It’s qualifying time this Saturday, September 12 in Madrid. Find out what time the battle for pole position on the new Madring will begin.
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After a first day entirely dedicated to discovering the Madring, the serious business starts this Saturday in Madrid. The Formula 1 drivers will now fight to secure pole position for the 2026 Spanish Grand Prix on the brand new circuit in the capital.
The qualifying session will start this Saturday at 4:00 PM, local time in Madrid, which is also 4:00 PM in France and Belgium.
Qualifying at 4:00 PM this Saturday
As usual, qualifying will be divided into three successive parts, with five drivers eliminated in Q1 and then five more in Q2. The remaining ten drivers will then compete for pole position in Q3.
The appointment is therefore set for 4:00 PM for the start of Q1. Before that, the drivers will have one last chance to fine-tune their setups and continue their learning of the Madring during the third free practice session.
This final hour of running could prove particularly important. The new surface evolves quickly as the cars accumulate laps, forcing teams to anticipate the level of grip they will find a few hours later in qualifying.
Mercedes favorite after the first day
The first tests placed Mercedes in a particularly favorable position. George Russell was the fastest during FP1 before Kimi Antonelli took over by setting the benchmark in the second session.
Read more Max Verstappen identifies two weaknesses to fix at Red Bull before qualifying in Madrid
Ferrari nevertheless remained in touch. Lewis Hamilton finished fourth then third on Friday, just over a tenth behind Antonelli in FP2. The Briton believes the SF-26 has a good base, although he still calls for improvements in its balance.
Red Bull seems slightly more behind. Max Verstappen finished fifth then sixth and conceded four tenths to Antonelli on Friday evening. The Dutchman identified single-lap performance and tire understanding over long stints as the two main areas where his team needs to improve.
A qualifying session that could hold surprises
The completely new character of the Madring adds a significant element of uncertainty. With its narrow sections, blind corners, and very close walls, the new Madrid circuit leaves little room for error.
The first red flag of the weekend already appeared on Friday after Arvid Lindblad’s accident at turn 13. Several drivers had warned even before the start of the sessions that interruptions could be frequent on this particularly demanding track.
The rapid evolution of the track could also shake up the hierarchy until the last seconds. On a new circuit, doing your lap at the right moment could become almost as important as the pure performance of the car.
The battle for the first pole position in the history of the Madring will therefore begin this Saturday, September 12 at 4:00 PM in Madrid, which is also 4:00 PM in France and Belgium. After Mercedes’ dominance on Friday, Ferrari and Red Bull will try to close the gap as every tenth really starts to count.
Read more FP2: Kimi Antonelli ahead of the Ferraris, Arvid Lindblad fourth… then into the wall!