Norris takes wet Sao Paulo pole as Russell rues miscommunication and hopes for rain

Lando Norris said qualifying for the Sao Paulo Grand Prix produced "some of the wettest conditions" he had ever driven in and he is hoping for more rain in Sunday’s race, after taking pole in a session that was halted for nearly an hour and a half. George Russell was fastest among the rest in qualifying but will start seventh because of a five-place grid penalty.

The qualifying session was stopped for almost 90 minutes after officials initially tried to start it and many drivers described the conditions as borderline. Norris recorded pole in Brazil for a third consecutive year, with several regular front-runners hit by grid penalties that reshaped the starting order.

Norris said the wet track had helped his McLaren and gave him the chance to outpace rivals despite recent form: "We're lucky it's wet, because if it was dry, I wouldn't be sitting here. In the dry, we definitely didn't have the pace." He acknowledged upgrades had improved the car but added he felt he owed the result to the conditions after not having taken pole since the Spanish Grand Prix in September.

Russell described qualifying as treacherous and criticised a team decision that he felt cost him pole: "Q1 was extremely challenging. The visibility was zero down the straight into Turn Four. I was wheel-spinning in fifth gear, over 200km/h (120mph), aquaplaning." He recounted radio frustration after being told to back off and a reminder from team boss Toto Wolff that he was still P2; Russell said: "Gives me the confidence and reminds me again that I haven't forgotten how to drive," and added, "I felt really confident in the rain. I think my pace, along with Lando's, was by far the best out there."

The rain, combined with grid penalties, produced an unfamiliar front of the grid. Racing Bulls' Liam Lawson and Audi's Nico Hulkenberg occupy the second row, Haas driver Oliver Bearman is sixth, and Aston Martin's Fernando Alonso and Williams' Alex Albon are eighth and ninth respectively, with both making the top 10 for the first time in 2026. Ferrari's Charles Leclerc qualified fourth but carries a 10-place penalty for engine usage, while Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen will start 20th and 21st after replacing engines and exceeding their allotment for the year.

Alonso highlighted tyre-temperature issues in the closing stages after running at the front for much of qualifying, saying: "We took some risks in Q1, in Q2, where the conditions were a little bit unknown for everybody and we made it through and then our first Q3 of the year, so obviously pleased with that," and added, "Then in Q3 I was expecting maybe a little bit more. I was first on the queue. But the tyres were ice cold in Q3, so I had no grip." He noted the wet limited full-throttle time and still left him with concerns about the car's drivability: "There is less time full throttle (in the wet), because there is no grip. So obviously they cannot exploit the extra power."

Ferrari endured a tricky weekend that began with a post-race discussion between Leclerc and Hamilton after their Mexico first-lap clash; both drivers took new internal combustion engines and received 10-place grid penalties, and a further engine change for Hamilton in final practice left him at the back alongside Verstappen. Leclerc, who returned to Europe between the two races to be present for the birth of his daughter Bianca, said of his talk with Hamilton: "It was good to speak. This is always needed after a moment like this. It took proportions that are way too big, but it has been around also for way too long." Hamilton said: "Me and Charles sat and spoke and we squashed it, and we're moving on. We still have a huge amount of respect for each other and I'm glad we had a chat and now we move on."

Further grid detail from qualifying includes: 3. Liam Lawson (Racing Bulls) 5. Isack Hadjar (Red Bull) 8. Fernando Alonso (Aston Martin) 12. Arvid Lindblad (Racing Bulls) 17. Lance Stroll (Aston Martin) 21. Max Verstappen (Red Bull).

Sunday's forecast at Interlagos is for light rain, and with the circuit's unpredictable weather teams and drivers have said they will remain open-minded about what to expect for the race on Sunday.