WATCH: Oscar Piastri leads McLaren 1-2 in sprint qualification as Verstappen continues to struggle at Sao Paulo sprint quali

Oscar Piastri led an impressive McLaren 1-2 finish in the sprint qualifying at the Sao Paulo Grand Prix, showcasing remarkable skill with a lap time of 1:08.899. He edged teammate Lando Norris by a mere 0.029 seconds with just a few seconds left on the clock. With this, Piastri clinched the pole position for the sprint race at Interlagos, the only circuit to host a sprint every season since the format’s inception in 2021.

McLaren’s performance signals their rising momentum, as Piastri and Norris put their cars ahead of the rest of the field. Charles Leclerc, who managed to squeeze out a solid lap for Ferrari, secured P3 with a time of 1:09.153. Meanwhile, reigning champion Max Verstappen continued to encounter challenges, settling for fourth at 1:09.219. Carlos Sainz rounded out the top five, giving Ferrari a strong position to potentially contest McLaren’s lead in the sprint.

Mighty from the Aussie 💪@OscarPiastri powers to #F1Sprint pole 🤩#F1 #BrazilGP pic.twitter.com/l9ctxrZbMs

— Formula 1 (@F1) November 1, 2024

Verstappen, typically a dominant force in qualifying, found himself struggling with the pace at Interlagos. The Dutchman was unable to match McLaren's speed, a rare scenario for Red Bull, which has often led qualifying sessions this season. Meanwhile, Mercedes’ George Russell clocked in a time of 1:09.443, claiming sixth place and hinting at Mercedes' resilience to secure points in the sprint race.

Lewis Hamilton out in SQ2!

Other notable qualifiers included Alpine’s Pierre Gasly in seventh, followed by Liam Lawson, who placed eighth in his VCARB, a promising performance for the young driver. Rounding out the top ten were Alexander Albon in ninth for Williams and Oliver Bearman in tenth for Haas.

The Brazilian sprint qualifying brought early eliminations for seasoned drivers Lewis Hamilton and Sergio Perez, who were unable to break into the top ten. Hamilton will start from 11th, while Perez struggled to find pace, finishing 13th. This positioning creates an interesting challenge for both, who will need strong starts to reach the points-paying positions during the sprint.

Sprint Qualifying Results: Sao Paulo GP