F1 Spanish GP 2025 LIVE: Updates and race start time as Oscar Piastri beats Lando Norris for pole – UK Times

Lando Norris admitted mistakes cost him pole position for the Spanish Grand Prix – as championship rival Oscar Piastri secured top spot to deal a blow to the British driver’s bid of winning back-to-back races for the first time.

McLaren were in a class of one in qualifying for the ninth round of a campaign which looks increasingly set to come down to a battle between team-mates Norris and Piastri for the biggest prize in motor racing.

Norris ended a poor run over one lap to take pole in Monaco a week ago before going on to claim his second win of the campaign and reducing Piastri’s championship lead to just three points.

Under the rules, Lance Stroll cannot be replaced, leaving a 19-driver grid for Sunday’s race. His withdrawal means those who qualified 15th to 20th will all move up one spot.

Those affected are Ollie Bearman (Haas), Nico Hulkenberg (Kick Sauber), Esteban Ocon (Haas), Carlos Sainz (Williams), Franco Colapinto (Alpine) and Yuki Tsunoda (Red Bull).

Oscar Piastri will start from pole position in Spain after he edged out McLaren team-mate Lando Norris.

A statement from the British team said: “Over the course of the past six weeks Lance has been experiencing pain in his hand and wrist, which his medical consultant believes is in relation to the procedure he underwent in 2023.

“As a result his medical team have confirmed that he will not race tomorrow and he will undergo a procedure to rectify these issues before focusing on his recovery.”

Ups and down for the drivers in qualifying on Saturday

Oscar Piastri has claimed his relationship with Lando Norris will not spiral out of control as the McLaren drivers duel to become champion of the world.

Following his much-needed victory last time out in Monaco, Norris heads into Sunday’s Spanish Grand Prix just three points adrift of his Australian team-mate.

McLaren have taken six victories from the eight rounds so far, with Red Bull’s Max Verstappen – the only driver outside of the British team to win this season – claiming this week that he no longer feels he is in the title fight.

Carlos Sainz has opened up on Red Bull rejecting the chance to sign him last year after he was axed by Ferrari in favour of Lewis Hamilton.

Spanish driver Sainz moved to Williams ahead of the 2025 season, having lost his F1 seat at Ferrari after four years, with Hamilton making the £50m-a-year move from Mercedes.

Sainz opted for James Vowles’ team over the likes of Alpine and Sauber, with other options at Mercedes and Red Bull failing to materialise.

Now, the 30-year-old has admitted that Christian Horner did not take up the opportunity to sign him last year, with Sergio Perez eventually dropped in favour of Liam Lawson. Yuki Tsunoda replaced Lawson after two races of the new season.

Johnny Herbert believes Flavio Briatore should “not be back in F1” after the Italian maverick returned to the paddock with Alpine as de facto team principal.

Briatore, 75, will enact all the duties of former team principal Oliver Oakes after the Briton’s resignation three weeks ago, due to personal reasons.

While Briatore’s official title will remain “executive adviser”, he is effectively back as team boss 17 years after the 2008 Crashgate scandal, when he was initially given a lifetime ban from the sport for his role as Renault team principal in Nelson Piquet Jnr’s deliberate crash in Singapore.

Lewis Hamilton took aim at the new front-wing technical directive that has come into force this weekend but doesn’t appear to have changed things too much…

“It has not made a difference,” he said.

“What a waste of money. The wings still bend and everyone has had to spend more money. It doesn’t make sense. I would have given that money to charity.”

7. Racing Bulls – 22 points

8. Aston Martin – 14 points

1. Oscar Piastri – 161 points

2. Lando Norris – 158 points

3. Max Verstappen – 136 points

4. George Russell – 99 points

5. Charles Leclerc – 79 points

6. Lewis Hamilton – 63 points

7. Kimi Antonelli – 48 points

8. Alex Albon – 42 points

9. Esteban Ocon – 20 points

10. Isack Hadjar – 15 points

11. Lance Stroll – 14 points

12. Carlos Sainz – 13 points

13. Yuki Tsunoda – 10 points

14. Liam Lawson – 8 points

15. Pierre Gasly – 7 points

16. Nico Hulkenberg – 6 points

17. Ollie Bearman – 6 points

18. Fernando Alonso – 0 points

19. Jack Doohan – 0 points

20. Gabriel Bortoleto – 0 points