Mark Webber (Red Bull) met fin à la domination de son coéquipier Sebastian Vettel lors des qualifications et il partira donc premier. Vettel doit se «contenter» de la 2e place. Lewis Hamilton (McLaren) et Fernando Alonso (Ferrari) partiront de la 2e ligne sur la grille de départ du Grand Prix d’Espagne. Jenson Button (McLaren) est 5e, suivi de Vitaly Petrov (Renault). Belle performance de la recrue de Williams, Pastor Maldonado qui se qualifie 9e.
| 1 | 2 | Mark Webber | RBR-Renault | 1:23.619 | 1:21.773 | 1:20.981 | 12 |
| 2 | 1 | Sebastian Vettel | RBR-Renault | 1:24.142 | 1:21.540 | 1:21.181 | 13 |
| 3 | 3 | Lewis Hamilton | McLaren-Mercedes | 1:24.370 | 1:22.148 | 1:21.961 | 12 |
| 4 | 5 | Fernando Alonso | Ferrari | 1:23.485 | 1:22.813 | 1:21.964 | 15 |
| 5 | 4 | Jenson Button | McLaren-Mercedes | 1:24.428 | 1:22.050 | 1:21.996 | 12 |
| 6 | 10 | Vitaly Petrov | Renault | 1:23.069 | 1:22.948 | 1:22.471 | 14 |
| 7 | 8 | Nico Rosberg | Mercedes | 1:23.507 | 1:22.569 | 1:22.599 | 14 |
| 8 | 6 | Felipe Massa | Ferrari | 1:23.506 | 1:23.026 | 1:22.888 | 15 |
| 9 | 12 | Pastor Maldonado | Williams-Cosworth | 1:23.406 | 1:22.854 | 1:22.952 | 14 |
| 10 | 7 | Michael Schumacher | Mercedes | 1:22.960 | 1:22.671 | 12 | |
| 11 | 18 | Sebastien Buemi | STR-Ferrari | 1:23.962 | 1:23.231 | 6 | |
| 12 | 17 | Sergio Perez | Sauber-Ferrari | 1:24.209 | 1:23.367 | 9 | |
| 13 | 19 | Jaime Alguersuari | STR-Ferrari | 1:24.049 | 1:23.694 | 9 | |
| 14 | 16 | Kamui Kobayashi | Sauber-Ferrari | 1:23.656 | 1:23.702 | 8 | |
| 15 | 20 | Heikki Kovalainen | Lotus-Renault | 1:25.874 | 1:25.403 | 6 | |
| 16 | 15 | Paul di Resta | Force India-Mercedes | 1:24.332 | 1:26.126 | 13 | |
| 17 | 14 | Adrian Sutil | Force India-Mercedes | 1:24.648 | 1:26.571 | 13 | |
| 18 | 21 | Jarno Trulli | Lotus-Renault | 1:26.521 | 4 | ||
| 19 | 11 | Rubens Barrichello | Williams-Cosworth | 1:26.910 | 5 | ||
| 20 | 24 | Timo Glock | Virgin-Cosworth | 1:27.315 | 8 | ||
| 21 | 23 | Vitantonio Liuzzi | HRT-Cosworth | 1:27.809 | 9 | ||
| 22 | 22 | Narain Karthikeyan | HRT-Cosworth | 1:27.908 | 9 | ||
| 23 | 25 | Jerome d’Ambrosio | Virgin-Cosworth | 1:28.556 | 5 | ||
| 9 | Nick Heidfeld | Renault | no time | 0 | |||
| Q1 107% Time | 1:28.767 |