Unfazed by fire in McLaren's facility, Norris edges Verstappen for pole at Spanish GP

MONTMELÓ, Spain (AP) — Lando Norris snatched pole position from Max Verstappen at the Spanish Grand Prix by pulling off a blistering final run during qualifying on Saturday.

Norris' great run was made more impressive given the circumstances. Just hours before, his McLaren team had to evacuate its hospitality suite because of a fire shortly before practice started. McLaren said one team member was taken to a local hospital “for precaution.”

“The best thing is that everyone is safe, everyone is doing well,” Norris said. “A bit of a scare for the whole team, just a bit of a more stressful day than I would have liked. I lost my shoes, that was as bad as it got for me.”

McLaren's hospitality facility, a multi-storey temporary structure that provides meals for staff and guests, started billowing smoke shortly before the third practice session on Saturday morning.

Norris said the team would be unable to use the facility on race day. While insisting he wasn't complaining, he said the incident has deprived him of the rest room he used to “chill out” and focus.

“Tomorrow it could impact me a bit more because I wont be able to get that quiet time that I love,” Norris said.

It sure didn't shake him during qualifying.

Just when Verstappen was seconds away from claiming another pole, Norris whipped around the 4.6-kilometer (2.8-mile) track to edge Verstappen by 0.02 seconds.

Norris earned his first career victory in May when he won in Miami. He started that race from fifth.

“It was pretty much a perfect lap, so I am super, super happy,” Norris said. “We have been close the past two months, ever since Miami. We probably missed out on pole because we didn’t do that perfect lap. We made some changes on the final lap and found the room to improve.”

Pole-sitters have won 24 of the 33 F1 races just north of Barcelona.

Lewis Hamilton will start third, just ahead of Mercedes teammate George Russell. Ferrari pair Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz are next.

Verstappen, winner of the last two Spanish GPs, holds a 56-point lead over Leclerc in the drivers’ standings.

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McLaren driver Lando Norris of Britain steers his car before winning the pole position for the Formula 1 Spanish Grand Prix at the Barcelona Catalunya racetrack in Montmelo, near Barcelona, Spain, Saturday, June 22, 2024. The race will be held on Sunday. (AP Photo/Joan Monfort)

McLaren driver Lando Norris of Britain, center, celebrates after winning the pole position, next to Red Bull driver Max Verstappen of the Netherlands, left, and Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton of Britain, right, ahead of the Formula 1 Spanish Grand Prix at the Barcelona Catalunya racetrack in Montmelo, near Barcelona, Spain, Saturday, June 22, 2024. The race will be held on Sunday. (AP Photo/Joan Monfort)

McLaren driver Lando Norris of Britain is congratulated by Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton of Britain, after winning the pole position for the Formula 1 Spanish Grand Prix at the Barcelona Catalunya racetrack in Montmelo, near Barcelona, Spain, Saturday, June 22, 2024. (Thomas Coex, Pool Photo via AP)

McLaren driver Lando Norris of Britain celebrates after winning the pole position for the Formula 1 Spanish Grand Prix at the Barcelona Catalunya racetrack in Montmelo, near Barcelona, Spain, Saturday, June 22, 2024. The race will be held on Sunday. (AP Photo/Joan Monfort)

McLaren driver Lando Norris of Britain celebrates after winning the pole position for the Formula 1 Spanish Grand Prix at the Barcelona Catalunya racetrack in Montmelo, near Barcelona, Spain, Saturday, June 22, 2024. The race will be held on Sunday. (AP Photo/Joan Monfort)

McLaren driver Lando Norris of Britain arrives at his box during the 2nd practice session for the Formula 1 Spanish Grand Prix at the Barcelona Catalunya racetrack in Montmelo, near Barcelona, Spain, Friday, June 21, 2024. The race will be held on Sunday. (AP Photo/Joan Monfort)

Mercedes driver George Russell of Britain steers his car during the 3rd practice session for the Formula 1 Spanish Grand Prix at the Barcelona Catalunya racetrack in Montmelo, near Barcelona, Spain, Saturday, June 22, 2024. The race will be held on Sunday. (AP Photo/Joan Monfort)

