Fernando Alonso labelled seventh on the grid a "gift" for McLaren after a turning in a stunning qualifying performance ahead of his home race in Spain.
On Friday, four years on from his last F1 win, Alonso endured a miserable day which included an engine failure in FP1 and a 20th-place finish in FP2. But on Saturday morning Alonso turned in a more impressive 10th position, though a repeat in qualifying still seemed unlikely given Honda's significant power deficit.
Alonso stole the show in Q2 as he progressed to the top-ten shootout, where he duly beat both Force Indias and Felipe Massa's Williams.