Lando Norris claims F1 São Paulo GP pole as rain disrupts qualifying | Formula One 2026

Lando Norris took pole position for McLaren at the São Paulo Grand Prix at Interlagos, with George Russell setting the second fastest time. Norris put in a strong lap in very tricky wet conditions during a qualifying session that took two and a half hours to complete because of heavy rain. Russell, though, has a grid penalty, promoting new world champion Kimi Antonelli to second and the Racing Bulls’ driver Liam Lawson to third.

Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton were also amongst a raft of drivers hit with a grid penalty for taking a new engine and the Dutchman opted to not set a time after Q1, to save his tyres for the race, and will start from 21st.

Hamilton also had to take a full range of engine components, having had a new internal combustion engine for final practice which then suffered a problem and he will start from 20th. His Ferrari teammate Charles Leclerc finished fourth but has a 10-place penalty for taking a new ICE and will start from 14th.

Those grid penalties put Mercedes in a prime position to close out the constructors’ championship on Sunday. They can clinch the title if they outscore Ferrari by three points in Brazil. Having secured the drivers’ championship with Antonelli last weekend, it will be their first double since 2020 and their ninth constructors’ title.

Russell has a five-place penalty for taking a new engine as had been planned by Mercedes after his ICE suffered a failure in Malaysia and he will start from seventh.

Cadillac’s Sergio Pérez also took a full set of new engine components and will start from the back of the grid.

For McLaren this was the result they were looking for having brought what was expected to be the last of their major upgrades to this race, with the focus on a new front wing. They are hoping the developments, which are designed looking toward their 2027 car with the intent of addressing the narrow edge of balance of the current model, would prove beneficial and Norris had noted he felt they were working.

Q1 began after a delay of an hour and a half, with the rain still falling and standing water on track as the field began by feeling their way round to test the grip with the times coming down as the track began to clear. In Q2, with the track drying, the drivers switched to intermediate tyres.

For the decisive runs in the final session, with the track still wet and heavier rain incoming, Alonso went out first to put in a time but behind him Norris was quicker, only to be pipped by Russell. They continued to lap and Norris found more pace, to lead once more. These were the vital laps as the rain arrived and they proved decisive, with Norris’s time of 1 minute 27.470 seconds enough for pole.

Russell was left furious that he was told by the team to back off on his last quick run, which he felt was enough to have at least set the best time, a confidence boost the British driver would have clearly welcomed.

Verstappen has taken a full raft of engine components that amounts to a 30-place penalty but the Dutchman will not consider the cause lost at the Autódromo José Carlos Pace where he has shown superb form in the past. Rain is expected for the race set for 5pm on Sunday. In 2016 he came through from 16th to third in the wet, last year he also took third after starting from the pit lane and in 2024 he won from 17th on the grid.

Hamilton has similar form in Brazil having come back twice in the same weekend in 2021, from 20th to fifth in the sprint and then from 10th to win the grand prix. However he likely faces a far tougher task this time round, with the Ferrari’s power deficit looking exposed at Interlagos.

They were well off the pace of Mercedes during long runs in practice, particularly on the full-throttle drag from the Junção corner to the finish line, where they were losing as much as three-tenths to Antonelli. The deficit may be somewhat negated if the race is wet.

Rafael Câmara, the Brazilian Ferrari junior driver replacing Esteban Ocon at Haas for the rest of this season and with a full-time drive next year, had made a good showing on his F1 debut at his home grand prix making it into Q2 but then crashed out, ending the session.