News Summary

Lewis Hamilton revealed that an unexpected change in the balance of his Ferrari prevented him from finding the improvement he expected on his final qualifying lap at Madring, although the seven-time world champion still secured fourth on the grid for the 2026 Spanish Grand Prix.

Hamilton set a 1:32.013 in Q3, finishing 0.189s behind Lando Norris and just 0.049s behind third-placed Max Verstappen. He also edged Ferrari team-mate Charles Leclerc by only 0.006s.

Norris took the first Formula 1 pole position at Madring after beating Andrea Kimi Antonelli by just 0.011s, with Verstappen and Hamilton securing the second row.

Hamilton felt there was more performance available on his final attempt. Speaking in the media session after qualifying, the Ferrari driver explained that his second lap had initially been as strong as his first and was running approximately half a tenth quicker.

“Second lap was just as good as the first one. It was pretty much the same time — I think I was about half a tenth quicker,” Hamilton said.

The problem emerged as he approached the end of the preparation for that decisive lap.

“But for some reason, going into that last lap, as I came around the final corner, I had understeer,” he explained. “I thought, ‘Maybe these front tyres aren’t switched on,’ but it turned out I just had more rear grip and more understeer throughout the lap.”

That change left Hamilton unable to extract the improvement he had anticipated from the final set of tyres. Rather than the front axle simply needing more temperature, the Ferrari had gained rear grip and shifted the overall balance towards understeer.

The outcome was nevertheless a significant recovery from a difficult final practice session.

Hamilton crashed at Madring’s final corner during FP3 on Saturday morning, locking up before hitting the barriers and causing one of two red flags during the session. Ollie Bearman later suffered an even heavier accident that prevented Haas from repairing his car in time for qualifying.

Ferrari managed to repair Hamilton’s SF-26 before Q1, allowing him to progress comfortably through the first two stages before fighting at the front in Q3.

Fourth therefore represented a considerable turnaround, particularly after the disruption earlier in the day.

Hamilton had also shown competitive pace on Friday. He finished third in FP2, only 0.149s behind Antonelli, as Ferrari placed both cars immediately behind the Mercedes driver.

The qualifying picture was much tighter. Norris, Antonelli, Verstappen, Hamilton and Leclerc were separated by only 0.195s, leaving Ferrari within striking distance of the front despite missing out on either of the first two rows with both cars.

Hamilton’s performance was also enough to beat Leclerc after the Monegasque had finished inside the top three in every practice session. Leclerc later questioned an unexplained loss of approximately 0.4s in Sector 1 during qualifying, having expected Ferrari to remain closer to the fight for pole.

For Hamilton, the frustration was different. His car had the pace to challenge higher up the grid, but the balance he encountered on the final lap was not what he expected when he needed to extract the maximum from the tyres.

He will nevertheless start directly behind Antonelli and alongside Verstappen, giving Ferrari an opportunity to attack the leading McLaren and Mercedes when Formula 1 holds its first race at Madring on Sunday.

FAQ

Where did Lewis Hamilton qualify for the 2026 Spanish GP?

Hamilton qualified fourth for Ferrari with a 1:32.013. He finished 0.189s behind pole-sitter Lando Norris and only 0.049s behind Max Verstappen in third.

What problem did Hamilton have on his final qualifying lap?

Hamilton said the Ferrari unexpectedly developed more understeer. He initially suspected the front tyres had not switched on properly, but concluded that increased rear grip had shifted the car’s balance and created more understeer throughout the lap.

Did Hamilton qualify after crashing in FP3 at Madring?

Yes. Hamilton crashed at the final corner during FP3, but Ferrari repaired his car in time for qualifying. He recovered to take fourth and a place on the second row of the Spanish GP grid.

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