Interlagos inverted: The starting grid for the Sao Paulo GP

A chaotic, marathon qualifying session stretching over two and a half hours under relentless rain has delivered a wildly unexpected grid for Sunday’s São Paulo Grand Prix at Interlagos.

Lando Norris mastered the treacherous track to secure his third consecutive pole position in Brazil. Sharing the front row is fresh F1 world champion Andrea Kimi Antonelli.

Behind them lies a sensational second row: Liam Lawson secured third for Racing Bulls, while Nico Hulkenberg lined up fourth to hand Audi a stunning qualifying result.

Red Bull’s Isack Hadjar follows in fifth, joined on row three by Haas’s Ollie Bearman. George Russell, who qualified second, drops to seventh following a five-place grid penalty for replacing his Mercedes power unit.

Fernando Alonso capitalised on the wet conditions to claim a season-best eighth for Aston Martin, while Alex Albon (Williams) and Oscar Piastri (McLaren) complete the top ten starters.

F1 heavy hitters at the back

Grid penalties reshuffled the midfield and rear completely. Engine changes earned Charles Leclerc a 10-place penalty, sending his Ferrari to 14th.

Further back, other heavyweights find themselves in recovery mode. Lewis Hamilton starts 20th, directly ahead of long-time rival Max Verstappen in 21st after both fitted fresh engines.

Hamilton's initial 10-place drop turned into a back-of-the-grid start (amounting to 65 penalty places overall) after his initial internal combustion engine failed in final practice, forcing Ferrari to install a second new power unit.

Joining them near the rear is Sergio Perez in 22nd after equipping a new Cadillac power unit. Ten-place engine penalties also hit Arvid Lindblad (Racing Bulls) and local favorite Gabriel Bortoleto (Audi), sending them to 18th and 19th respectively.

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