Lando Norris claims dramatic wet pole for Sao Paulo Grand Prix

McLaren’s Lando Norris claimed pole position ahead in a dramatic qualifying session that saw worsening weather at the Sao Paulo Grand Prix.

Feature image credit: By Courtesy of Pirelli

In changing weather conditions, Norris claimed his fourth pole position of the year, and his third at Sao Paulo, his third consecutive top-place finish in qualifying at the venue since 2024.

The session saw a lengthy delay in Q1 as the heavens opened ahead of the sessions, and worsened in mere moments, to a monsoon-level downpour. The session was red-flagged after two and a half minutes of the start of Q1.

Qualifying was later red flagged again, at the end of Q2, after Haas’ rookie – and 2027 driver – Rafael Camara crashed out at turn 14 of the Autodromo Jose Carlos Pace.

So, how did Qualifying unfold?

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Q1 

Before the session got underway, a number of drivers opted to head out into the pit lane with the intermediate tyres. However, the rain intensity picked up before the pit exit light turned green, with the pit lane sitters equipped with the green-walled intermediates. 

However, as the intensity picked up to a monsoon-level, drivers ventured out with the blue-walled full wets but the track was too dangerous to continue and race control red flagged the session. 

Mercedes’ Kimi Antonelli complained of aquaplaning as he tip-toed around the circuit on the inters. Even McLaren’s Lando Norris, with the wet tyres, still struggled on the full wets. 

After nearly an hour and a half, the qualifying session has been given a restart time. All of which the handful of drivers pulled into the pit lane, with Cadillac’s Valtteri Bottas leading the queue, and they were all equipped with the blue-walled wet tyres. 

During that time, Haas’ Oliver Bearman was given a reprimand for reversing in the pit lane as they tried to pull into the working lane to change over their tyres, before the red flag. 

When the session resumed, it wasn’t long before there was an issue, with Haas’ debutant Rafael Camara hitting the wall. Shortly after, Audi’s Gabriel Bortoleto had his own moment with eight minutes on the clock, having rotated around and hit the barrier. 

The Brazilian was able to continue on without further issue back to the pits. However, the damage was too much for the Audi to continue. 

Aston Martin’s Lance Stroll was the next driver to hit the barrier, at the same place as Bortoleto. Stroll was able to feather his way up the hill and back into the pit lane, before pulling immediately into the pits. 

By the end of the first third, it was Norris who went fastest overall with a 1m 30.939s, pipping Mercedes George Russell and Red Bull’s Max Verstappen by two tenths of a second.

Verstappen pips Antonelli with fastest lap of FP3 at Sao Paulo Grand Prix

Q1 Eliminations 

22 – Gabriel Bortoleto, Audi +10.625s

21 – Sergio Perez, Cadillac +3.570s                                                                   

20 – Valtteri Bottas, Cadillac +2.835s

19 – Lance Stroll, Aston Martin +2.714s

18 – Pierre Gasly, Alpine +2.510s

17 – Franco Colapinto, Alpine +2.388s

Pacesetter: Lando Norris, McLaren – 1m 30.939s

Q2

When the session returned to the track, for the start of Q2, everyone went out on the full wet tyres, headed by Russell’s Mercedes. The only driver who remained inside the pit lane was Verstappen, who reportedly retired from the session, given he will start at the back of the grid in Sunday’s race. 

With just over five minutes left on the clock, Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso was the first driver to dive into the pits to put on a set of green-ringed intermediate tyres. As a result, it caused a chain reaction as the bulk of the field opted to dive into the pits for the inters. 

Racing Bull’s Arvid Lindblad became the latest retirement of the session as the Briton was instructed to stop the car on track. He managed to find an escape road to avoid a red flag for the rest of the field. 

Camara brought out the red flag with 43 seconds left on the clock after the Brazilian crashed out on the last meaningful corner of the circuit, Turn 14. The Haas rookie understeered off the circuit and ploughed into the barrier, despite his best attempts to avoid it. 

Rafael Camara receives reprimand on Haas debut at Sao Paulo Grand Prix

Q2 Eliminations

16 – Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing – No Time Set

15 – Carlos Sainz, Williams +5.040s

14 – Arvid Lindblad, Racing Bulls +4.942s

13 – Rafael Camara, Haas +4.770s

12 – Oscar Piastri, McLaren +3.624s

11 – Lewis Hamilton, Ferrari +3.256s

Pacesetter: George Russell, Mercedes – 1m 26.745s

Q3

With the conditions still wet, despite a delayed start to Q3, Alonso – in his first Q3 appearance of the season – was the first driver to bolt out of the garage to head the queue at the end of the pit lane. All of the drivers still remained on the wet-compound intermediate tyres. 

However, there was another risk of heavy rain, with it being speculated that drivers may only get one lap on the quicker intermediates.

With six minutes left to go, the conditions, as expected, worsened at the halfway point of the third to a point the performance on the intermediates died off and could no longer put in competitive lap times. 

As such, by default, with no one left out on the track, the clock ticked down to grant Norris with pole position as the two Mercedes’ of Russell and Kimi Antonelli finished second and third, respectively. However, Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc would move up to third after Russell’s five-place grid penalty.

Thus, ending a qualifying session that exceeded two hours due to the changeable weather conditions. 

Top 10 

10 – Alexander Albon, Williams +2.986s

9 – Fernando Alonso, Aston Martin +2.841s

8 – Oliver Bearman, Haas +2.361s

7 – Isack Hadjar, Red Bull +1.293s

6 – Nico Hulkenberg, Audi +1.198s

5 – Liam Lawson, Racing Bulls +0.851s

4 – Charles Leclerc, Ferrari +0.819s

3 – Kimi Antonelli, Mercedes +0.625s

2 – George Russell, Mercedes +0.204s

1 – Lando Norris, McLaren – 1m 27.470s

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