Kieran is a freelance Formula 1 journalist for GPblog, covering breaking news, live race blogs and feature content across the F1 calendar. An NQJ-qualified journalist with more than a decade of experience, he has previously written for publications including MailOnline, the Manchester Evening News and the Eastern Daily Press.
Lando Norris is hoping for a wet Sao Paulo Grand Prix after admitting McLaren lacked the pace to match Mercedes in the dry, despite beating both of the team’s drivers to pole position at Interlagos.
The 2025 Formula 1 drivers' champion beat George Russell to pole in a wet qualifying session on Saturday, setting his fastest lap on the intermediate tyres before the rain intensified in Q3. Russell's five-place grid penalty means Norris will share the front row alongside new world champion Kimi Antonelli, who qualified third.
Norris backs McLaren’s chances in the wet
Norris fears that he won't be able to challenge Mercedes in dry conditions, but fancies his chances if today's Sao Paulo Grand Prix is a wet one.
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"I'm hoping for a wet race," he said in the post-race press conference. "There's a good likelihood it'll be wet. I mean, there's plenty of rain I think tomorrow at times and still be damp through the day, so we could just have an exciting race with a little bit of everything.
"But I was certainly more confident in the wet and on the inters than I was in the dry. I think in the dry, we just didn't have the pace compared to these guys. So I'll certainly be happy if I wake up and see rain in the morning."
Antonelli, meanwhile, said he had felt comfortable in the dry over both a single lap and a long run, particularly in Friday’s second practice session. If the track dries out, Norris could find himself defending the lead against a Mercedes driver who already knows how much pace he has in those conditions.
Forecasts this week have predicted that wet weather remains a real threat for the Grand Prix, with the rain expected throughout the day at Interlagos. Rain continued to fall steadily throughout the night at the circuit and is expected to intensify during the morning before becoming lighter in the afternoon.
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