Formula 1

Leclerc takes pole position with last gasp effort at the Spanish Grand Prix

2 Mins read
Credit: Octane Photos

Charles Leclerc clinched pole position at the 2022 Spanish Grand Prix at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya in Spain. Max Verstappen was in second position, 0.323 seconds slower than Leclerc. Carlos Sainz was in third position at his home race.

George Russell and Sergio Pérez rounded off the top five positions in the qualification session. Leclerc had just one lap in the dying minutes of the session and easily overhauled Verstappen’s lap time.

The qualifying session started under hot conditions with air temperatures at 34 degrees C and track temperatures at 46 degrees C at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya.

The Pirelli tyre choice at this race is the white-striped hard compound tyres (C1), yellow-striped medium compound tyres (C2), and red-striped soft compound tyres (C3), the hardest range of compounds in the Pirelli tyre range.

Q1: Alonso knocked out

Zhou Guanyo set the early pace with a lap time of 1m21.065s. The Oracle Red Bull Racing drivers, Verstappen and Pérez, went to the top of the time charts.

The Scuderia Ferrari drivers, Leclerc and Sainz, on their first runs slotted into first and second positions ahead of Verstappen.

George Russell and Lewis Hamilton were in fourth and fifth positions. The two Alfa Romeo Racing drivers, Valtteri Bottas and Zhou Guanyo were in sixth and eighth positions.

In the dying minutes of the session, Mick Schumacher and Pierre Gasly escaped from the drop zone. Fernando Alonso much to the disappointment of the Spanish fans could only finish on seventeenth position.

Q1 dropzone: Sebastian Vettel, Fernando Alonso, Lance Stroll, Alexander Albon, Nicholas Latifi

Q2: Norris and Gasly eliminated

George Russell and Lewis Hamilton went to the top of the time charts in the early running. Most of the drivers came out for their first runs on used tyres and slotted behind them.

In the dying minutes of the session, Ricciardo and Schumacher pushed themselves into the top ten positions.

Norris’ lap time was deleted for exceeding track limits and he was pushed into the drop zone.

Q2 dropzone: Lando Norris, Esteban Ocon, Yuki Tsunoda, Pierre Gasly, Zhou Guanyo

Q3: Leclerc takes pole position

The last all-important twelve minutes of the top ten shootout started with pole position being contested by Leclerc and Verstappen.

Verstappen took provisional pole with a lap time of 1m19.073s. Leclerc spun on his first flying lap and was under immense pressure. Sainz slotted into second position.

After the first runs, the order was Verstappen, Sainz, Pérez, Russell, Hamilton, Bottas, Ricciardo, Magnussen and Schumacher.

Leclerc came out with three minutes to go and put in a stellar lap to take pole position with a lap time of 1m18.750s. Verstappen had to abort his final lap because of DRS-related issues.

Russell slotted into fourth position with his final lap to put himself on the second row.

Top 10: Charles Leclerc, Max Verstappen, Carlos Sainz, George Russell, Sergio Pérez, Lewis Hamilton, Valtteri Bottas, Kevin Magnussen, Daniel Ricciardo, Mick Schumacher

2022 Spanish Grand Prix Qualification Results:

PosNoDriverNat.TeamsQ1Q2Q3Laps
116Charles LeclercMONScuderia Ferrari1:19.8611:19.9691:18.75012
21Max VerstappenNEDOracle Red Bull Racing1:20.0911:19.2191:19.07316
355Carlos SainzESPScuderia Ferrari1:19.8921:19.4531:19.16616
463George RussellGBRMercedes-AMG Petronas Formula One Team1:20.2181:19.4701:19.39314
511Sergio PerezMEXOracle Red Bull Racing1:20.4471:19.8301:19.42017
644Lewis HamiltonGBRMercedes-AMG Petronas Formula One Team1:20.2521:19.7941:19.51215
777Valtteri BottasFINAlfa Romeo Racing1:20.3551:20.0531:19.60818
820Kevin MagnussenDENHaas F1 Team1:20.2271:19.8101:19.68218
93Daniel RicciardoAUSMcLaren F1 Team1:20.5491:20.2871:20.29715
1047Mick SchumacherGERHaas F1 Team1:20.6831:20.4361:20.36818
114Lando NorrisGBRMcLaren F1 Team1:20.8381:20.47112
1231Esteban OconFRABWT Alpine F1 Team1:20.8801:20.6389
1322Yuki TsunodaJAPScuderia AlphaTauri1:20.7071:20.63915
1410Pierre GaslyFRAScuderia AlphaTauri1:20.7191:20.86115
1524Zhou GuanyuCHNAlfa Romeo Racing1:20.4761:21.09415
165Sebastian VettelGERAston Martin Aramco Mercedes1:20.9546
1714Fernando AlonsoESPBWT Alpine F1 Team1:21.0435
1818Lance StrollCANAston Martin Aramco Cognizant F1 Team1:21.4186
1923Alexander AlbonTHAWilliams Racing1:21.6456
206Nicholas LatifiCANWilliams Racing1:21.9159
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