Lando Norris masters Interlagos chaos to take pole in rain-hit qualifying
Lando Norris secured pole position for the São Paulo Grand Prix after a rain-soaked qualifying session at Interlagos, where power-unit penalties for several leading drivers produced an unusual starting grid for Sunday’s race.
The McLaren driver clocked a 1:27.470 to beat Mercedes’ George Russell by 0.204 seconds. However, Russell’s five-place penalty will drop him to seventh, promoting newly crowned world champion Kimi Antonelli to second and Racing Bulls driver Liam Lawson to third.
Nico Hulkenberg is set to start fourth for Audi, followed by Red Bull’s Isack Hadjar and Haas driver Oliver Bearman. Charles Leclerc, who qualified fourth, also faces a five-place penalty and is provisionally ninth.
Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton will start from the back after taking extensive power-unit penalties, regardless of their qualifying results.
Torrential rain delays qualifying by more than an hour
Qualifying was interrupted almost immediately after heavy rain swept across Interlagos, leaving standing water on the circuit and reducing visibility to almost zero.
No track action but dino’s keeping the crowd entertained 🦖😂 #F1 #BrazilGP https://t.co/LK4gKj5JT4
— Formula 1 (@F1) November 7, 2026
Kimi Antonelli reported aquaplaning before Race Control suspended Q1 with 15 minutes and 37 seconds remaining. Marshals worked to clear water from several corners while the Safety Car and Medical Car inspected the track.
While we wait for a resumption… 😵 #F1 #BrazilGP https://t.co/I4afIc2WRn
— Formula 1 (@F1) November 7, 2026
The session resumed one hour and 26 minutes later, but drivers continued to struggle with grip.
Home favourite Gabriel Bortoleto damaged his rear wing after sliding onto the grass, ending his qualifying session in 22nd. Sergio Perez, Valtteri Bottas, Lance Stroll, Pierre Gasly and Franco Colapinto were also eliminated in Q1.
Bortoleto brings out the yellow flags as he slides off into the barriers But’s Gabi’s managed to get going again 💪 #F1 #BrazilGP https://t.co/pUlWoK0ITr
— Formula 1 (@F1) November 7, 2026
Conditions improved during Q2, prompting drivers to switch from full wet tyres to intermediates. Lawson briefly topped the timing sheets as the quicker compound transformed lap times.
However, the session ended early after Brazilian rookie Rafael Câmara crashed his Haas at Turn 12. The driver escaped unharmed, but the red flag prevented several competitors from completing their final attempts.
Camara hit the barriers earlier in Q1 before making it through to Q2 A simply incredible recovery from Rafa 🤯 #F1 #BrazilGP https://t.co/1nZYB5r2JY
— Formula 1 (@F1) November 7, 2026
Oscar Piastri was eliminated in 12th, while Hamilton finished 11th. Verstappen, who did not return to the track for Q2, qualified 16th.
Norris beats Russell as rain returns in Q3
All 10 remaining drivers headed out on intermediate tyres as another heavy shower approached the circuit.
Russell initially moved ahead of Norris, but the McLaren driver responded with a 1:27.470.
Russell appeared capable of improving on his final attempt but encountered traffic from Alex Albon in the second sector and abandoned the lap. Norris retained pole as the rain intensified, preventing further improvements.
Antonelli finished third, 0.625 seconds behind Norris, while Leclerc took fourth ahead of Lawson.
Hulkenberg qualified sixth, followed by Hadjar, Bearman, Fernando Alonso and Albon.
The result gives Lawson a provisional second-row start alongside Hulkenberg, while Antonelli will start alongside Norris on the front row.
Provisional Brazilian GP starting grid after penalties
The following top 10 incorporates the five-place penalties for Russell and Leclerc, alongside the back-of-grid penalties for Hamilton and Verstappen, using the FIA’s grid allocation procedure. Section B [Sporting]
| Grid | Driver | Qualifying |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lando Norris | P1 |
| 2 | Kimi Antonelli | P3 |
| 3 | Liam Lawson | P5 |
| 4 | Nico Hulkenberg | P6 |
| 5 | Isack Hadjar | P7 |
| 6 | Oliver Bearman | P8 |
| 7 | George Russell | P2 |
| 8 | Fernando Alonso | P9 |
| 9 | Charles Leclerc | P4 |
| 10 | Alexander Albon | P10 |
The reshuffle provides a significant opportunity for the midfield teams, particularly Racing Bulls, Audi and Haas, whose drivers will start considerably higher than their qualifying positions.
With further rain possible on Sunday, Verstappen and Hamilton face a difficult recovery from the back of the field, while Norris will have a clear view into Turn 1 as he attempts to convert pole into victory.
As a reminder, Lando Norris won the São Paulo Grand Prix in 2025.
