Follow Mail Sport's live blog for qualifying at the Spanish Grand Prix, as Lewis Hamilton and Mercedes look to challenge Max Verstappen.
16:28
That's all folks!
Thanks for joining Sportsmail's coverage of qualifying for the Spanish Grand Prix.
Be sure to join us tomorrow for the real thing, and check out the full report from qualifying below.
Max Verstappen has claimed pole position for Sunday's Spanish Grand Prix, with Carlos Sainz joining him on the front row.
![]()
16:14
Verstappen rakes pole!
And there we have it!
Verstappen takes pole after that blistering lap with Sainz alongside him on the front row.
After going second early in Q3, Hamilton's final lap was poor and he will start fifth.
The gird for tomorrow is as follows:
Verstappen
Sainz
Norris
Gasly
Hamilton
Stroll
Ocon
Hulkenberg
Alonso
Piastri
Perez
Russell
Zhou
de Vries
Tsunoda
Bottas
Manussen
Albon
Leclerc
Sargeant
![]()
16:11
Sainz onto the top row
The remaining Ferrari goes second as Hamilton falls away into fifth.
Verstappen remains on pole.
16:09
Hulkenberg goes third
The Haas sets a good time and moves ahead of Lando Norris.
Hulkenberg has had an unremarkable start to the season but could turn things around here.
![]()
16:04
Blistering time for Verstappen
Max Verstappen sets a brilliant time of 1:12:3, which could well be enough for pol.
Hamilton goes second with a time nearly a second slower. He's been on the front line nine times here but missed out last year.
15:59
Q3 Underway!
Here we go again!
It's been an exciting session so far that has seen three big names drop out.
Verstappen vs Hamilton will be the key battle here, but McLaren have impressed and could still affect things.
![]()
15:53
George Russell and Sergio Perez are out!
Two huge names go out at Q2 ad Verstappen goes fastest.
The two Alpha Tauris are also out, as is Zhou.
![]()
15:51
Norris goes second
Brilliant lap from the Mclaren lifts from the elimination zone into second.
Piasti also puts in a good lap as Russell and Perez drop into the bottom five.
![]()
15:49
Perez crashes but keeps the car going
Perez loses control and heads into the gravel.
He's sat in ninth at the moment but those tires won't have enjoyed that.
![]()
15:46
Hamilton goes second fastest
Hamilton sets a strong time but Russell is struggling with his tires.
Piatri has failed to match his imrpressive lap earlier and both McLarens sit in the elimination zone.
![]()
15:39
Verstappen sets the first lap of Q2
The Red Bull sets a strong time on new tires.
He matches Hamilton in going under 1:13.
Perez goes nearly a second slower, albeit on used tires.
15:34
Q2 underway!
Here we go again!
It's been a strong afternoon for Mercedes so far with Hamilton fastest and Russell third.
![]()
15:30
Nightmare for Leclrec!
The Ferrari goes out at Q1 for the first time since 2019!
Bottas, Magnussen, Sargeant and Albon are the other drivers to drop out.
![]()
15:29
Hamilton goes faster
Hamilton goes under 1:13 and sets a fastest time.
Norris, Russell, and Sainz also go quicker than the Red Bull.
![]()
15:27
Relief for Perez
The Red Bull goes fourth to get himself out of trouble at a vital stage.
Leclerc is improving but will it be enough to get him through?
15:26
Stroll goes third
The Aston Martin overtakes Hamilton into third, with Verstappen and PIastri still occupying the top two spots.
There are two big names in the elimination zone with two minutes left, as Sergio Perez and Charles Leclerc risk going out.
![]()
15:21
Hamilton goes third fastest
A strong lap from Hamilton as he goes within 0.4 seconds of Verstappen.
George Russell has struggled and is 18th fastest so far.
Perez has also failed to match his teammate and sits in the danger zone at 15th
![]()
15:19
Excellent from PIastri
The McLaren has gone second fastest with an excellent lap and goes just 0.03 second slower than Verstappen.
Another Alpha Tauri spins out on that troublesome 11th turn.
![]()
15:17
Steady first lap from Leclerc
The Ferrari was on pole here last year but has struggled with his first lap here, driving three seconds slower than the leader/
Verstappen sets a fastest time so far with 1:13:6.
15:14
Back underway
We're off again with more than half the pack yet to set a time.
The track has been cleared of gravel and it's beginning to dry up a bit.
15:09
Six cars off already
Nearly half of the pack have had issues and are using the red flag to pit.
The drivers have underestimated this track so far, is been deceptively slippery.
![]()
15:07
Issue for Bottas
It's been an eventful start.
Bottas goes off at almost the exact spot Tsunoda did and we have a red flag as he slides into the gravel trap.
There seems to be a damp patch around the 11th corner and its caused problems for a few drivers already.
15:05
Russell sets the first time
George Russell sets the first time of the session at 1:15:4.
Gasl, Occon and Stroll all go quicker.
15:04
Trouble for Tsunoda already
Not a good start for the Alpha Tauri.
Tsunoda gets his acceleration all wrong coming out of the 11th turn and loses his control.
He recovers OK after jeers from the crowd.
The two Ferraris are yet to come out.
15:02
And we're off!
Q1 is underway!
14:57
Five minutes to go!
Qualifying is about to get underway in Barcelona.
It's a gloomy day and there seems to be a lot of rain around.
14:52
Drivers reflect on a tight field
Lewis Hamilton said on Sky Sports: 'I think it's very close between us and the middle back to P10'
His teammate George Russell added: 'It's going to be tight, there are a few cars that were looking strong, Alpine looked good, it'll between us, them and Ferrari.'
Charles Leclerc feels the field is 'closer than ever' behind Red Bull.
![]()
14:36
How things went in practice
Lewis Hamilton struggled on Friday and was only 11th fastest despite an improved display at Monaco.
He improved in the third practice and was the third quickest, but still found himself a good way behind Max Verstappen.
The field remained tight in the second practice with 16 cars within a second of the leading Red Bull.
The field opened up in a wet session this morning in a very wet session in Barcelona.
14:22
Celebrities in the crowd
Chelsea midfielder Mason Mount has been spotted in the crowd in Spain this afternoon.
The 24-year-old has been enjoying a holiday with teammate Ben Chilwell while his footballing future is decided.
Legendary actor Michael Douglas has also been spotted.
BARCELONA, SPAIN - JUNE 03: Mason Mount looks on in the Red Bull Racing garage during final practice ahead of the F1 Grand Prix of Spain at Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya on June 03, 2023 in Barcelona, Spain. (Photo by Adam Pretty/Getty Images)
Formula One F1 - Spanish Grand Prix - Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya, Barcelona, Spain - June 3, 2023 Actor Michael Douglas is pictured at practice ahead of the Spanish Grand Prix REUTERS/Nacho Doce
![]()
14:19
Struggles in practice
Lewis Hamilton did not produce the performances he would have hoped for in training yesterday.
His Mercedes came 11th as the seven-time world champion continues to struggles despite upgrades made to his car.
JONATHAN MCEVOY IN BARCELONA: Hard facts stared Lewis Hamilton in the face. After two hours flogging his Mercedes around the Barcelona track, he was only 11th fastest.
![]()
14:00
Good Afternoon!
And welcome to Sportsmail's coverage of qualifying for the Spanish Grand Prix.
We'll have all the latest news and updates as Lewis Hamilton looks to challenge Max Verstappen in his new and improved Mercedes.