Formula 1 in Spain: Russell races to pole in Barcelona - Antonelli third

Mercedes driver George Russell captured pole position for the Spanish Grand Prix in Barcelona, marking his third top qualifying spot this season and the tenth of his career. The British driver secured the best starting position for Sunday's race with a blistering lap time.

Russell's teammate, Lewis Hamilton, narrowly missed out on pole, qualifying second and just 64 milliseconds behind Russell. Championship leader Kimi Antonelli qualified third in his Mercedes, failing to secure a front-row start for the first time this season. Lando Norris of McLaren will start fourth.

Nico Hülkenberg achieved his best qualifying result of the season for Audi, reaching the final knockout round and securing ninth place. This equals the best qualifying performance for the German manufacturer this year.

The qualifying session was a disaster for Charles Leclerc. The Monegasque driver lost control of his Ferrari, slid into the gravel, and made contact with the barriers. He was able to exit the car unaided, but the session was red-flagged during the recovery. Local favorite Fernando Alonso also had a disappointing outing, eliminated in the first knockout round.