Lead
At the Autodromo Jose Carlos Pace on Saturday, Lando Norris secured pole position for the 2025 Sao Paulo Grand Prix with a fastest lap of 1:09.511, denying Kimi Antonelli and Charles Leclerc. The session was dominated by surprises: Max Verstappen suffered a shock elimination in Q1, leaving him down in P16, while several drivers affected by Sprint-day incidents returned to take competitive runs. The result sets a refreshed grid for Sunday’s 14:00 local start and hands McLaren a clear qualifying advantage heading into the race.
Key takeaways
- Lando Norris claimed pole with a 1:09.511 lap; Kimi Antonelli was second, 0.174s adrift on 1:09.685, and Charles Leclerc third on 1:09.805.
- Oscar Piastri recovered from his Sprint crash to qualify fourth with a 1:09.886; Isack Hadjar and Liam Lawson put Racing Bulls into P5 and P7 respectively, highlighting that team’s competitiveness.
- Max Verstappen struggled for grip and was eliminated in Q1, finishing in P16; team mate Yuki Tsunoda also exited early in P19.
- Lewis Hamilton failed to progress to Q3 for a second day running, ending qualifying in P13; Fernando Alonso and Alex Albon finished P11 and P12.
- Four drivers who crashed in the Sprint — including Franco Colapinto and Gabriel Bortoleto — faced repair work; Bortoleto could not run and was classified P20.
- Rookie performances stood out: Antonelli’s P2 repeats Friday’s front-row form, while Haas’ Ollie Bearman impressed inside the top 10.
Background
Friday’s Sprint at Interlagos was incident-packed, with four separate crashes leaving multiple cars damaged and the chances of repairs a central concern ahead of Qualifying. Teams worked through the night and into Saturday morning to make cars raceable; a damaged barrier at Turn 10 briefly delayed the start of the Qualifying window. That context meant time on track and tyre preparation were at a premium, influencing strategy as run plans were compressed.
The circuit’s surface and changing grip levels played a major role: several drivers reported inconsistent traction through the high-speed and technical sectors, making optimal tyre warm-up and timing of final runs critical. McLaren entered the weekend with strong pace in both Sprint and Qualifying trim, while Mercedes and Racing Bulls showed signs of progress; conversely, Red Bull’s performance dropped off unexpectedly in Qualifying despite their season form.
Main event
Q1 opened with most teams sending cars out on soft tyres to set early benchmarks, though Charles Leclerc opted for a medium in his first run. Initial surprise came from Haas’ Ollie Bearman, who was the first driver into the 1:09s on a 1:09.891, briefly leading the times as the track temperature and grip improved. As the session progressed the cutline tightened and attention focused on drivers returning from Sprint incidents.
In the latter phase of Q1, Norris moved to the top with a 1:09.656 before final runs shuffled the order. Max Verstappen, however, failed to find sufficient grip; after a wide moment through Turn 9 on one of his laps and a brief exchange with race engineers, his next attempt could not lift him from the danger zone and he was eliminated P16. That elimination made Verstappen’s day one of the session’s headline stories.
Q2 saw Norris continue his strong form, setting a 1:09.616 benchmark that held despite late attackers. Mercedes’ Kimi Antonelli and George Russell both made the cut, with Russell reporting a lack of grip in his W16. Notable eliminations at this stage included Fernando Alonso, Alex Albon, Lance Stroll and Carlos Sainz, leaving Hamilton again short of Q3 after he could not improve on his final run.
In the ten-car shootout of Q3, Piastri briefly led on his first lap before Norris produced the decisive effort late in the session. Norris’ 1:09.511 put him on top, Antonelli improved to secure P2 and Leclerc settled into P3. The final top-10 order featured a mix of teams: McLaren, Mercedes, Ferrari, Racing Bulls, Haas, Alpine and Sauber, with Gasly and Hulkenberg rounding out the top ten.
