Lando Norris secured pole position for the São Paulo Grand Prix at Interlagos on Saturday, navigating a heavily disrupted wet qualifying session. The McLaren driver posted a fastest lap of 1:27.470, marking his third consecutive pole at the Brazilian circuit.
The session was significantly affected by torrential rain, leading to an 84-minute stoppage in Q1 after just 2 minutes and 23 seconds. Conditions varied throughout, transitioning from full wet tyres to intermediates before heavier rain returned for the pole shootout.
Norris adapted quickly to the challenging conditions, despite it being his first time driving the MCL40 car in the wet. He acknowledged the difficulty of the session, citing the changing tyre requirements and strong winds during the final laps.
“This was my first time driving the car in the wet, so I think I figured it out pretty quickly,” Norris stated. “It was tough — wet, inters, all different tyres. It was very windy as well on the last couple of laps, so it’s certainly a good day for learning for me and good to take into tomorrow.”
George Russell initially held the fastest time with a 1:27.674 before Norris claimed pole. Russell qualified second, 0.204 seconds behind Norris.
However, Russell will incur a five-place grid penalty for Sunday’s race due to a new internal combustion engine fitted to his Mercedes W17. This penalty will see him start from seventh position.
Andrea Kimi Antonelli, the reigning 2026 Formula 1 World Champion, qualified third for Mercedes. With Russell’s penalty, Antonelli will be promoted to the front row, starting alongside Norris.
Mercedes opted to take Russell’s engine penalty at Interlagos, a circuit historically known for offering more overtaking opportunities. This marks Russell’s second engine-related grid drop in four Grands Prix, following a 60-place penalty in Singapore due to multiple power unit component changes after a failure in Malaysia.
Antonelli, who secured the 2026 Drivers’ Championship last weekend in Mexico City, became the youngest-ever World Drivers’ Champion at 20 years old. Mercedes is also on the verge of clinching the Constructors’ Championship in Brazil.
McLaren introduced a four-part aerodynamic upgrade package for the São Paulo Grand Prix, making them the only team to bring significant updates to Interlagos. The modifications include a redesigned front wing, a new rear wing assembly, an updated beam wing, and changes to the floor.
The new front wing is a concept design intended for the 2027 F1 season, aiming to improve airflow and overall aerodynamic performance. Norris noted that while the upgrades seemed to deliver performance, the MCL40 remained a challenging car to drive.
The full qualifying results for the 2026 São Paulo Grand Prix are as follows:
1. Lando Norris (McLaren) 1:27.470
2. George Russell (Mercedes) +0.204s
3. Kimi Antonelli (Mercedes) +0.625s
4. Charles Leclerc (Ferrari) +0.819s
5. Liam Lawson (Racing Bulls) +0.851s
6. Nico Hulkenberg (Audi) +1.198s
7. Isack Hadjar (Red Bull) +1.29s
8. Oliver Bearman (Haas) +2.361s
9. Fernando Alonso (Aston Martin)
10. Alex Albon (Williams)
Further grid penalties will impact the starting order. Charles Leclerc faces a 10-place penalty for a new internal combustion engine. Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton will start from the back of the grid due to engine component changes, while Sergio Perez has a 30-place penalty.
