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Barcelona - Lewis Hamilton grabbed his first pole position in three races ahead of his Mercedes team mate Nico Rosberg with a thrilling revival of his speed in Saturday's qualifying session for the 2016 Spanish Grand Prix.
The defending three-time world champion, who trails Rosberg by 43 points in the title race, revived his quickest form of the past with a stunning showing in both Q2 and Q3.
He ended up with a best lap in one minute and 22 seconds, 0.280 seconds ahead of Rosberg's fastest lap on a day when teenager Max Verstappen demonstrated just why he was promoted, so unexpectedly, by Red Bull from Toro Rosso.
Great drive by Verstappen
The 18-year-old was second-fastest at one time and his speed inspired his Red Bull team mate, Daniel Ricciardo, who responded by qualifying third ahead of him on the grid.
This meant the two Red Bulls separated Mercedes from their main rivals Ferrari, who were pushed back to fifth and sixth, Finn Kimi Raikkonen edging ahead of four-time champion Sebastian Vettel in the final seconds.
As it happened: 2016 Spanish GP - Qualifying
Hamilton's success brought him his third pole this year, his second in Spain and the 52nd of his career, a feat that left him euphoric as he waved to the crowd afterwards.
He said: "I'm so very, very happy with this. Nico has been strong here all weekend, but one step at a time, I've been bringing it together. I didn't get to compete in the last two qualifying sessions so this is three out of three for me!"
Rosberg said: "I'm disappointed, but Lewis was just quicker today and that's it. It's the race that counts so I'll try to take my chances."
Valtteri Bottas was seventh for Williams ahead of Spaniard Carlos Sainz in the leading Toro Rosso, Mexican Sergio Perez of Force India and the home hero, two-time champion Fernando Alonso of McLaren Honda.
Massa frustrated
On a warm day, with an air temperature of 22 degrees and a track temperature of 42 degrees, qualifying delivered an early surprise with the Q1 elimination of veteran Felipe Massa of Williams.
Massa had been complaining about his discomfort with the car throughout practice and was unable to deliver a lap that reflected his usual speed.
He went out in 18th place, one behind the Renault of British rookie Jolyon Palmer, but ahead of the two Saubers of Swede Marcus Ericsson and Brazilian Felipe Nasr.
The final two places were filled by the two Manor Racing men, German Pascal Wehrlein and Indonesian Rio Haryanto.
"The team made a big mistake today with the timing and let's hope we don't do it any more," said Massa, his team having chosen to be the last to join the fray, long after the rest had clocked a lap.
Best lap of the weekend
Rosberg had been quickest at the front, with a best lap of the weekend until that point, ahead of Hamilton, but the world champion bounced back in Q2 with an emphatic show of his pulverising pace.
Clocking a best of the day in 1min22.159, Hamilton was six-tenths clear of Rosberg with Verstappen, in inspired form, again securing third ahead of Raikkonen, Ricciardo and Vettel.
Behind them, a late lap from Perez lifted him to seventh and eliminated Force India team mate Nico Hulkenberg out of the top-ten shootout.
Jenson Button took 12th in the second McLaren ahead of Russian Daniil Kvyat, back at Toro Rosso, Frenchman Romain Grosjean of Haas, Dane Kevin Magnussen of Renault and Mexican Esteban Gutierrez in the second Haas.
Inspired, perhaps, by his home fans, Alonso squeezed through by just 0.011 seconds ahead of Hulkenberg.
The two Mercedes men were first out on track for Q3, Rosberg going quickest on their first runs followed by Hamilton locking up his left front wheel at Turn 10 and running wide when he was three-tenths up on another flying lap.
The Mercedes men were then split by an extraordinary effort from Verstappen, the Dutch teenager showing the raw talent that persuaded Red Bull to promote him from Toro Rosso.
That effort meant he was ahead of every world champion on the provisional grid before the top men prepared for their final flying runs.
