F1 LIVE: Spanish Grand Prix qualifying latest

Summary

Ferrari's Charles Leclerc takes pole for sixth race of 2022 season
Max Verstappen P2 for Red Bull but suffers mechanical issue on final flying lap
Carlos Sainz (Ferrari) P3, George Russell (Mercedes) P4, Sergio Perez (Red Bull) P5, Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes) P6
Eliminated in Q2: Norris (McLaren), Ocon (Alpine), Tsunoda (Alpha Tauri), Gasly (Alpha Tauri), Zhou (Alfa Romeo)
Eliminated in Q1: Vettel (Aston Martin), Alonso (Alpine), Stroll (Aston Martin), Albon (Williams), Latifi (Williams)
Ferrari's Charles Leclerc leads drivers' standings on 104 points, 19 clear of Red Bull's Max Verstappen

Live Reporting

Lorraine McKenna

Last time the front row was all red?published at 14:38 British Summer Time 21 May 2022
Image source, Getty Images
We saw both Ferraris on the front row for the inaugural Miami Grand Prix two weeks ago, but what odds would you get on a Scuderia one-two here in Barcelona?
The year is 2003 and the Formula 1 grid is populated by drivers such as Jos Verstappen, Cristiano da Matta, Antonio Pizzonia, Ralph Firman, plus two young pups called Kimi Raikkonen and Fernando Alonso.
The then 21-year-old Alonso qualified for the Spanish Grand Prix in third place for Renault, but it was the prancing horses of Rubens Barrichello and polesitter Michael Schumacher who headed the field for the following day's race.
Image source, Getty Images
You're only as old as you feelpublished at 14:35 British Summer Time 21 May 2022
"Age is not a factor, for sure, in motorsport. I think in other sports it is very different."
Watch Fernando Alonso chat about his return to Formula 1 and why he still feels as strong now as he did early on in his career.
Media caption,
I'm as good as when I was 25 or 30 - Alonso
Alonso on life in F1published at 14:33 British Summer Time 21 May 2022
Image source, Getty Images
BBC Sport's chief F1 writer Andrew Benson has been to meet with the Spanish driver at his museum in Oviedo, Spain.
The two-time world champion opened up about his 20-year career, the ups and downs of F1, new rules, difficult times in uncompetitive cars and his future within the sport.
"I am a very competitive person, and if you are not winning, you definitely miss that feeling and there is some frustration building always during the season."
Read Andrew's full interview here.
Postpublished at 14:30 British Summer Time 21 May 2022
Speaking of Mr Alonso...
Hola amigospublished at 14:28 British Summer Time 21 May 2022
Image source, Getty Images
Could we see a Spanish driver take the chequered flag at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya?
Carlos Sainz has celebrated three podium finishes this season in the competitive Ferrari but is still searching for his maiden win in Formula 1.
The last home driver to pop champagne on the top step of the podium was Fernando Alonso in the Scuderi in 2013.
Postpublished at 14:25 British Summer Time 21 May 2022
Jennie Gow
BBC Radio 5 live pit-lane reporter
Precautionary gearbox change for Mick Schumacher after his fire in FP3. Team think he will be ready for qualifying though.
Postpublished at 14:23 British Summer Time 21 May 2022
This was the scene for Haas in third practice after Mick Schumacher had to retire the car due to a fire on his right rear brake.
Will we see the German driver out on track? Back over to Jennie...
Image source, Formula 1 Twitter
Postpublished at 14:20 British Summer Time 21 May 2022
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get involved
Get Involved - qualifying predictionspublished at 14:18 British Summer Time 21 May 2022
#bbcf1
How do you see qualifying playing out this afternoon?
The usual drivers waving to the fans in delight come the end of the shootout?
Or a complete newbie taking a front-row spot on the grid?
Sensible and outrageous predictions welcome.
Postpublished at 14:15 British Summer Time 21 May 2022
Jack Nicholls
BBC Radio 5 Live F1 commentator
Charles Leclerc did double the amount of laps in that session, which I also think is quite interesting. He did 23 and Max Verstappen only did 12. Maybe that's a sign of confidence from Red Bull? But that is quite interesting.
Postpublished at 14:12 British Summer Time 21 May 2022
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Postpublished at 14:09 British Summer Time 21 May 2022
If you're just checking in with us today, hello.
Charles Leclerc topped practice for the third time this weekend. 1:19.772 enough to see him quickest in all sessions so far.
Next was Max Verstappen, then it was the two Mercedes in third (George Russell) and fourth (Lewis Hamilton, with Carlos Sainz making up the top five drivers.
Image source, Getty Images
Postpublished at 14:07 British Summer Time 21 May 2022
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Good afternoonpublished at 14:04 British Summer Time 21 May 2022
Welcome back, folks.
If you're out and about - maybe doing your food shop or trying on clothes in a changing room - you've got less than an hour before qualifying starts.
Synchronise watches for 15:00 BST.
Choose your driverpublished at 14:01 British Summer Time 21 May 2022
Will it be a red car?
Image source, Getty Images
A blue one?
Image source, Getty Images
Or maybe even... silver, on pole position today?
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Leclerc quickest, Mercedes rejoin fightpublished at 13:07 British Summer Time 21 May 2022
Andrew Benson
BBC Sport’s chief F1 writer
Image source, Getty Images
Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc was fastest in final practice at the Spanish Grand Prix as it appeared that Mercedes may have finally rejoined the fight at the front of the field.
Leclerc was just 0.072 seconds quicker than his title rival, Max Verstappen of Red Bull.
But the two Mercedes of George Russell and Lewis Hamilton were third and fourth, both within 0.2secs of Leclerc and ahead of his team-mate Carlos Sainz and the second Red Bull of Sergio Perez.
On Friday, Hamilton had declared himself “super-happy” with progress Mercedes had made with developments to their car.
And on Saturday morning, technical director Mike Elliott said the team were “definitely able to run the car much closer to a position where we’d like to run it”.
Mercedes’ inability to run the car as low as they wanted for maximum performance without triggering severe aerodynamic “bouncing” has been their biggest limitation during a difficult start to 2022.
Behind Perez, McLaren’s Lando Norris, also with an upgraded car this weekend, was 0.631 seconds off the pace in seventh, ahead of Haas’ Kevin Magnussen, Alfa Romeo’s Valtteri Bottas and the Alpine of Esteban Ocon.
Postpublished at 13:07 British Summer Time 21 May 2022
Will it be a clean sweep for Charles Leclerc? Hopefully an exciting qualifying ahead.
Go and grab a quick break and we'll be back up and running with all the build-up at 14:00 BST.
I'll leave you with Andrew Benson's report.
See you in a bit.
Postpublished at 13:05 British Summer Time 21 May 2022
Jennie Gow
BBC Radio 5 live pit-lane reporter
This is going to be a moment of perfection for these 6 drivers this afternoon.
Postpublished at 13:03 British Summer Time 21 May 2022
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Postpublished at 13:03 British Summer Time 21 May 2022
Chasing Leclerc was Max Verstappen in second with a time of 1:19.844, Mercedes duo George Russell and Lewis Hamilton were third and fourth, with Sergio Perez in fifth.