McLaren Locks Out Front Row as Oscar Piastri Takes Pole for the 2025 Spanish Grand Prix
The grid is officially set for the 2025 Formula 1 Spanish Grand Prix following a dramatic and closely contested qualifying session at the renowned Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya. Now in its ninth round of the season, the championship battle is intensifying—with McLaren emerging as a serious title contender thanks to another dominant performance in qualifying.
Oscar Piastri will start Sunday’s race from pole position after delivering a stellar lap to top the timesheets. The Australian driver has been in exceptional form all season and continues to build momentum with what is now his second pole of the year. More importantly, this pole could be crucial in the title fight, as 24 of the last 34 races at this circuit have been won from the front of the grid. A strong result here would also mark Piastri’s first victory at the Spanish Grand Prix—a feat he will be determined to achieve.
Right alongside him on the front row is teammate Lando Norris, completing McLaren’s first front-row lockout of the 2025 campaign. Norris, who has shown excellent pace recently, is keen to convert his P2 start into a race win. Both drivers will be looking to maximize this golden opportunity and bring home maximum points for McLaren, which is rapidly closing in on Red Bull in the Constructors’ Championship.
Behind the two McLarens, reigning world champion Max Verstappen will line up third on the grid for Red Bull. Verstappen, who has tasted victory before in Barcelona, will be aiming to pull off a comeback and challenge for the lead early in the race. However, overtaking both McLarens on a track known for limited passing opportunities will be a significant challenge.
George Russell delivered a solid performance for Mercedes and will start from fourth place. After a tough weekend in Monaco, this result marks a welcome return to form for the young Briton. Just behind him, Lewis Hamilton will begin the race from fifth for Ferrari. The seven-time world champion managed to out-qualify his teammate Charles Leclerc, something he has only managed once before this season. Leclerc, meanwhile, finds himself starting from seventh, split by impressive Mercedes rookie Kimi Antonelli, who secured sixth after another mature performance.
Pierre Gasly starts eighth in the Alpine, showing flashes of speed in an otherwise inconsistent season for the French squad. Rookie sensation Isack Hadjar will start ninth for Racing Bulls, continuing to impress in his debut F1 season. Rounding out the top ten is Fernando Alonso, who lines up tenth for Aston Martin in front of his home crowd. The veteran Spaniard will be looking to pull off something special on race day to please the fans.
Just outside the top 10 is Alex Albon in the Williams, who narrowly missed out on Q3 but showed competitive pace. He starts 11th, ahead of Gabriel Bortoleto in the Sauber and Liam Lawson in the second Racing Bulls car. Aston Martin’s Lance Stroll will begin from 14th, with Ollie Bearman (Haas), Nico Hulkenberg (Sauber), and Esteban Ocon (Haas) following closely behind in 15th to 17th.
Carlos Sainz suffered a disappointing qualifying session and will start all the way down in 18th in the second Williams. It will be a difficult task for the Spaniard to carve his way through the field on a track where overtaking is notoriously tough. Franco Colapinto (Alpine) and Yuki Tsunoda (Red Bull) complete the grid in 19th and 20th respectively. Tsunoda was one of the biggest surprises of the session, failing to make it out of Q1 and setting himself up for a long afternoon on Sunday.
Full Starting Grid – 2025 Spanish Grand Prix
1. Oscar Piastri (McLaren)
2. Lando Norris (McLaren)
3. Max Verstappen (Red Bull)
4. George Russell (Mercedes)
5. Lewis Hamilton (Ferrari)
6. Kimi Antonelli (Mercedes)
7. Charles Leclerc (Ferrari)
8. Pierre Gasly (Alpine)
9. Isack Hadjar (Racing Bulls)
10. Fernando Alonso (Aston Martin)
11. Alex Albon (Williams)
12. Gabriel Bortoleto (Sauber)
13. Liam Lawson (Racing Bulls)
14. Lance Stroll (Aston Martin)
15. Ollie Bearman (Haas)
16. Nico Hulkenberg (Sauber)
17. Esteban Ocon (Haas)
18. Carlos Sainz (Williams)
19. Franco Colapinto (Alpine)
20. Yuki Tsunoda (Red Bull)
Race Start Time – Sunday, June 1, 2025
The race begins at 3:00 PM local time (CEST). Below are local times for major regions:
UK (BST): 2:00 PM
USA (EDT): 9:00 AM
USA (CDT): 8:00 AM
USA (PDT): 6:00 AM
Australia (AEST): 11:00 PM
India (IST): 6:30 PM
Japan (JST): 10:00 PM
Brazil (BRT): 10:00 AM
South Africa (SAST): 3:00 PM
China/Singapore (CST/SGT): 9:00 PM
Turkey/Egypt (EEST): 4:00 PM
Mexico (CST): 7:00 AM
How to Watch the Race Live
Fans around the globe can tune in through the following broadcasters:
UK: Sky Sports
USA: ESPN, ESPN Deportes
Australia: Fox Sports, Kayo, Network Ten
Spain: DAZN F1, Telecinco (free-to-air)
Italy: Sky Italia
Germany: Sky Deutschland
France: Canal+
Brazil: Bandeirantes, Bandsports
Japan: Fuji TV, DAZN
Canada: RDS, TSN, Noovo
Netherlands: Viaplay
Switzerland: SRF 2, RTS 2, RSI La 2 (free-to-air)
Austria: ORF, Servus TV (free-to-air)
Belgium: RTBF, Telenet, Play Sports
Middle East & Africa: beIN SPORTS, SuperSport
With both McLaren drivers leading the charge and a tightly packed grid behind them, the 2025 Spanish Grand Prix promises excitement and unpredictability. Will Piastri convert pole into victory? Or will the chasing pack shake things up in Barcelona?
