Norris seals Sao Paulo GP sprint pole as Antonelli starts second

McLaren’s Lando Norris has taken sprint pole at the Sao Paulo Grand Prix as his teammate Oscar Piastri opened the door to allow Mercedes’ Kimi Antonelli to start second.

Feature image credit: McLaren Racing

Norris followed on from his best time in the only practice session of the weekend, with a strong performance in sprint qualifying as the Briton headed the opening third of qualifying.

Whilst Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso topped the second third, SQ2, Norris returned to form in the top 10 shootout to clinch pole position for the upcoming sprint race.

He will be accompanied by Mercedes’ Kimi Antonelli, who will start in second place, having narrowly missed an early exit in SQ1, as Piastri could only best third place.

The final main championship contender, Red Bull’s Max Verstappen, qualified in sixth. The Dutchman displayed frustration in his final run when the four-time world champion crossed the finishing line, having qualified behind both his championship rivals.

Ferrari lacked pace throughout qualifying and Lewis Hamilton was not able to make it through to SQ3, whereas Charles Leclerc was. The seven-time world champion failed to make it to the start line for the final run of SQ2 after Leclerc spun out at turn 10.

However, Hamilton is set to be investigated by the stewards for a yellow flag infringement following the conclusion of sprint qualifying.

Norris pips Piastri in solo practice at Sao Paulo Grand Prix

So, who qualified where for the Sao Paulo Grand Prix sprint race? 

1. Lando Norris, McLaren
2. Kimi Antonelli, Mercedes
3. Oscar Piastri, McLaren
4. George Russell, Mercedes
5. Fernando Alonso, Aston Martin
6. Max Verstappen, Red Bull
7. Lance Stroll, Aston Martin
8. Charles Leclerc, Ferrari
9. Isack Hadjar, Racing Bulls
10. Nico Hulkenberg, Kick Sauber
11. Lewis Hamilton, Ferrari 
12. Alexander Albon, Williams
13. Pierre Gasly, Alpine
14. Gabriel Bortoleto, Kick Sauber
15. Oliver Bearman, Haas
16. Franco Colapinto, Alpine
17. Liam Lawson, Racing Bulls
18. Yuki Tsunoda, Red Bull 
19. Esteban Ocon, Haas
20. Carlos Sainz, Williams

Read more Formula 1 here:

• Norris pips Piastri in solo practice at Sao Paulo Grand Prix
• Franco Colapinto completes 2026 Alpine driver line-up
• Oliver Bearman inches away from race ban ahead of Sao Paulo Grand Prix
• Williams drop Gulf livery ahead of Sao Paulo weekend
• Williams Racing announce rebranding ahead of 2026 F1 season
• Sao Paulo Grand Prix: Tensions rise ahead of final four races

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Kamron Kent

Hi, I’m Kamron. I created ApexMotorsports.co.uk in the dying embers of the 2021 Formula 1 world championship. It allowed me freedom to write whatever I wanted to write about which was all things motorsports, my passion.

I have put a lot of effort in over the years to keep this website in its best shape and I’ve loved seeing the brand grow consistently, month-on-month, year-on-year. My ambition is to keep watching this brand grow into a primary outlet of news for all things motorsports whilst fueling my desire to pursue a career in sports journalism, specialising in motorsports.

Kamron Kent

Hi, I'm Kamron. I created ApexMotorsports.co.uk in the dying embers of the 2021 Formula 1 world championship. It allowed me freedom to write whatever I wanted to write about which was all things motorsports, my passion. I have put a lot of effort in over the years to keep this website in its best shape and I've loved seeing the brand grow consistently, month-on-month, year-on-year. My ambition is to keep watching this brand grow into a primary outlet of news for all things motorsports whilst fueling my desire to pursue a career in sports journalism, specialising in motorsports.