Lando Norris claimed pole position after a hugely-challenging Sao Paulo Grand Prix qualifying in treacherous wet conditions, for a race that will see Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen start at the back of the grid.
On a typically rain-hit day at ever-unpredictable Interlagos, qualifying was suspended for over an hour and 20 minutes after a torrential downpour hit the drivers’ first laps of Q1.
The rain eventually eased – but never particularly stopped – to allow running take place and create a thrilling and unpredictable battle for pole.
In the end it was Norris who came out ahead as conditions worsened again in Q3 to seal a third successive Interlagos pole position for the outgoing world champion, on a weekend McLaren had already showed improved form in the dry following car upgrades.
Mercedes’ George Russell was second fastest ahead of a race he already knew he carries a five-place grid penalty for an engine change, meaning he could not ultimately achieve pole position whatever he did.
He will drop to seventh on Sunday’s grid.
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But the Mercedes driver was left frustrated not to top the qualifying timesheet outright, rather than finishing 0.204s behind Norris, after being advised by his race engineer to back out of what turned out to be his final representative timed lap of Q3 when he came up behind Alex Albon’s slower Williams.
Russell’s engineer, Marcus Dudley, clearly hoped this would pay dividends by giving Russell a clearer run on his next lap but the call coincided with rain increasing again, meaning lap times soon became slower. Drivers swiftly headed back to the pit lane to mark an effective end to the Q3 battle as they all stayed in the garage as the clock ticked down to zero.
Russell felt he would have had pole had he continued on behind Albon, saying on team radio after the session: “I don’t want to be P2. I want to be P1!”
New world champion Kimi Antonelli qualified third but will move ahead of team-mate Russell to the front row alongside Norris.
Charles Leclerc was fourth for Ferrari but he has a 10-place penalty for an engine change to serve so will drop down into the midfield.
His team-mate Hamilton was also originally supposed to serve the same sanction but a problem with his fresh Ferrari engine in final practice triggered a complete power-unit change and locked him in to a back-of-the-grid start.
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He will be joined on the back rows by old title rival Verstappen, who has also taken a new power unit in his Red Bull from Saturday’s running.
Both drivers dropped out in Q2, Hamilton in 11th and Verstappen in 16th after opting not to run in the second phase at all in order to save wet tyres for the race, but neither result mattered given their overriding penalties.
Russell and Leclerc’s penalties move Liam Lawson – whose future at Racing Bulls remain in huge doubt despite his impressive season – to third on the grid after the New Zealander already impressed to qualify fifth.
There were also strong performances in the rain from Audi’s Nico Hulkenberg, who will start fourth, and Haas’ Oliver Bearman, who will line up sixth. With Verstappen at the back, Isack Hadjar will be the lead Red Bull driver in fifth.
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Fernando Alonso showed his old mastery of the rain to put under-powered Aston Martin into Q3 for the first time this season, while Williams’ Alex Albon also made his first top-10 appearance of a difficult year.
Alonso and Albon will line up in eighth and ninth respectively, one place ahead of McLaren’s Oscar Piastri – after he dropped out in Q2 – and Brazilian debutant Rafael Camara in 11th. Haas new signing hugely impressed on his F1 debut to make Q2 but crashed into the barriers at the end of that phase.
More to follow…
Sky Sports F1’s live Sao Paulo GP Schedule
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Sunday November 8
3.30pm: Grand Prix Sunday: Sao Paulo GP build-up
5pm: THE SAO PAULO GRAND PRIX
7pm: Chequered Flag: Sao Paulo GP reaction
8pm: Ted’s Notebook
Formula 1 is in Brazil for the final leg of the triple header with the Sao Paulo Grand Prix this weekend, live on Sky Sports F1. Stream Sky Sports with NOW