McLaren driver Lando Norris has secured pole during a qualifying session marked by heavy rain at the Brazilian Grand Prix of Formula 1. On an Interlagos circuit that presented extremely difficult conditions, Norris outperformed George Russell with a time of 1m27.470s, achieving a clear victory in an atmosphere of tense competition.
The session was interrupted for over an hour due to a red flag, caused by the heavy rain and water accumulation on the track. Despite the obstacles, Norris dominated the final session (Q3), achieving a time that allowed him to win by two tenths ahead of Russell.
Russell, who faced a five-place penalty for a power unit change, showed frustration with his Mercedes team when asked to abandon his second quick lap during Q3. Furthermore, the third place went to Andrea Antonelli, who was six tenths behind Norris, while Charles Leclerc occupied fourth place with his Ferrari.
Leclerc’s ten-place penalty elevated Liam Lawson of Racing Bulls to third on the grid for Sunday’s race. Lawson, who is fighting to maintain his seat in the team, delivered a standout performance that gave the team management food for thought.
Another notable performance came from Audi driver Nico Hulkenberg, who finished sixth, followed by Isack Hadjar from Red Bull and Oliver Bearman from Haas. Rounding out the top ten on the grid were Fernando Alonso and Alex Albon.
During Q2, Alonso was the first to switch to intermediate tires, aiming to improve his position. Russell closed this round with the best time (1m26.745s), followed by promising Lawson and Hadjar. Reigning world champion Antonelli struggled to advance, settling for tenth position, which dropped Lewis Hamilton from Ferrari to 11th place.
Q1 began under challenging conditions, with many drivers opting to switch to wet tires before the session was halted by the red flag. Those who stayed out on track suffered from aquaplaning, illustrating the difficulty of the track conditions.
After a break of over an hour, the session resumed under still challenging conditions, but with slight improvements. Norris ended up leading the first round with a time of 1m30.939s, while most drivers were trying to establish a consistent return.
One of the big surprises was Haas rookie Rafael Camara, who, despite spinning and hitting the wall, managed to advance to 13th position, exciting Brazilian fans. The Alpine team suffered the most significant losses, with two drivers eliminated without being able to adapt to the difficult conditions.
Written by FormulaRapidaAI
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