Lando Norris claimed pole position for the São Paulo Grand Prix despite wet and challenging conditions at Interlagos, while Lewis Hamilton faced a major engine failure that will force him to start the race from the back of the grid.
The McLaren driver managed to outpace George Russell and other contenders in a qualifying session marked by heavy rain and multiple interruptions. Norris edged out Russell by just over a tenth of a second, securing his first pole of the season. Russell, who was left frustrated with his Mercedes team, will start seventh after a five-place grid penalty.
Hamilton’s weekend unravelled rapidly after Ferrari announced both he and Charles Leclerc would take 10-place grid drops for internal combustion engine changes ahead of qualifying. Hamilton immediately reported vibrations from his new engine, then returned to the pits with smoke pouring from the rear of his car. Ferrari decided the entire power unit required replacement, condemning Hamilton to start at the back of the field in Sunday’s race.
Max Verstappen, who also changed several engine components, will join Hamilton at the rear. Leclerc will start 14th following his penalty, leaving a mixed-up grid for what promises to be a tricky race in wet conditions.
The qualifying session began under a downpour that forced a red flag just minutes after the start when the track became too dangerous to drive. Some drivers were caught in the pit lane as the rain intensified, including Red Bull’s Isack Hadjar, who radioed in for a new race suit after being soaked. The new world champion Kimi Antonelli, who took the title from Norris last weekend, remained in his car during the delay, describing the conditions as the “wettest” he had ever experienced in a race car.
Safety car driver Bernd Maylander conducted exploratory laps and reported the track as “not driveable” while thunder echoed above Interlagos. The session was suspended for over an hour before resuming late in the afternoon with cars running on extreme wet tyres. Valtteri Bottas led the field back out, followed by a series of cautious laps in deteriorating visibility.
Brazilian home favourites Gabriel Bortoleto and Rafael Camara both crashed into barriers, though Camara managed to continue despite the impact. The drivers’ ability to keep their cars on track in such conditions was notable.
During Q1, Verstappen posted the third-fastest time but retired early, aware that his penalty would place him at the back regardless. Hamilton persisted into Q2 but switched to saving tyres once the track moved onto intermediates, eventually withdrawing from the session.
The second phase of qualifying ended prematurely after Camara crashed at Curva da Juncao, eliminating McLaren’s Oscar Piastri. Russell expressed frustration on the radio about the fading light as the session progressed.
When the final session began, Norris set the pace with a lap over a tenth of a second faster than Russell. The Mercedes driver criticised his team for instructing him to back off his final flying lap, a decision he believed cost him pole position. “Congrats to Lando but that was a pole lap and a misjudgement on our side,” Russell said.
Antonelli, now the reigning world champion, will start second, with Liam Lawson taking an impressive third place despite uncertainty about his Racing Bulls seat for next season.
The wet weather and penalties to several front runners have produced an unpredictable grid. Hamilton and Verstappen will need to navigate their way through the pack from the back, while Norris holds a rare chance to convert pole into a strong result on a day when wet conditions could level the field.
According to Yahoo Sports.
