Barcelona-Catalunya Grand Prix 2026 – Saturday

George Russell secured the pole position for the Barcelona-Catalunya Grand Prix on Sunday, with Kimi Antonelli starting from third place. This is Russell’s 10th pole position in F1 and his 100th Grand Prix with the team, as well as the 150th pole position for the Mercedes factory team. Russell completed the third practice session as the fastest, while Antonelli finished seventh due to traffic. Both drivers showed a good pace in Q1 and Q2, advancing to the next segments with only one set of tires and a quick lap. Despite a red flag in the middle of the segment, both drivers were able to complete two laps in Q3, with their last attempts being the best. Russell led the time sheet with a lap time of 1:14.679 minutes, with Antonelli in third place, separated by Ferrari’s Lewis Hamilton. Russell stated that he had a complete restart before the weekend and has been on the first two places in every session since then. He expressed his gratitude to the team and is looking forward to the race on Sunday. Antonelli mentioned that it has been a more difficult weekend for him, struggling to feel comfortable in the car due to the hot conditions and the demanding track. Team principal Toto Wolff praised Russell’s performance, stating that he has been the fastest driver throughout the weekend. Wolff also mentioned that Antonelli’s third place is a solid result, considering he is only in his second year and has a very fast teammate. The team is expecting a long and challenging race with high tire degradation, and they will need to focus on strategy and pace to achieve a good result. Trackside Engineering Director Andrew Shovlin congratulated Russell and the team on the pole position, stating that the car has been solid throughout the weekend. Shovlin mentioned that they expected McLaren to be their closest competitor but ended up having a tough battle with Ferrari. The team is hoping to convert their qualifying performance into a strong race result on Sunday.