The beginning of the European Triple Header was nothing less than a thrilling showdown with the field so closely bunched up. Four teams arrived on Saturday in a legitimate fight for pole position. Guess what? It is not as straightforward for Max Verstappen and Red Bull anymore. The highlights of the qualifying session have been plenty, but let us look at the top 3 of the most memorable and outstanding pieces.

Lando Norris takes second career pole position beating Max Verstappen

1:11:383 is the time Lando Norris won’t forget as he asserted his dominance over Max Verstappen for the first time in race qualifying. For the third time, including the Sprint shootout and Miami GP this year. McLaren has made the biggest turnaround from their forgettable performance early last year. Zak Brown also admitted to the fact that they used to dislike the heat, but they have made a massive improvement even in that area.

Norris exclaimed in happiness, “Let’s fu**ing goooo!”. During the post-qualification interview, he added, “We’ve been quick the last two months since Miami. We’ve been very strong. Super happy to be on the pole. I know it will be tough against Max, and against Lewis, but we are here to win now. I would say that was my best pole position. My supporters here are amazing, so a big thanks to everyone cheering me on.” Lando described it as his best one yet. However, things at his close competitor Mercedes aren’t quite as pleasant.

Lewis Hamilton and George Russell’s Unsaid Tension at Mercedes Continues

“What the f*ck was Lewis doing prepping that lap? He just – it’s fine. We’ll talk about it afterward,” screamed George Russell at his engineers when he caught his teammate Lewis Hamilton on the track, probably in an unexpected place. Things at Mercedes haven’t been quite as harmonious as they seemed last year. From fans gathering Mercedes’ bias against Ferrari-bound Lewis Hamilton to an anonymous email accusing Mercedes of sabotaging Hamilton deliberately. It has been a roller coaster ride for the German Team.

Many rumors around the paddocks started circulating, saying that Toto Wolff and the team actively sabotaged Hamilton’s qualifying sessions and races. At the Canadian GP, Lewis Hamilton’s season-best finish in P4 should have been a reason to celebrate, but he was extremely disappointed with the result.  He even called it the “Worst race of his career”. The rumors were cemented yet again as an anonymous email hit Formula 1 once again. An email from an anonymous source was sent stating that Mercedes had deliberately sabotaged Lewis Hamilton’s race. The email allegedly, written by a Mercedes employee, accuses Toto Wolff of planning to sabotage Lewis Hamilton. Wolff later denied all the claims, but after Russell’s radio messages, things still don’t seem as rosy at the team. But amid all this, Fernando found a pleasant respite.

Home Hero Fernando Alonso Denied Spanish Glory by Aston Martin But Finds Pleasants Surprise in The End

Alex Brundle summed up Fernando Alonso‘s Spanish Grand Prix disappointments accurately. He began by saying, “Decent job from a 2x world champion but didn’t have the performance underneath”. He also added that multiple people in high-performance cars put in a much worse lap than Fernando Alonso, but since Aston Martin couldn’t provide him with a superior machine, he had to bow out much before that.

Alonso, who is 2x world champion in F1, is one of the finest drivers in F1. However, his questionable choices in terms of teams denied him the numbers he deserved. And while the Lawrence Stroll-owned outfit emerged as a brilliant choice in the beginning, they have fallen back in the development race. Their Q2 dismissal was short-lived as Sergio Perez’s penalty has catapulted them to a top-10 start. Fernando explained the reason behind their average performance and his delight for a top-10 start. He said, “It was very close in qualifying today with just a few tenths between several cars. We were slightly pessimistic heading into the session, so I think we have to be quite pleased with the tenth position for tomorrow’s race following Sergio’s [Perez] penalty.” He also admitted to the field being bunched up together and it can be anyone’s game.

The race tomorrow will be another thriller marking a comeback of F1’s competitive side.