Ferrari driver Lewis Hamilton will start the 2026 F1 Spanish GP from the second row after qualifying saw him finish the session in P4.
Following his crash in FP3, which resulted in the Briton having to sit out the remainder of the session, the Ferrari driver was back in the car for qualifying for the 2026 F1 Spanish GP. Advancing into Q3 without any issues, Hamilton secured provisional pole in his first run in Q3, but was unable to improve on his second run. In the end, the 7-time Champion dropped down to P4 behind the Red Bull of Max Verstappen.
Hamilton on his 2026 F1 Spanish GP qualifying
“I think it’s okay,” Hamilton said about his P4 finish in qualifying for the 2026 Spanish GP, explaining that he was overall satisfied with the session. After scoring provisional pole with his first run in Q3, the Briton was unable to improve on his second run as he could not find more “grip or power.”
“Qualifying was generally pretty straightforward. No real issues. I felt pretty awesome in Q3 round one, and then just didn’t have any more grip or power in the last one.”
After a solid start for Ferrari on Friday, the team opted to make only a few changes to Hamilton and teammate Charles Leclerc’s cars, says the 7-time Champion after qualifying for the 2026 F1 Spanish GP.
“No. Compared to Charles, maybe he changed one thing, and I changed two things, maybe something like that.”
Hamilton praises Ferrari execution in qualifying
After not being satisfied with the execution in qualifying for last week’s Italian GP, Hamilton praised the team for a “good execution” in qualifying for the 2026 Spanish GP, noting that the only downside in today’s session was the lack of “pace” in the final run in Q3.
“I think there was good execution from the team. I think they did a really great job today. Unfortunately, we just didn’t have the pace right at the end.”
Questioned on what changed since last week, Hamilton noted:
“It’s always just when we’re considering what we’re doing, and we try to be more thorough each time.”
This year, the 2026 F1 Spanish GP is held at the newly completed Madring Circuit, which Hamilton describes as a “pretty cool” circuit that features corners that remind him of go-kart tracks.
“It’s a pretty cool track to drive. Some go-kart-esque sort of elements with the curves, which is cool. Really cool banking.
“I think they did a really great job.”
Hamilton on his expectations for the 2026 F1 Spanish GP
In practice and support races, it seemed like the Madring Circuit wasn’t the easiest track to overtake on. Hamilton confirmed he had been warned about the difficulties with overtaking after being asked what he expected for tomorrow’s race.
“I have no idea. I haven’t seen the other races. I’m sure you have.
“I haven’t seen them, but we were told that it’s very hard to overtake here.”
Despite the track appearing not to offer overtaking opportunities, Hamilton believes that with good execution, a podium might be in the cards from his P4 slot on the grid.
“Realistic target tomorrow? We’re right next to the podium, so hopefully we can execute right and have some pace in the race.
“Whilst we struggle to overtake, maybe there’ll be a chance for us to get a podium tomorrow if we work hard.”
Tyre degradation an unpredictable factor
While Hamilton thinks a podium might be in the cards, he is also aware that tyre degradation could be a factor in tomorrow’s race, especially considering that the degradation can be quite inconsistent from track to track, making it hard for the Briton to predict what effect it will have in tomorrow’s 2026 F1 Spanish GP.
“I don’t really know. We sometimes go to hot places, and the deg is okay, and then sometimes it’s not okay.
“When you go to places like Austria, for example, it’s hot, and our deg was terrible. And then you go to another place, so I really have no idea what to expect tomorrow.
Other than not knowing what to expect in terms of tire degradation from his Ferrari, Hamilton looks forward to enjoying tomorrow’s 2026 F1 Spanish GP.
“I’m going to have fun, that’s all I can say. I’m just going to have real fun, not put too much pressure on it.
“The fact is, the guys that we’re competing with, one of them is ahead of us, particularly. They’re just quicker. We’re going to just try and do our best to hold them.”
