”
Norris understands the challenges ahead. He took the pole last year but saw Verstappen pass him at the start, which led to a victory for Verstappen.
“It’s usually an exciting race, and we have many capable competitors behind us,” Norris added.
Just behind Verstappen are Mercedes’ George Russell and Ferrari’s Lewis Hamilton, starting from fourth and fifth respectively.
“Extracting every bit from the car”
With Piastri leading by 25 points, Verstappen hopes to continue his winning streak at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya, where he has triumphed for the last three years.
However, when asked if he aimed to close the gap to McLaren during qualifying, Verstappen simply said “no.”
“We’ve been off the pace all weekend compared to them,” Verstappen admitted. “I’m here maximizing what I can from the car. Friday seemed decent, but making it to pole was insufficient.”
Verstappen views Barcelona as another opportunity to challenge McLaren, following his victory in Italy two rounds ago. Red Bull’s Christian Horner emphasized the need to stay close to the leaders to gain advantages later in the season.
The four-time world champion will need to pass both McLarens to tighten the point gap.
Yuki Tsunoda of Red Bull finished last in the opening qualifying segment, starting in the final position, which is a setback for Verstappen’s new teammate.
Carlos Sainz will start in 18th, marking his poorest qualifying result of the season.
Mercedes rookie Kimi Antonelli secured sixth, followed by Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc, Alpine’s Pierre Gasly, and Racing Bulls rookie Isack Hajar.
Local favorite Fernando Alonso also made it into the top 10 with Aston Martin.
Reduced Flexibility and Impact
This week, there was much discussion in the paddock regarding new regulations. The car’s front wings are now less flexible, aimed at reducing drag at high speeds.
However, this change did not result in any significant reshuffling of the pecking order, as seven-time world champion Hamilton noted.
“All this effort seems to have wasted everyone’s money,” Hamilton remarked. “Literally nothing has changed. Everybody is still bending.”
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Source: apnews.com