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WATCH: Lando Norris snatches Pole from Max Verstappen with a lightening lap, named 2nd career Pole

In a dramatic qualifying showdown at the Spanish Grand Prix, McLaren's Lando Norris delivered a stunning final lap to snatch pole position from championship leader Max Verstappen.

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Shubham Shekhar
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In a dramatic qualifying showdown at the Spanish Grand Prix, McLaren's Lando Norris delivered a stunning final lap to snatch pole position from championship leader Max Verstappen. Norris finished 1st in qualifications by a razor-thin margin of 0.020 seconds.

The exhilarating battle for the top spot on the grid saw Norris unleash a blistering lap of one minute 11.383 seconds. This marked his second career pole position in Formula 1 and ignited celebrations within the McLaren camp.

Watch Lando Norris’s blistering qualification lap:

Norris' lap came as a culmination of a tense qualifying session where Verstappen initially appeared poised to secure pole after showing strong pace in Q2. However, Norris dug deep in the crucial Q3 session, extracting an additional four-tenths from his McLaren to edge out the Red Bull driver. The 22-year-old British driver described his pole-winning lap as the best of his F1 career so far, emphasizing the significance of his flawless performance under pressure.

“I'm not going to complain”, says Lando Norris

Reflecting on the challenging day that included a fire incident in McLaren's hospitality unit before FP3, Norris acknowledged the chaotic circumstances but remained focused on delivering when it mattered most. "I lost my shoes. It's all been a bit messy. I like to listen to my music loud beforehand, but didn't have that this time. But it's not the end of the world. I'm not going to complain about it," Norris remarked.

Watch Lando Norris’s 2021 Pole Position lap:

As Norris savoured his achievement, he expressed determination for the race ahead, stating, "I'm super happy to be on pole, it's going to be tough but we're here to win!" Meanwhile, seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton, who narrowly missed out on pole, secured a second-row start alongside teammate George Russell.

The Mercedes duo's strong showing added another layer of intensity to the grid lineup, poised to challenge Norris and Verstappen in Sunday's race. Elsewhere, Ferrari endured a disappointing qualifying session with Charles Leclerc narrowly outqualifying his teammate Carlos Sainz, positioning them on the third row of the grid behind the leading contenders.

Formula 1 Lewis Hamilton Lando Norris Spanish Grand Prix
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