Analysis & implications
Norris’ pole shifts the tactical calculus for Sunday. Starting first at Interlagos — where heavy braking zones and a narrow first sector can make overtaking difficult into Turn 1 and Turn 4 — gives McLaren the best chance to control the early stint and avoid mid-race traffic. McLaren’s qualifying pace suggests they can tailor a two- or one-stop strategy depending on safety-car probability and tyre degradation on the abrasive surface.
Red Bull’s double early exit raises questions over car balance, setup choices and tyre preparation after the Sprint. Verstappen’s loss of grip appears to be a core factor rather than a single driver error; the team will need to identify whether the issue stems from cooling/tyre warm-up, mechanical setup or a more systemic aero/tyre mismatch. Starting 16th forces Verstappen to adopt an aggressive race plan and increases the odds of high-risk overtakes that could alter the championship picture if incidents occur.
Mercedes’ Antonelli consolidating P2 — repeating Friday’s front-row result — underlines the team’s recent progress and the effectiveness of their qualifying trim at Interlagos. For rivals, Mercedes now represents a strong podium threat. Meanwhile, Hamilton’s back-to-back failures to reach Q3 signal a worrying dip for the seven-time champion that Mercedes must rectify ahead of the race.
Racing Bulls’ P5 and P7 (Hadjar and Lawson) point to a solid weekend for the team and an opportunity to capitalize on others’ misfortune. For midfield squads such as Haas and Alpine, impressive qualifying efforts could translate into valuable points on Sunday, especially if strategic calls during the race pay off.
Comparison & data
| Pos | Driver | Time |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lando Norris | 1:09.511 |
| 2 | Kimi Antonelli | 1:09.685 |
| 3 | Charles Leclerc | 1:09.805 |
| 4 | Oscar Piastri | 1:09.886 |
| 5 | Isack Hadjar | 1:09.931 |
| 6 | George Russell | — |
| 7 | Liam Lawson | — |
| 8 | Ollie Bearman | — |
| 9 | Pierre Gasly | — |
| 10 | Nico Hülkenberg | — |
The table captures the top qualifiers and the small time gaps at the front: Norris’ pole lap was 0.174s quicker than Antonelli and 0.294s ahead of Leclerc. That margin is significant on a circuit where tenths can decide track position into congested opening laps. Compared with Friday’s Sprint Qualifying, the front row repeated itself for Norris and Antonelli, indicating consistent single-lap performance across the weekend.
Reactions & quotes
Drivers and team members reflected a mix of relief and concern after the session.
“It was tough out there with the conditions. It was just slippery, inconsistent, but good fun… I stayed calm and put it all together when it mattered so I’m very happy.”
Lando Norris
“I don’t know,”
Max Verstappen (on radio when asked about whether the team could help with the ‘tools’)
The Norris quote underlines McLaren’s confidence in mixed conditions; Verstappen’s brief on-air uncertainty has been picked over by analysts as an indicator of the team searching for a technical explanation. Teams and engineers will provide fuller technical debriefs ahead of the race.
Unconfirmed
- Whether Verstappen’s grip loss was principally due to a setup choice, tyre warm-up issues or a track-condition anomaly has not been publicly confirmed by Red Bull.
- The full extent of long-term damage to cars that crashed in the Sprint, and whether any chassis changes will be required before the race, remains to be confirmed by teams.
Bottom line
Norris’ pole for the 2025 Sao Paulo Grand Prix hands McLaren a strategic advantage at a track where clean starts and first-lap position matter. McLaren and Norris have demonstrated consistent one-lap speed across the weekend, making them strong favourites to control the race’s opening phase.
Red Bull faces a recovery task after both drivers exited early from Qualifying, with Verstappen’s P16 start forcing an aggressive race approach that could reshape the podium battle. Fans should watch tyre strategies, Mercedes’ continued pace with Antonelli, and whether any Sprint-day damage affects race reliability; the Grand Prix begins Sunday at 14:00 local time.