McLaren’s Lando Norris kicked off his Sao Paulo Grand Prix weekend in style by securing pole position for Saturday’s sprint race, calling it a “good start” to his campaign. The Briton leads the drivers’ standings by a single point over teammate Oscar Piastri after his Mexico City victory, and his pace in Brazil suggests momentum remains on his side.
Norris narrowly beat Mercedes rookie Kimi Antonelli by 0.097 seconds, with Piastri taking third, 0.185 seconds behind. Mercedes’ George Russell and Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso completed the top five, while Red Bull’s Max Verstappen—36 points adrift in the title race—could manage only sixth after describing his car as “undriveable.”
“It was tougher than I’d like, but we did what we needed to do,” Norris said. “If I can cruise to victory tomorrow, that would be beautiful.”
The sprint, scheduled for 14:00 GMT (11:00 in Sao Paulo), may be affected by overnight storms. Norris said the team is “preparing for both conditions,” expecting “heavy rain and strong winds” in the morning.
Ferrari’s Lewis Hamilton endured another frustrating session, qualifying 11th after his final lap was ruined when teammate Charles Leclerc spun ahead of him. Hamilton was later cleared of any penalty for a yellow-flag infringement, receiving only a reprimand.
With eight points awarded for the sprint win, Norris has a golden opportunity to extend his slender championship lead before the main grand prix qualifying, set for later on Saturday—weather permitting.
Top 10 (Sprint Qualifying):
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Lando Norris (McLaren)
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Kimi Antonelli (Mercedes)
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Oscar Piastri (McLaren)
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George Russell (Mercedes)
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Fernando Alonso (Aston Martin)
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Max Verstappen (Red Bull)
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Lance Stroll (Aston Martin)
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Charles Leclerc (Ferrari)
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Isack Hadjar (Racing Bulls)
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Nico Hulkenberg (Sauber)
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