Norris times final run to perfection to top marathon Sao Paulo GP qualifying

Lando Norris took another Formula 1 pole position after a marathon wet-weather qualifying session for the Sao Paulo Grand Prix.

Thunderstorms struck the track shortly before qualifying’s scheduled start time, and the session was red-flagged just 2m23s after the pit lane opened as conditions became undrivable.

A surprisingly low-attrition hour proceeded, and by the end of Q2 the track was dry enough to transition from full wet tires to intermediates. But team radars lit up as Q3 began, with heavy rain closing back in on the circuit. There was enough time for around six minutes of continuous running on a single set of intermediates.

Fernando Alonso was first on track and provisionally took pole but was quickly usurped by Liam Lawson. George Russell and Lando Norris then traded positions at the top of the times, the Mercedes moving up first, then the McLaren, and then the Mercedes again.

Russell responded with a purple first sector, but in the middle split he found himself stuck behind the slower Williams of Alex Albon. Though he was still improving his time, he was told by his race engineer to back off and find some space on track for one flying lap.

The advice was misguided, however, and as Russell embarked on his next lap, the heavens opened again. Grip deteriorated significantly, effectively ending the session with Norris on pole position for the third consecutive season at Interlagos.

“It wasn’t easy conditions out there, especially when you know it’s going to rain a lot more,” he said. “It was about getting two laps in at the beginning and not making any mistake, and that’s exactly what we did.

“Today was about getting on pole. It doesn’t really matter how you do it, so I’m very pleased with that.”

Russell, 0.204s slower, angrily radioed his pit wall about the badly timed instruction to back off while on a competitive lap, leaving him second in the session – which will become seventh on the grid after he serves a five-place grid penalty.

Despite losing time behind Albon before calling off his lap, Russell felt confident pole would have been his.

“That was definitely the pole lap,” he said of his abandoned time. “A misjudgment from our side. I need to understand what happened – obviously the rain was coming and we should’ve just finished the lap. I felt good out there – it was the first time in a while I felt confident in the car.

“I don’t really understand why that was. I felt more like myself, being in the fight for pole every single lap, but unfortunately when it mattered we didn’t execute.”

Kimi Antonelli was 0.625s off the pace after feeling uncomfortable on the intermediate tire but will inherit a front-row start after his teammate serves his penalty.

“It was very tricky,” he said. “I didn’t really know what to expect; I’ve never driven here in the wet, so I didn’t know what was coming.

“I struggled a little bit with the inters. I did a big mistake, almost went off in Turn 5, but it still was enough for P3, so I’m happy with that, and now we’ll focus on tomorrow. We’ll try to be ready for anything.”

Charles Leclerc qualified fourth and 0.819s off the pace but will drop to 14th with a 10-place engine change penalty. His and Russell’s penalties will promote Lawson to a season-best third on the grid after lapping 0.851s off pole.

Nico Hulkenberg qualified sixth for Audi ahead of Isack Hadjar and Oliver Bearman, the Haas driver in his first Q3 appearance since the Chinese Grand Prix at the start of the season.

Alonso excelled in the tricky conditions to deliver Aston Martin its first Q3 appearance of the season in ninth, with Albon making his own first top-10 appearance in 10th.

Lewis Hamilton qualified 11th but will be sent to the back of the grid after having had to change his power unit following FP3. Oscar Piastri, however, qualified a representative 12th after a mistake in the final sector of his last lap, leaving him more than a full second down on the time required to make it into the top 10.

Haas debutant Rafael Camara made it through to Q2 despite aquaplaning on the back straight in Q1 and giving his front-left corner a hefty whack. However, his session subsequently came to an end in the barriers outside Junção after sliding off the track, causing a late red flag that led to Q2 being abandoned.

Arvid Lindblad parked his car behind the barriers at Turn 4 with a technical problem, leaving him ahead of only Williams driver Carlos Sainz and Red Bull Racing’s Max Verstappen, who will start from the back of the grid with a new power unit. The Dutchman qualified 16th after opting not to set a time in Q2.

Franco Colapinto qualified 17th ahead of Pierre Gasly in the frenetic final minutes of the soaking-wet Q1 session, with the circuit improving constantly to the benefit of the final drivers over the line. It was Alpine’s first double Q1 knockout of the season, after having got at least one driver in Q3 six times from the last seven grands prix.

Lance Stroll was one of multiple drivers to end up off the road at Junção, trundling over the grass to rejoin the session only to be eliminated 19th.

Valtteri Bottas qualified 20th ahead of Cadillac teammate Sergio Perez, while home favorite Gabriel Bortoleto ended his session early after damaging his rear wing slithering off the road at Junção and spinning into the barriers. Though he was able to rejoin the track, the damage was too significant to be repaired before the end of the session.

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