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The 2024 F1 Spanish GP qualifying saw an intense battle for the pole position as Lando Norris clinched the honors in the dying seconds of the session. The McLaren driver beat Max Verstappen's benchmark time by less than a tenth on his very last lap, as we saw multiple contenders throwing their hats in the ring.
The session was a bit of a mystery all along. It looked like all four of the top teams had cars that could take first place, and in the third lap, it looked like there were seven contenders for the top spot.
In the end, it came down to just two drivers. Max Verstappen initially set the standard, but in a last-ditch attempt, Lando Norris defeated him. The duo will have an all-Mercedes second row, with Lewis Hamilton in P3 and George Russell in P4. Having said that, what did we learn from the qualifying stage? Let's take a look.
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2024 F1 Spanish GP Qualifying: What did we learn?
#1 F1 has not been this good in a long time
When was the last time you went into a Q1 and there were 7 drivers who could have secured pole? I'll wait until you remember that one. The answer is that it hasn't happened often. F1 has not been this good for a while, and you know what makes it better? If Charles Leclerc or Carlos Sainz have an advantage in race pace and Ferrari wins the F1 Spanish GP tomorrow, it won't surprise anyone.
If Liberty media is in its right mind, it will market the hell out of the 2024 F1 season because such competition does not come often in the sport.
#2 Max Verstappen and Red Bull have a challenger
If there's one thing that looks damningly obvious at this stage, it's the fact that Max Verstappen and Red Bull now have a challenger in Lando Norris and McLaren. Unlike some of the others that the reigning champions have faced, this challenger is persistent and will not go away.
The last few races have shown that McLaren is close to the top, and that has been a constant. What Lando Norris has done is that he's thrown down the gauntlet, and he has made sure that he would be the one taking the fight to Max. Fans should be excited about what is ahead, as this pole position is a sign of things to come.
#3 Mercedes is back
Finally! We can say this now! Mercedes is firmly back at the front of the grid. The fact that the team had the car to challenge for the top 3 and potentially be in the fight for a win is a sign that things are starting to fall in place for them. The car is strong, the team knows how to make it work and with James Allison being the mastermind, you cannot count this team out.
#4 Alpine surprises everyone
It does appear that all of this comes down to the balance that the car seemingly has at the F1 Spanish GP. Overall, Alpine's result should bring a smile to the face of the team. It also gives you an indication that this team, at least in the short-term, is still a safe bet in the midfield.
The fact that both Gasly and Ocon made it to Q3 was a surprise, but Flavio's return should give the team a level of confidence.
#5 RB and Aston Martin have a disastrous F1 Spanish GP weekend
One can only hope that Adrian Newey signs the reported lucrative contract for the benefit of Aston Martin and Fernando Alonso, as the team is in complete disarray. Even though Mike Krack keeps trying to downplay any expectations fans may have of the team, the fact that both the car and the team are declining cannot be ignored. The F1 Spanish Grand Prix has provided plenty of proof of it.
The F1 Spanish GP was also a race in which RB chose to bring in a ton of upgrades. Unfortunately for the team, the upgrades had the opposite impact, as the car didn't show much improvement on the track. The wrong timing has hurt the team, and it will be interesting to see if the race shows something completely different.