Aston Martin driver Lance Stroll of Canada steers his car during the 3rd practice session for the Formula 1 Spanish Grand Prix at the Barcelona Catalunya racetrack in Montmelo, near Barcelona, Spain, Saturday, June 22, 2024. The race will be held on Sunday. (AP Photo/Joan Monfort)

Red Bull driver Max Verstappen of the Netherlands steers his car during the 3rd practice session for the Formula 1 Spanish Grand Prix at the Barcelona Catalunya racetrack in Montmelo, near Barcelona, Spain, Saturday, June 22, 2024. The race will be held on Sunday. (AP Photo/Joan Monfort)

Mercedes driver George Russell of Britain, left and his team mate Lewis Hamilton of Britain arrive at the track for the 3rd practice and qualifying sessions for the Formula 1 Spanish Grand Prix at the Barcelona Catalunya racetrack in Montmelo, near Barcelona, Spain, Saturday, June 22, 2024. The race will be held on Sunday. (AP Photo/Joan Monfort)

Ferrari driver Carlos Sainz of Spain prepares for the 3rd practice session for the Formula 1 Spanish Grand Prix at the Barcelona Catalunya racetrack in Montmelo, near Barcelona, Spain, Saturday, June 22, 2024. The race will be held on Sunday. (AP Photo/Joan Monfort)

Red Bull driver Max Verstappen of the Netherlands prepares for the 3rd practice session for the Formula 1 Spanish Grand Prix at the Barcelona Catalunya racetrack in Montmelo, near Barcelona, Spain, Saturday, June 22, 2024. The race will be held on Sunday. (AP Photo/Joan Monfort)

Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc of Monaco steers his car during the 3rd practice session for the Formula 1 Spanish Grand Prix at the Barcelona Catalunya racetrack in Montmelo, near Barcelona, Spain, Saturday, June 22, 2024. The race will be held on Sunday. (AP Photo/Joan Monfort)

Ferrari driver Carlos Sainz of Spain prepares for the 3rd practice session for the Formula 1 Spanish Grand Prix at the Barcelona Catalunya racetrack in Montmelo, near Barcelona, Spain, Saturday, June 22, 2024. The race will be held on Sunday. (AP Photo/Joan Monfort)

Goaltenders are on the move as NHL teams prepare for next season, and the trades made so far are far from stunners.

Center Pierre-Luc Dubois said he was surprised by Los Angeles sending him to Washington for goalie Darcy Kuemper, but his impending full no-movement clause kicking in July 1 was the impetus for the move. The Kings filled their hole in net after 2023 Vezina Trophy winner Linus Ullmark declined to join them at the March trade deadline.

Boston finally traded Ullmark on Monday, getting a first-round pick, depth center Mark Kastelic and a new backup, Joonas Korpisalo, from Ottawa in a deal completed just before Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Final. Jacob Markstrom knew there was buzz around New Jersey wanting to get him from Calgary, and that move went down earlier in that series, with teams around the league getting down to important business before Florida hoisted the Cup.

Much more movement is expected in the coming days, leading up to and through the draft Friday and Saturday in Las Vegas.

“Guys are trying to retool their rosters, so there’s certain guys that are available,” Capitals general manager said Thursday on a video call with reporters. "There’s trade discussions going on at the same time. I think teams with a little more cap flexibility now opens up your opportunities that make things happen for your roster.”

A look at the big names who have already changed places:

He only turned 26 this week but has been traded three times since entering the league. The first two were his choice, but this one was not — a cross-country shift 12 months since signing a $68 million, eight-year contract with the Kings.

The trade came after Dubois was a bad fit in L.A. under two coaches: since-fired Todd McLellan and interim replacement Jim Hiller, who got the full-time gig after making the playoffs and losing in the first round. Dubois had 16 goals and 24 assists for 40 points, his lowest career totals over a full 82-game season.

“It wasn’t the season I necessarily wanted, so already there I had motivation," Dubois said. “And then anything like this happens, I think any guy in the league will admit that there is an extra motivation behind it. You want to do well even more.”

