British racer Lando Norris secured the sprint pole position for Saturday’s 100km sprint race at Interlagos, alongside Mercedes’ rookie star Kimi Antonelli. Norris, who triumphed in last year’s sprint while contending with Max Verstappen, achieved his first sprint pole this season, maintaining his positive momentum. He leads Oscar Piastri by a single point in the overall championship standings, with four grand prix and two sprint races left.
The sprint race offers eight points to the winner and distributes points among the top eight finishers. Noting the importance of his performance, Norris declared, “We did the job we needed to do, which was to be fastest today.” He pointed out that the track conditions felt trickier than those in Mexico but expressed satisfaction with the outcome. Norris also cautioned teams regarding anticipated rain and high winds expected on Saturday.
Oscar Piastri, who qualified third, appeared optimistic, stating, “We can definitely fight with what we’ve got, and there’s obviously a lot more points on Sunday.” George Russell will start in fourth position for Mercedes, at the track where he celebrated his first victory in 2022. Fernando Alonso from Aston Martin qualified fifth, having recorded the fastest time in the second qualifying phase.
Max Verstappen, a four-time world champion, qualified sixth but expressed disappointment, calling his car “completely broken” and “undriveable.” Team principal Laurent Mekies acknowledged Verstappen’s frustrations and the concerns regarding the car’s performance.
Lewis Hamilton was unable to make the final qualifying session, finishing 11th after he ran out of time for a crucial flying lap during the second phase. He also received a call from the stewards for not adequately slowing down for yellow flags, which added to his evident frustration. Meanwhile, his teammate Charles Leclerc qualified eighth despite spinning and causing double yellow flags.
The top 10 qualifiers for the sprint race are Lando Norris, Kimi Antonelli, Oscar Piastri, George Russell, Fernando Alonso, Max Verstappen, Lance Stroll, Charles Leclerc, Isack Hadjar, and Nico Hulkenberg.
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