Lando Norris captured pole position at the Sao Paulo Grand Prix following a qualifying session marked by heavy rainfall and challenging track conditions at Interlagos. The qualifying process was suspended for over an hour and 20 minutes during the opening phase of Q1 after a torrential downpour affected the circuit, delaying the competition before wet weather continued throughout the remainder of the session.
Norris’ pole marked his third consecutive Interlagos pole position as the outgoing world champion, achieved as conditions deteriorated further during the final qualifying segment. McLaren had demonstrated improved performance following recent car upgrades, contributing to the team’s competitive showing. George Russell qualified second for Mercedes but will face a five-place grid penalty for an engine change, creating frustration after he was advised to abort what he believed would have been a faster lap when negotiating traffic from Alex Albon’s Williams.
Kimi Antonelli, the newly crowned world champion, qualified third and will move to the front row alongside Norris ahead of his Mercedes team-mate Russell. Charles Leclerc secured fourth position for Ferrari but carries a 10-place grid penalty for an engine change that will move him into the midfield for the race. Lewis Hamilton, originally scheduled to serve an identical penalty, experienced a power-unit issue during final practice that necessitated a complete power-unit replacement, resulting in a back-of-the-grid starting position. Max Verstappen also took a new power unit in his Red Bull and will start from the rear of the field alongside Hamilton. The race is scheduled to take place later this week.
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