Lando Norris showcased his composure and speed by clinching pole position for Saturday’s sprint race at the São Paulo Grand Prix. Coming off a dominant win in Mexico that propelled him to the top of the championship standings, Norris now has the chance to widen his lead as the season nears its climax.
Norris narrowly edged out his closest contender, Kimi Antonelli, who qualified second, while fellow championship challenger Oscar Piastri secured third place on the grid. Piastri remains just a single point behind Norris as 114 points remain available across the final four races. Meanwhile, Max Verstappen, 36 points adrift, struggled with a malfunctioning Red Bull car and managed only sixth position, citing the vehicle as “completely broken” and “just undrivable.”
Other notable qualifiers among the contenders include George Russell in fourth for Mercedes, and Fernando Alonso in fifth, ahead of Verstappen. Norris’s pole time was just 0.097 seconds faster than Antonelli, with Piastri trailing by 0.185 seconds and Verstappen a further third of a second behind.
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“The session was tougher than expected,” Norris said. “But we got the job done and I’m thrilled to be fastest today. I haven’t felt as comfortable as in Mexico, so this is a great result." He also noted the unpredictable weather conditions forecasted, with significant rain and wind expected to affect the sprint race scheduled for 11:00 local time, followed by qualifying for Sunday’s main event.
Despite the sunny qualifying conditions, the title contenders will need to prepare for changing track conditions. “It’s meant to rain a lot and be really windy,” Norris added. “Everyone should bring their rain jackets. But for now, I’m happy with how today went. The focus is shifting to tomorrow.”
In contrast, seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton, a legendary figure in Brazil due to his admiration for Ayrton Senna, had a challenging qualifying session. Eliminated in Q2, Hamilton will start the sprint in 11th place, continuing his search for a maiden podium finish for Ferrari, now in his 21st race with the team. His teammate Charles Leclerc, despite spinning near the end of qualifying, advanced to Q3 and will start three places ahead of Hamilton.
Hamilton’s struggle was compounded by a potential investigation for a yellow-flag infringement, which could result in a grid penalty and further complicate his race weekend.