Norris on pole after rain-delayed qualifying at Interlagos
Lando Norris took pole position for the Sao Paulo Grand Prix at Interlagos after a wet qualifying session that was halted before any lap could be set when conditions proved too dangerous; the session, scheduled to start at 15:00 local time, was restarted 1 hour and 26 minutes later. Norris beat George Russell by 0.204 seconds to top the timesheet.
Norris’s lap put him ahead of Russell, who complained that he could have been faster had he not been told by his engineer to abort a faster lap before the rain became heavier. In any case, Russell carries a five-place grid penalty for exceeding his permitted number of engine parts, which promotes team-mate and new world champion Kimi Antonelli to second on the grid.
The session was stopped at the original start because the conditions were deemed too dangerous for running, and several drivers described the visibility and spray as extreme. Oliver Bearman said: "Definitely the wettest conditions I've experienced in a race car, if not any car, and that's saying a lot given I grew up in the UK." The interruption added almost an hour and a half to the qualifying timetable before action resumed.
A series of engine-related grid penalties altered the outcome beyond on-track lap times. Max Verstappen, who had been third fastest in the first part of qualifying, did not take part in the restarted session because he knew he would be starting at the back of the grid, while Ferrari's Lewis Hamilton, who also starts from the back for the same reason, did take part in the second session but failed to reach the top 10 and qualified 11th.
The wet conditions produced stronger results than usual from drivers in normally less competitive cars. Charles Leclerc qualified fourth but carries a 10-place grid penalty, promoting Racing Bulls' Liam Lawson to third; Lawson was described as one of the drivers enjoying their best qualifying session of the year in the rain. Audi's Nico Hulkenberg qualified sixth and will start fourth, Haas driver Oliver Bearman was eighth and will start sixth, Aston Martin's Fernando Alonso was ninth and will move up to eighth, with Williams' Alex Albon immediately behind him.
Norris, the 2025 world champion, had shown pace across the weekend in McLaren's upgraded car and matched his pole from Brazil last year. "It's been a long day, a great qualifying. It was about getting two laps in at the beginning and not making mistakes and that's what we did," he said after securing the front spot on the grid.
Officially listed times and positions include Norris at the top with a 1:27.470, George Russell second on the timesheets (with a five-place grid penalty), Charles Leclerc fourth (with a 10-place grid penalty), Liam Lawson listed fifth in the published order for the session, Isack Hadjar seventh and Fernando Alonso ninth. The Sao Paulo Grand Prix is due to start at 17:00 GMT on 8 November, with live commentary on BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra and live text updates available on the BBC Sport website and app.