McLaren driver Lando Norris secured pole position during a wet and challenging qualifying session for the Formula 1 Brazilian Grand Prix at the Interlagos circuit, besting Mercedes competitor George Russell. Heavy rain and standing water led to a red flag that halted the action for over an hour before Norris clocked a 1m27.470s lap on intermediate tyres in the final Q3 shootout to edge Russell by two tenths of a second.
Qualifying Drama and Penalties
Despite securing second, Russell carries a five-place grid penalty for a power unit change and expressed frustration after his Mercedes team instructed him to abort his second flying lap in Q3. Antonelli claimed third place, finishing six tenths behind Norris, while Charles Leclerc took fourth for Ferrari. Due to Russell’s demotion and a 10-place engine penalty for Leclerc, fifth-placed Racing Bulls driver Liam Lawson is elevated to third on the Sunday grid.
Lawson faces uncertainty regarding his seat as Racing Bulls weighs promoting reserve driver Nikola Tsolov, but the New Zealander delivered an impressive display. Nico Hulkenberg secured sixth for Audi, followed by Red Bull’s Isack Hadjar and Haas driver Oliver Bearman, with Fernando Alonso and Alex Albon rounding out the top 10 on Saturday.
Earlier in Q2, Alonso was the first to transition to intermediate tyres to elevate his Aston Martin, prompting others to follow. Russell initially claimed provisional P1 with a 1m26.745s lap, closely followed by Lawson and Hadjar. Newly crowned world champion Antonelli narrowly advanced in 10th, eliminating Ferrari’s Lewis Hamilton, who faces a back-of-the-grid start due to a power unit penalty.
McLaren’s Oscar Piastri also missed the cut in 12th. Haas rookie Rafael Camara advanced to Q2 despite an earlier excursion, but crashed into the wall at turn 12 to trigger a late red flag. Arvid Lindblad exited in 14th due to a power unit problem in the second Racing Bulls car, followed by Williams driver Carlos Sainz. Red Bull’s Max Verstappen chose not to run in Q2 and finished 16th ahead of his own engine penalty.
Wet Weather Disruption in Q1
Q1 commenced on time following an earlier downpour, but deteriorating track conditions prompted several drivers to immediately return to the pits and switch from intermediates to full wet tyres. Race control subsequently red-flagged the session as drivers reported severe aquaplaning. Following a delay exceeding an hour and 20 minutes, the session resumed with 15 minutes remaining on the clock.
As conditions slowly improved, drivers built rhythm on full wets, leading Norris to top the segment with a 1m30.939s lap ahead of Russell and Verstappen. Haas debutant Camara survived a spin and wall contact at Turn 3 to progress in 13th. Alpine struggled significantly as Franco Colapinto and Pierre Gasly were eliminated in 16th and 17th due to a lack of grip, joined by Lance Stroll in 18th and Cadillac drivers Valtterr Bottas and Sergio Perez.
Audi’s Brazilian crowd favorite Gabriel Bortoleto suffered an off at Turn 12, damaging the left-rear of his car before extricating it from a muddy puddle to return to the pits.