After losing the starting job in Washington, Kuemper became the odd man out with three years left on his contract at a salary cap hit of $5.25 million. Charlie Lindgren carried the Capitals into the playoffs, and they wanted to clear an organizational logjam in goal to make room for top prospect Clay Stevenson or back-to-back American Hockey League Calder Cup champion Hunter Shepard.

Now two years removed from backstopping Colorado to the Cup, Kuemper went 13-4-3 with a 3.31 goals-against average and .890 save percentage last season.

"I’m looking to prove that last year was just a one off,” Kuemper said. “I believe that I can come in and be a stabilizing force in the net and provide the goaltending that the team needs.”

Kuemper should replace Cam Talbot in the tandem with David Rittich in L.A.

One of the first questions Ullmark was asked in his first conversations with reporters since going to the Senators was about waiving his no-trade clause that could block a deal to half the league. No worries because Ottawa was not on it.

Now as for staying in Canada's capital beyond the final season of his contract, the big Swede who turns 31 later this summer is not ready to commit to anything in the way of a long-term extension.

“The whole contract situation and the talks about that, that is something (general manager Steve Staios) and my agent will deal with off the side,” Ullmark said.. “I told them that once there’s something that needs to be discussed you can always reach me.”

Ullmark gives Ottawa a major upgrade in net, pairing him with countryman and good friend Anton Forsberg. Korpisalo, now playing behind Jeremy Swayman in Boston, could also benefit from better Bruins defense than he had with the Senators.

Even though the Devils had been in conversations to acquire Markstrom from the Flames for several months, he had trouble sleeping earlier this month when he knew a trade was close to completion. After it happened, he was pumped to play for the organization that once had Martin Brodeur, the Hall of Fame goaltender who Markstrom actually played against in his NHL debut Jan. 23, 2011.

New Jersey is counting on Markstrom to solve the problem in net that contributed the most to it missing the playoffs this past season.

“This is a big challenge,” he said. “It’s a big team with a high expectation. At the goaltending position, there is pressure and I’ve been on teams where there is pressure on goaltending and a Canadian market, a few of them. I know what’s expected.”

AP NHL: https://apnews.com/hub/nhl

FILE - Washington Capitals goaltender Darcy Kuemper (35) makes a save during the third period of an NHL hockey game against the Buffalo Sabres, April 2, 2024, in Buffalo, N.Y. The Los Angeles Kings acquired Kuemper from the Capitals for forward Pierre-Luc Dubois in a trade of high-priced, underachieving players. (AP Photo/Jeffrey T. Barnes, file)

Los Angeles Kings center Pierre-Luc Dubois (80) warms up before the team's NHL hockey game against the Nashville Predators, Jan. 31, 2024, in Nashville, Tenn. The Kings acquired goaltender Darcy Kuemper from the Washington Capitals for Dubois in a trade of high-priced, underachieving players. (AP Photo/George Walker IV, file)

FILE - Artwork of Johnny Cash adorns the mask of Calgary Flames goalie Jacob Markstrom as he watches the action during the second period of an NHL hockey game against the Vancouver Canucks in Vancouver, British Columbia, March 23, 2024. The New Jersey Devils have agreed to acquire Markstrom in a trade with the Flames, a person with knowledge of the deal tells The Associated Press. It was not immediately clear what they were giving up. The Devils have been looking for a goalie and targeting Markstrom for quite some time. (Darryl Dyck/The Canadian Press via AP, file)

FILE - Boston Bruins goaltender Linus Ullmark (35) makes a save during Game 2 of an NHL hockey Stanley Cup first-round playoff series, April 22, 2024, in Boston. The Bruins traded 2023 Vezina Trophy winning goaltender Ullmark to the Ottawa Senators on Monday, June 24, in exchange for the Senators' 2024 first-round draft pick, forward Mark Kastelic and goaltender Joonas Korpisalo. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa, File)

Opening trades of the NHL offseason contain several goalies but few surprises

Opening trades of the NHL offseason contain several goalies but few surprises