Does McLaren have the quickest car in F1?

Lando Norris will start in pole position for Sunday's Spanish Grand Prix for McLaren, becoming the fourth different pole-sitter in four races.

The British driver took his maiden win at Miami earlier this season, contributing to a trend in which McLaren and Ferrari have kept closer to Red Bull than in recent years.

A multitude of upgrades for both teams over the past couple of months have stopped Red Bull from enjoying an unassailable advantage at times.

However, the surge in performance of Red Bull's nearest rivals is unlikely to stop Max Verstappen from claiming a fourth world title this year. He holds a commanding 56-point lead over Charles Leclerc.

McLaren was fortunate in Miami, with the safety car deployed at the perfect moment for Norris to capitalize and take the lead. Still, his pole position in Spain was based on pure speed over a single lap.

At Circuit De Barcelona-Catalunya, Norris benefited from a slipstream in the final part of qualifying, although Verstappen enjoyed an advantage more than his rival.

McLaren hasn't been a consistent front-runner since Lewis Hamilton and Jenson Button won races in 2012.

This is shown in their need for more sharpness in decision-making when at the front of the field. The margins are much finer at the sharp end of the grid, as demonstrated in Canada when Norris didn't pit under the safety car, losing the lead.

Their decisions on the pit wall will need to be slicker if they are to challenge for more wins and titles. 

Norris said Verstappen is still slightly quicker via F1.com: “I would say Max and Red Bull seemed a little bit stronger all weekend than what we did, but we made some changes for the final run, I had some little places to improve and I did exactly that, so I’m super happy to be on pole.”

McLaren's blistering performance in Spain is a good sign for the rest of the season, as it is a track all 10 teams have plenty of knowledge of.

The track is an all-rounder with a mix of turns. Although the F1 calendar has shifted towards street circuits, being quick at Barcelona should give the British team confidence.

Sunday's 66-lap Grand Prix will answer plenty of questions about the pecking order and whether McLaren is the benchmark in F1 after the unique tracks of Monaco and Canada.

The upcoming triple header of Catalunya, Red Bull Ring, and Silverstone could provide an opportunity for McLaren to challenge Red Bull at tracks they have exceeded expectations at in recent years.