Norris beats Antonelli to Sao Paulo Sprint pole, Piastri to start third

Norris Secures Sprint Pole in Sao Paulo

Sao Paulo, Brazil – Lando Norris clinched pole position for the Sprint race at Interlagos, edging out Kimi Antonelli by just 0.097 seconds with a lap time of 1:09.243. His performance marked a competitive qualifying session and showcased McLaren’s pace as they continue to battle for crucial points in the championship.

Norris took his best time in the final qualifying session (SQ3), demonstrating exceptional skill, particularly on a single set of soft tires. Reflecting on the session, he stated, “It was a little bit tougher than I would’ve liked. It was close between a lot of cars. Mercedes were quick on the softs.”

Kimi Antonelli came close to challenging Norris’s time but lost momentum exiting Junção corner, securing a solid front-row position. Oscar Piastri, Norris’s teammate and a contender in the drivers’ standings, qualified third, managing to cut down his initial deficit from 0.4 seconds to just 0.185 seconds by his second flying lap.

The top-five lineup was completed by George Russell in fourth and Fernando Alonso in fifth. Verstappen, who showed early promise, concluded the session in sixth after struggling with car issues, remarking, “My car is completely broken, it’s just undrivable.”

Lance Stroll qualified seventh, followed by Charles Leclerc in eighth, Isack Hadjar and Nico Hulkenberg rounding out the top ten. Lewis Hamilton, battling traffic and missing the checkered flag in SQ2, will start 11th, while he faces a potential investigation for an alleged yellow flag infringement during that session.

Notably, home driver Gabriel Bortoleto finished 14th, and Pierre Gasly qualified 17th after being impeded by yellow flags. Yuki Tsunoda’s struggles continued as he ended in 18th, while Carlos Sainz will line up last after a lock-up compromised his qualifying attempt.

Qualifying Results: