Lando Norris took pole place for the Method 1 Sao Paulo Grand Prix, after a qualifying session that took two-and-a-half hours to finish because of heavy rainfall.
The Brit managed to set the quickest time in Q3, with George Russell mistakenly aborting an additional flying lap. Nevertheless, his grid penalty would have handed P1 to the McLaren driver anyway.
New World Champion Andrea Kimi Antonelli due to this fact took second, with Charles Leclerc – who took fourth – additionally a sufferer of a grid penalty, which means that third place was taken by Liam Lawson, after an excellent efficiency within the tough circumstances at Interlagos.
Rain, rain, go away
Qualifying bought going beneath a blanket of usually Brazilian rainfall, and inside minutes, it turned obvious that aquaplaining can be commonplace, and the choice was taken to purple flag with simply over quarter-hour left on the clock.
With drivers pressured to take a seat patiently of their respective garages, marshals labored frantically to clear standing water, with the Medical Automotive going out to examine the weather, with the Security Automotive following shortly afterwards.
Driver Bernd Schneider’s suggestions was that Turns 2, 3, 4 and 5 had been probably the most treacherous by way of the water. After extra work to clear the standing water, Schneider took the Security Automotive out for one more journey, and this time, the circumstances bought wetter.
Over an hour elapsed earlier than rain dissipated sufficient for a resumption, at 16:26 native time. Nevertheless, drivers together with Oscar Piastri complained it was “heavy” once more.
Regardless, vehicles stayed out, however new boy Rafa Camara, Gabriel Bortoleto and Lance Stroll had excursions off the circuit because the floor remained greasy and uncompromising.
With round 5 minutes to go, Oliver Bearman went high of the pile however was shortly displaced, with Russell taking quickest with two laps to go. However 2010 polesitter Nico Hulkenberg – that pole obtain beneath related circumstances – went quickest within the Audi, with the Racing Bulls of Arvid Lindblad and Liam Lawson behind him.
Ats the chequered flag got here out, Bearman spun on the closing flip, with Russell going again into P1, with Verstappen and Hamilton simply behind.
The same old suspects populated the hazard zone, other than Pierre Gasly, who was in vital hazard of dropping out, and he duly did, together with teammate Franco Colapinto. Bortoleto’s spin brought about some harm that truncated his afternoon.
Camara bought the house crowd in sunny spirits, regardless of the rain, by making it via to Q2.
Out: Colapinto, Gasly, Stroll, Bottas, Perez, Bortoleto.
Q2
The observe started to dry as Q2 started. Russell fed again to the pits that it was starting to grow to be Intermediates climate, however felt the Extremes had been working high-quality.
With just below 10 minutes to go, each Ferraris locked out the highest two, with Norris third, however Russell shortly went quickest once more. Verstappen, already aware of his back-of-the-grid begin because of an engine change, had had sufficient and duly opted to take no additional half.
Lindblad had been performing effectively within the moist, however his VCARB 03 suffered a technical fault and was pressured to park the automobile on observe. With six minutes to go, Fernando Alonso and Isack Hadjar had been the primary two drivers to field for Intermediates.
Regardless of clouting the obstacles in Q1, Bearman’s Haas miraculously suffered no discernible issues and briefly went quickest once more, now on Inters. However swiftly, Lawson went quickest, with Alonso sitting in fifth spot.
Predictably, although, Russell went quickest once more, with Norris getting himself out of the hazard zone, however solely into ninth, with a minute left on the clock.
With 40 seconds to go, Camara’s almost-dream debut weekend was over, his Haas parked nose-first within the barrier within the closing sector.
Out: Hamilton, Piastri, Camara, Lindblad, Sainz, Verstappen
Q3
Q3 shortly began because the rain started to accentuate.
Alonso, being the primary out of the blocks, went P1, however was shortly displaced by a flurry of vehicles, together with Russell, who appeared good to take P1, in identify solely, not less than.
Norris shortly displaced him however with loads of time to go, it appeared as if Russell might nonetheless snatch it, however was advised to again out of the subsequent push lap. Cue the fury: Russell was insensed of being denied what he felt was a “P1 lap”.
Because the King’s Lynn man started to stew additional, the rain started to fall closely, with vehicles now boxing. This time, the clock was left to run down.
Norris was due to this fact on pole, with Russell second, however his penalty left him drop to P7. Antonelli was now second, with Leclerc fourth, however now 14th factoring in his personal penalty. Lawson would due to this fact take third. Hulkenberg locked out the second row, with Hadjar subsequent, adopted by Bearman, Alonso and Albon.
READ MORE – F1 2026 Sao Paulo Grand Prix – Qualifying Outcomes
