Piastri on pole as McLaren sweep front row in Spain

The pole was the Australian's (centre) fourth in nine races so far this season. (AP pic)
BARCELONA : Formula One championship leader Oscar Piastri seized pole position for the Spanish Grand Prix on Saturday with teammate and title rival Lando Norris completing a McLaren front row sweep.
Red Bull's Max Verstappen, last year's winner, qualified third fastest in the same time as Mercedes' George Russell, who will start fourth because the reigning champion finished his lap first.
Piastri had led the final shootout with a lap of one minute and 11.836 seconds but Norris then made the most of an aerodynamic tow to go quicker by 0.017 as stricter front wing flex tests made no difference to McLaren's speed.
Norris, winner in Monaco last Sunday to close the gap at the top to three points, managed to improve his time only to 1:11.755 before Piastri clinched pole with a final effort of 1:11.546 around the Circuit de Catalunya.
The pole was the Australian's fourth in nine races so far this season.
'It wasn't the perfect lap but I think around here with the tyres going off so much through the lap it's very tough to do that,' said Piastri.
'I'm very happy with all the work we've put in.'
Norris said he had the pace but made a couple of small mistakes.
'A good result for the team, a nice one-two and an interesting start for tomorrow,' said the Briton.
Seven-times world champion Lewis Hamilton qualified fifth for Ferrari with Mercedes rookie Kimi Antonelli sixth.
Charles Leclerc was seventh for Ferrari, doing only one flying lap, with Alpine's Pierre Gasly eighth and Isack Hadjar ninth for Racing Bulls.
Spain's double world champion Fernando Alonso completed the top 10 for Aston Martin in front of his home crowd.

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