São Paulo GP: Norris beats Antonelli to Sprint Qualifying pole

Lando Norris delivered a masterclass around Interlagos on Friday afternoon to seize pole for Saturday’s São Paulo Grand Prix Sprint event, narrowly beating Mercedes rookie Andrea Kimi Antonelli.

The McLaren driver’s precision and confidence on a tricky track gave him a decisive edge over his title rivals, with teammate Oscar Piastri third and championship leader Max Verstappen only sixth after a frustrating session.

In the final SQ3 segment, Norris stamped his authority early with a 1m09.271s lap that none of his rivals could immediately touch. The Briton, clearly at ease with his McLaren, then found even more pace on his second run – clocking a blistering 1m09.243s to secure the top spot.

• São Paulo Grand Prix - Sprint Qualifying results

Antonelli, in only his second Sprint weekend, was the surprise of the session. The young Mercedes star produced a calm and controlled performance to split the McLarens, finishing just a tenth behind Norris. Piastri improved slightly on his last lap but couldn’t match his teammate’s pace, settling for third.

Behind them, George Russell backed up Antonelli with fourth place for Mercedes, while Fernando Alonso impressed again for Aston Martin, snatching fifth and keeping Verstappen behind.

The reigning world champion complained his Red Bull felt “completely broken” as he wrestled with grip issues throughout qualifying.

Alonso Steals the Show in SQ2

Before the final showdown, Alonso had already stolen attention in SQ2. The Spaniard topped the timesheets with a 1m09.330s on medium tyres, beating Norris, Piastri, and Russell as few found improvement on their second runs.

Lewis Hamilton’s hopes of reaching SQ3 vanished after a costly lock-up left him only 11th, compounded by yellow flags that prevented a final attempt.

Verstappen and Charles Leclerc both flirted with elimination but scraped through in eighth and ninth respectively after others failed to improve. Pierre Gasly, Alex Albon, and home hero Gabriel Bortoleto were among those to miss out, lining up 12th to 14th.

Early Drama for Sainz in SQ1

The opening phase set the tone as Norris immediately went fastest with a 1m09.627s on mediums - three tenths clear of Verstappen and Piastri.

Further back, it was heartbreak for several drivers: Franco Colapinto narrowly missed out on SQ2 after a late effort from Lance Stroll, while Carlos Sainz’s session ended in frustration after a Turn 1 lock-up left him last, with the Spaniard seemingly accusing his team of poor execution".

Behind the front six, Stroll’s strong form continued in seventh, followed by Leclerc in eighth, rookie Isack Hadjar in ninth, and Nico Hülkenberg completing the top ten.

With Norris at the front and Verstappen playing catch-up, Saturday’s Sprint promises fireworks – and perhaps a shake-up in the title race before the main event on Sunday.

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