McLaren’s Lando Norris secured pole position for the Sao Paulo Grand Prix on Sunday, outperforming his championship rival Max Verstappen. Verstappen, who faced a five-place grid penalty, qualified 12th in a heavily disrupted qualifying session that saw a total of five red flags. Norris managed to set the fastest lap time of one minute and 23.405 seconds, beating Mercedes’ George Russell by just 0.173 seconds.
The top drivers made their best times in the final seconds of the session on a drying track that provided increased grip. RB’s Yuki Tsunoda achieved a career-best third place, with Alpine’s Esteban Ocon and Liam Lawson in the second RB following closely behind. This marked Norris’s eighth career pole, his fifth in seven races, and his seventh pole position this year.
Despite the challenging conditions, Norris expressed his relief and happiness after securing pole position. Verstappen, on the other hand, failed to make the cut from the second qualifying session due to a crash involving Aston Martin’s Lance Stroll. Verstappen, visibly frustrated by the delay in showing the red flag, will start the race in 17th place after receiving a penalty for taking a new engine.
The disrupted qualifying session also saw Red Bull’s Sergio Perez missing the top-10 shootout along with Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz, last week’s winner in Mexico, and seven-time champion Lewis Hamilton. Norris’s teammate Oscar Piastri qualified in eighth place, with Fernando Alonso and Alex Albon rounding out the top 10.
The qualifying session was marred by a total of five red flags, equaling the record set in the 2022 Emilia Romagna Grand Prix. The one-hour session was extended by 45 minutes due to the multiple stoppages caused by crashes and incidents on the rain-soaked track. The session began in full wet conditions and eventually transitioned to intermediate tires as the track dried.
Overall, Norris’s pole position gives him a significant advantage going into the Sao Paulo Grand Prix, providing him with an opportunity to reduce Verstappen’s 44-point lead in the championship standings. With both drivers facing various challenges, fans can expect an exciting and unpredictable race as the title battle intensifies.
