Norris takes pole after marathon rain-soaked qualifying session at Interlagos

Qualifying for the Sao Paulo Grand Prix got off to a chaotic start, with heavy rain forcing race control to suspend Q1 just minutes after the session began. Standing water quickly became a major concern for drivers, who struggled with the conditions while attempting their opening laps on intermediate tyres.

George Russell was among the first to raise the alarm, warning his Mercedes team over the radio about the risk of aquaplaning and calling for the session to be stopped. Race control subsequently displayed the red flag, sending the drivers back to the pit lane.

After over an hour of waiting, conditions improved sufficiently for the session to resume, allowing the drivers to return to the track and continue their attempts to reach Q2.

Brazilian fans endured a dramatic session, with local favourites Gabriel Bortoleto and Rafael Camara both hitting the barriers in difficult wet conditions. While Bortoleto was eliminated after finishing 22nd with a time of 1:41.564, Camara managed to continue despite his incident.

The Haas driver secured 13th place with a lap of 1:32.809, progressing to Q2 in his first-ever Formula 1 qualifying session. Meanwhile, Lando Norris topped the timesheets ahead of George Russell and Max Verstappen, with Franco Colapinto, Pierre Gasly, Lance Stroll, Valtteri Bottas and Sergio Perez joining Bortoleto in the elimination zone.

Max Verstappen did not take to the track during Q2, knowing he would start from the back of the grid due to his penalty. Lewis Hamilton, who faces the same penalty, completed just one timed lap to ensure he would start ahead of the Dutchman, finishing 11th. George Russell topped the session with a 1:26.745, ahead of Liam Lawson and Isack Hadjar, while Charles Leclerc and Nico Hülkenberg completed the top five.

Brazilian home hero Camara crashed into the barriers in the closing stages, triggering a red flag that brought Q2 to an end with one minute remaining. Andrea Kimi Antonelli narrowly escaped elimination, securing the final Q3 spot in tenth place. Hamilton, Oscar Piastri, Camara, Arvid Lindblad, Carlos Sainz and Verstappen were all eliminated.

Lando Norris emerged on top in Q3, securing pole position with a lap of 1:27.470. George Russell finished second, 0.204 seconds behind the McLaren driver, while Andrea Kimi Antonelli completed the top three to secure a double top-three finish for Mercedes.

Charles Leclerc took fourth place ahead of Liam Lawson and Nico Hülkenberg, with Isack Hadjar seventh. Oliver Bearman, Fernando Alonso and Alex Albon completed the top ten.