Starting Grid for the Barcelona GP | Leclerc avoids grid penalty after qualifying crash

Russell ended his poor run of form on Saturday and will start from pole position in Barcelona. The Briton will be joined by his former teammate Lewis Hamilton on the front row of the grid. The seven-time world champion is hoping to capitalise on Ferrari’s strong starts today.

For the first time this year, current championship leader Kimi Antonelli will not start from the front row. He will line up in P3, alongside Lando Norris on the second row. The third row is made up of the two Red Bull Racing drivers, Max Verstappen and Isack Hadjar. Oscar Piastri will start seventh, alongside Liam Lawson.

Nico Hulkenberg and Charles Leclerc will share the fifth row. The Monegasque driver made a mistake during his first flying lap in Q3, and ended up crashing into the barrier in Turn 4. Multiple parts were changed on Leclerc's SF-26, but it did not lead to a grid penalty.

Further down the grid, a single team and driver opted for starting from the pit lane: home favourite Fernando Alonso and Aston Martin. That comes after the British team changed various parts of his power unit ahead of Sunday's race. It is a strategic decision and not related to an issue, GPblog has learned. Follow the Barcelona-Catalunya Grand Prix with our liveblog here!