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  • 2023 Spanish Grand Prix: F1 qualifying order and starting lineup for tomorrow's race
Second placed qualifier Carlos Sainz Pole position qualifier Max Verstappen attend the press conference after qualifying ahead of the 2023 F1 Spanish Grand Prix (Photo by Dan Mullan/Getty Images)

2023 Spanish Grand Prix: F1 qualifying order and starting lineup for tomorrow's race

In an exhilarating F1 qualifying session at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya, Red Bull Racing's Max Verstappen secured his first-ever pole position for the Spanish Grand Prix.

Verstappen set an impressive initial lap time of 1m 12.272s during the pole shootout. Such was his dominance that he could afford to ease off on his second attempt, and still finish almost half a second ahead of his competition. Carlos Sainz of Ferrari and Lando Norris of McLaren emerged as his closest challengers in the F1 Spanish GP qualifying session.

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The starting lineup for tomorrow's (June 4) Grand Prix will feature Verstappen and Sainz in the top two positions, followed by Lando Norris of McLaren.

Mercedes' seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton, will start from the fourth spot after an incident with his teammate George Russell resulted in a clash of wheels. Lance Stroll of Aston Martin will begin from fifth place, surprisingly ahead of his teammate Fernando Alonso, who is in eighth place.

The sixth position on the grid belongs to Esteban Ocon of Alpine who followed up his form from F1 Monaco Grand Prix. Meanwhile, Haas' Nico Hulkenberg will start from seventh place.

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Local hero Fernando Alonso, who has been in phenomenal form this season, had a disappointing outing. He will start from eighth after being out of sync with the rest of the field. The second McLaren of Oscar Piastri will start from the ninth spot. Pierre Gasly of Alpine will start from the 10th spot.

Red Bull's Sergio Perez encountered another setback and will be starting from the 11th position in the 2023 F1 Spanish GP after running off track during Q2. He will be followed by Mercedes' George Russell, who had a tussle with his teammate Hamilton.

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Zhou Guanyu of Alfa Romeo and both AlphaTauri drivers, Nyck de Vries and Yuki Tsunoda, will line up behind them.

Further down the grid, Valtteri Bottas of Alfa Romeo, Kevin Magnussen of Haas, and Alex Albon of Williams will start from 16th, 17th, and 18th respectively.

Charles Leclerc of Ferrari experienced a disappointing Q1 phase due to car problems from the outset. He failed to progress and will ultimately start from the second-to-last spot on the grid. This marked his first Q1 exit since the 2019 F1 Monaco Grand Prix.

Lastly, rookie driver Logan Sargeant continues to face challenges on the grid in his debut season, as he will begin the race from the last position.

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Jubilant Max Verstappen; whereas disaster for Charles Leclerc ahead of 2023 F1 Spanish Grand Prix

The qualifying session for the 2023 F1 Spanish Grand Prix presented polar opportunities fortunes for Max Verstappen and Charles Leclerc.

Verstappen, the reigning champion, showcased his exceptional skills as he secured back-to-back pole positions. The Red Bull driver dominated the qualifying session, finishing almost half a second ahead of local favorite Carlos Sainz. Verstappen's impressive form makes him the favorite going into the F1 Spanish Grand Prix after his win at Monaco.

On the other hand, Charles Leclerc, who had claimed pole position at the same event the previous year, experienced a series of setbacks.

Following an off-track excursion at Turn 1, Leclerc reported a problem with his rear tires to his team. He was then called into the weighbridge, adding further pressure as time was running out for him to make the required improvements.

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“There is something wrong with my rears, guys,” reported Leclerc.

Unfortunately for Leclerc, things went from bad to worse. Despite his efforts, he failed to deliver the necessary improvement on his final run, leaving him in a scarcely believable 19th position on the grid.

The Monegasque driver found himself ahead of only Williams rookie Logan Sargeant, who had been struggling after a crash during the third practice session.

With Verstappen starting from pole position, he will be aiming to extend his lead in the championship and add another victory to his name. On the other hand, Leclerc faces an uphill battle to make up positions and salvage a respectable result in the race.

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Edited by
Aditya Singh
 
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