Lando Norris takes pole at crash filled Sao Paulo quali, Tsunoda, Lawson and Ocon in top 5 - results

In an electrifying and crash-filled qualifying session for the Sao Paulo Grand Prix, McLaren’s Lando Norris clinched pole position, leaving the crowd buzzing with excitement. In stark contrast, defending champion Max Verstappen’s campaign took an unexpected hit as he bowed out in Q2 and is now set to start 17th on the grid, thanks to an additional engine penalty. Lewis Hamilton’s struggles continued too, as he failed to make it past Q1, leaving him in 16th place.

The session began with challenging conditions after overnight rain, turning the track damp and tricky to navigate. Despite the tough conditions, George Russell managed a strong performance, securing a spot alongside Norris on the front row. A remarkable showing by Yuki Tsunoda in his VCARB and Alpine’s Esteban Ocon placed them in the second row, while Liam Lawson closed out the top five, showcasing his skill in a competitive lineup.

The session was punctuated by numerous red flags, beginning with Franco Colapinto’s spin in his debut wet F1 appearance for Williams during Q1. Just as competitors tried to gain traction, Colapinto’s mishap temporarily halted the session, giving fans an early taste of the drama to come. The tricky wet track continued to catch drivers off-guard, with the likes of Lance Stroll and Zhou Guanyu struggling to stay in control.

A shocking knockout of Verstappen!

Q2 saw Verstappen pushing hard after setting an early impressive lap, only to be struck by bad luck when a red flag flew for Carlos Sainz’s spin at the Senna S. With Verstappen poised for a final attempt, Stroll’s crash sealed his fate, resulting in another red flag and the early exit of the Red Bull drivers from qualifying.

Norris capitalized on the chaos, securing top times across sessions, and found himself leading Q3 after Fernando Alonso’s crash brought out the fourth red flag. Norris then cemented his pole with a blistering 1:23.405 lap, outpacing Russell and putting him in a strong position for the race. Behind them, Alex Albon initially held a top spot but ended up in seventh after a heavy crash at Turn 1. Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc settled for sixth, with Norris’s teammate Oscar Piastri finishing in eighth place.

Here is the result of Sao Paulo Qualifying:

* Max Verstappen will start from P17 due to grid penalty