Starting grid for the 2016 Spanish Grand Prix:
1st row
Lewis Hamilton (GBR/Mercedes)
Nico Rosberg (GER/Mercedes)
2nd row
Daniel Ricciardo (AUS/Red Bull-TAG Heuer)
Max Verstappen (NED/Red Bull-TAG Heuer)
3rd row
Kimi Raikkonen (FIN/Ferrari)
Sebastian Vettel (GER/Ferrari)
4th row
Valtteri Bottas (FIN/Williams-Mercedes)
Carlos Sainz Jr (ESP/Toro Rosso-Ferrari)
5th row
Sergio Perez (MEX/Force India-Mercedes)
Fernando Alonso (ESP/McLaren-Honda)
6th row
Nico Hulkenberg (GER/Force India-Mercedes)
Jenson Button (GBR/McLaren-Honda)
7th row
Daniil Kvyat (RUS/Toro Rosso-Ferrari)
Romain Grosjean (FRA/Haas-Ferrari)
8th row
Kevin Magnussen (DEN/Renault)
Esteban Gutierrez (MEX/Haas-Ferrari)
9th row
Jolyon Palmer (GBR/Renault)
Felipe Massa (BRA/Williams-Mercedes)
10th row
Marcus Ericsson (SWE/Sauber-Ferrari)
Felipe Nasr (BRA/Sauber-Ferrari)
11th row
Pascal Wehrlein (GER/Manor-Mercedes)
Rio Haryanto (INA/Manor-Mercedes)
Spanish F1 Grand Prix qualifying times:
Qualifying session No.3
1. Lewis Hamilton (GBR) Mercedes 1:22.000
2. Nico Rosberg (GER) Mercedes 1:22.280
3. Daniel Ricciardo (AUS) Red Bull-TAG Heuer 1:22.680
4. Max Verstappen (NED) Red Bull-TAG Heuer 1:23.087
5. Kimi Raikkonen (FIN) Ferrari 1:23.113
6. Sebastian Vettel (GER) Ferrari 1:23.334
7. Valtteri Bottas (FIN) Williams-Mercedes 1:23.522
8. Carlos Sainz Jr (ESP) Toro Rosso-Ferrari 1:23.643
9. Sergio Perez (MEX) Force India-Mercedes 1:23.782
10. Fernando Alonso (ESP) McLaren-Honda 1:23.981
Qualifying No.2
1. Lewis Hamilton (GBR) Mercedes 1:22.159 (Q)
2. Nico Rosberg (GER) Mercedes 1:22.759 (Q)
3. Max Verstappen (NED) Red Bull-TAG Heuer 1:23.178 (Q)
4. Kimi Raikkonen (FIN) Ferrari 1:23.504 (Q),
5. Daniel Ricciardo (AUS) Red Bull-TAG Heuer 1:23.585 (Q)
6. Sebastian Vettel (GER) Ferrari 1:23.688 (Q),
7. Sergio Perez (MEX) Force India-Mercedes 1:24.003 (Q)
8. Valtteri Bottas (FIN) Williams-Mercedes 1:24.023 (Q)
9. Carlos Sainz Jr (ESP) Toro Rosso-Ferrari 1:24.077 (Q)
10. Fernando Alonso (ESP) McLaren-Honda 1:24.192 (Q)
11. Nico Hlkenberg (GER) Force India-Mercedes 1:24.203
12. Jenson Button (GBR) McLaren-Honda 1:24.348
13. Daniil Kvyat (RUS) Toro Rosso-Ferrari 1:24.445
14. Romain Grosjean (FRA) Haas-Ferrari 1:24.480
15. Kevin Magnussen (DEN) Renault 1:24.625
16. Esteban Gutierrez (MEX) Haas-Ferrari 1:24.778
Qualifying No.1
1. Nico Rosberg (GER) Mercedes 1:23.002 (Q)
2. Lewis Hamilton (GBR) Mercedes 1:23.214 (Q)
3. Max Verstappen (NED) Red Bull-TAG Heuer 1:23.578 (Q)
4. Daniel Ricciardo (AUS) Red Bull-TAG Heuer 1:23.749 (Q)
5. Kimi Raikkonen (FIN) Ferrari 1:23.796 (Q)
6. Sebastian Vettel (GER) Ferrari 1:24.124 (Q)
7. Valtteri Bottas (FIN) Williams-Mercedes 1:24.251 (Q)
8. Esteban Gutierrez (MEX) Haas-Ferrari 1:24.406 (Q)
9. Nico Hlkenberg (GER) Force India-Mercedes 1:24.463 (Q)
10. Carlos Sainz Jr (ESP) Toro Rosso-Ferrari 1:24.496 (Q)
11. Fernando Alonso (ESP) McLaren-Honda 1:24.578 (Q)
12. Jenson Button (GBR) McLaren-Honda 1:24.583 (Q)
13. Kevin Magnussen (DEN) Renault 1:24.669 (Q) '
14. Daniil Kvyat (RUS) Toro Rosso-Ferrari 1:24.696 (Q)
15. Sergio Perez (MEX) Force India-Mercedes 1:24.698 (Q)
16. Romain Grosjean (FRA) Haas-Ferrari 1:24.716 (Q)
17. Jolyon Palmer (GBR) Renault 1:24.903
18. Felipe Massa (BRA) Williams-Mercedes 1:24.941
19. Marcus Ericsson (SWE) Sauber-Ferrari 1:25.202
20. Felipe Nasr (BRA) Sauber-Ferrari 1:25.579
21. Pascal Wehrlein (GER) Manor-Mercedes 1:25.745
22. Rio Haryanto (INA) Manor-Mercedes 1:25.939