Barcelona and the wider Catalonia region saw a difficult qualifying session for Aston Martin at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya in Montmeló, with Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll both struggling for pace in the Spanish Grand Prix build-up.
According to reports, Stroll outqualified Alonso for the first time in 39 Grands Prix. Stroll will start 21st and Alonso 22nd, after both cars finished a second behind the penultimate car on the grid.
The team’s problems had already shown up in Free Practice 3, where Alonso was nearly four seconds slower than George Russell’s leading time. The AMR26 appeared to struggle with the demands of the Barcelona circuit.
There were brighter signs elsewhere in the field. Carlos Sainz, driving for Ferrari, briefly topped the provisional Q1 leaderboard before ending Free Practice 3 in 15th, two seconds off the pace, with his main aim appearing to be a place in Q2. McLaren also looked stronger in Barcelona after a disappointing Monaco weekend, while Charles Leclerc was only two-tenths behind the leader in Free Practice 3.
Mercedes also showed strong pace, with George Russell leading Free Practice and returning to form after Monaco. Hot conditions, with temperatures above 30ºC at the circuit, added another layer of difficulty to the session, which was the first Formula 1 weekend in Spain for 2026.
The qualifying session set the grid for Sunday’s race. The performance of the new engine introduced by a German manufacturer, following its inclusion in the FIA’s ADUO programme, was also being watched for signs of a possible step forward.
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