Norris takes pole at Brazilian Grand Prix after rain-hit qualifying

Lando Norris claimed pole for the Brazilian Grand Prix at Interlagos, posting a 1:27.470 lap on intermediate tyres during a qualifying session disrupted by heavy rain and a lengthy red flag. He edged Mercedes driver George Russell by two tenths, despite Russell serving a five-place grid penalty for a power-unit change.

Racing Bulls driver Liam Lawson qualified fifth but moved up to third on the grid after Charles Leclerc received a ten-place engine penalty. Lawson’s performance has drawn attention as the team weighs the future of its reserve driver Nikola Tsolov.

Other top qualifiers included Antonio Antonelli in third, Charles Leclerc fourth, Nico Hulkenberg sixth for Audi, Red Bull’s Isack Hadjar seventh and Haas rookie Oliver Bearman eighth. Fernando Alonso and Alex Albon completed the top ten.

In Q2, Alonso was the first to switch to intermediate tyres, prompting several others to follow. Russell set the fastest time in that segment before the session was halted by a red flag caused by aquaplaning incidents.

The qualifying was marked by multiple penalties: Russell’s power-unit change, Leclerc’s engine penalty, and Lewis Hamilton’s separate engine penalty, which relegated him to the back of the grid. Max Verstappen also started from the back due to an engine penalty.

The session began with worsening conditions, leading many drivers to start on full wet tyres before moving to intermediates as the track dried. After a more than hour-long delay, the final fifteen minutes of Q1 saw Norris improve significantly, posting a 1:30.939 lap, ten seconds faster than earlier times.

Haas rookie Rafael Câmara survived a spin and wall contact in Q1, advancing to 13th despite damage to his front wing. Alpine’s Franco Colapinto and Pierre Gasly were the biggest losers in Q1, failing to progress.

Overall, the qualifying highlighted the challenges posed by the weather and the impact of penalties on the starting grid for Sunday's race.