Lando Norris secured pole position for the 2026 FIA Formula 1 São Paulo Grand Prix after a dramatic, rain-affected Qualifying session at Interlagos, beating Mercedes’ George Russell by 0.204s. Kimi Antonelli completed the top three, while Racing Bulls’ Liam Lawson claimed an impressive fifth place and Isack Hadjar qualified seventh for Red Bull.

After a lengthy delay and two red flags, the session was ultimately decided by the worsening weather, with Norris making the most of the improving conditions in the opening stages of Q3 before the rain intensified. The McLaren driver posted a fastest lap of 1:27.470 to secure his second consecutive pole position at Interlagos.

The unpredictable weather that frequently shapes the São Paulo Grand Prix had threatened to disrupt the weekend, and it arrived in spectacular fashion just before Qualifying. Several drivers also faced significant grid penalties for Sunday’s race, including Russell, who would lose five places, Charles Leclerc, who was handed a 10-place penalty, and Lewis Hamilton, who was set to start from the back alongside Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez.

Those penalties presented an opportunity for the midfield to secure stronger starting positions, but the immediate challenge was simply navigating the treacherous conditions.

Q1 began with the circuit already saturated, and the session was red-flagged less than three minutes after getting under way as heavy rainfall made conditions increasingly dangerous. Antonelli and Hadjar reported that their race suits had become soaked during their brief excursions onto the track.

Following a lengthy interruption, running resumed with all 22 drivers on full wet tyres. The opening laps were cautious, with visibility severely restricted by the spray, but the times began to tumble as the drivers gradually found grip.

The Cadillac pairing of Valtteri Bottas and Perez were among the first to complete timed laps, before Verstappen moved to the top with a 1:37.932. Fernando Alonso briefly displaced the four-time World Champion, only for Verstappen to respond. As the track continued to improve, Nico Hülkenberg, Hamilton, Russell and Oliver Bearman also took turns at the top of the timesheets.

Russell eventually posted a 1:32.441, while the threat of further rain and another interruption left the elimination positions uncertain. With two minutes remaining, Perez, Carlos Sainz, Lance Stroll, Bottas, Franco Colapinto and Gabriel Bortoleto occupied the bottom six places.

Norris ultimately emerged fastest with a 1:30.939, while the Alpine pair of Colapinto and Pierre Gasly failed to find sufficient pace to progress. They were joined in the elimination zone by Stroll, Bottas, Perez and Bortoleto, who hit the barrier in the closing stages and was unable to improve.

The second stage began with 15 drivers, after Verstappen elected not to participate in anticipation of his substantial grid penalty. That left Hadjar as Red Bull’s sole representative in Q2.

Norris initially returned to the top of the order, but Leclerc soon moved ahead with a lap in the 1:29s. The Ferrari driver led Norris, Antonelli, Lawson and Russell as the conditions continued to evolve, with the possibility of switching to intermediate tyres becoming increasingly attractive.

Rafael Câmara, making his Formula 1 debut for Haas, remained on the fringes of the elimination zone after recovering from an earlier spin, while Racing Bulls' Arvid Lindblad encountered trouble at Turn 5. The rookie was instructed to stop his car, bringing his session to an early conclusion.

Lawson was among the first to make the switch to intermediate tyres, and the decision immediately paid dividends. The New Zealander surged to the top of the timesheets, opening a 1.6-second advantage over Bearman, before Russell also found significant time.

However, with less than a minute remaining, Câmara lost control and hit the barrier, bringing out the second red flag of the afternoon. The interruption prevented further improvements and confirmed the six drivers who would not progress.

Hamilton, who had been carrying a power-unit-related grid penalty, finished 11th, ahead of Oscar Piastri. Câmara was 13th, with Lindblad and Sainz also eliminated, while Verstappen completed the list despite not setting a representative time.

Following another short delay, the remaining 10 drivers returned for Q3 as increasingly dark skies gathered over Interlagos. With further heavy rain forecast, getting a competitive lap on the board early was critical.

Alonso led the field out on intermediate tyres and set the initial benchmark of 1:30.311. Lawson subsequently went faster for Racing Bulls, before Norris and Russell moved to the front. Antonelli initially slotted into fourth, but the McLaren driver continued to find time and established provisional pole.

The conditions deteriorated rapidly, however, with the rain intensifying and the circuit becoming progressively more difficult to negotiate. Russell was particularly frustrated after being instructed by Mercedes to abandon his lap, believing that he had an opportunity to improve his position.

Norris's opening effort ultimately proved decisive. The Briton stopped the clock at 1:27.470 to secure pole, with Russell finishing 0.204s behind on 1:27.674. Antonelli completed the top three, 0.625s off the pace, while Leclerc took fourth for Ferrari.

Lawson's impressive performance earned him fifth, ahead of Hülkenberg in sixth, while Hadjar secured seventh for Red Bull. Bearman, Alonso and Alexander Albon completed the top 10, with the latter two also delivering strong results for their respective teams in challenging conditions.

"It's been a long day," said Norris. "It's been a great Qualifying. Obviously, to be on pole again here, it's different conditions to last year but I'm very happy. It's not easy conditions out there, especially when you know it's going to rain a lot more. It was about getting two laps in at the beginning and not making any mistakes, and that's exactly what we did, so it's been a very good day."

2026 FIA Formula 1 São Paulo Grand Prix – Qualifying 
1 Lando Norris McLaren/Mercedes 1:27.470 - -
2 George Russell Mercedes 1:27.674 0.204 
3 Kimi Antonelli Mercedes 1:28.095 0.625 
4 Charles Leclerc Ferrari 1:28.289 0.819 
5 Liam Lawson Racing Bulls/Red Bull Ford 1:28.321 0.851 
6 Nico Hülkenberg Audi 1:28.668 1.198 
7 Isack Hadjar Red Bull/Red Bull Ford 1:28.763 1.293 
8 Oliver Bearman Haas/Ferrari 1:29.831 2.361 
9 Fernando Alonso Aston Martin/Honda 1:30.311 2.841 
10 Alexander Albon Williams/Mercedes 1:30.456 2.986 
11 Lewis Hamilton Ferrari 1:30.001 2.531 
12 Oscar Piastri McLaren/Mercedes 1:30.369 2.899 
13 Rafael Câmara Haas/Ferrari 1:31.515 4.045 
14 Arvid Lindblad Racing Bulls/Red Bull Ford 1:31.687 4.217 
15 Carlos Sainz Williams/Mercedes 1:31.785 4.315 
16 Max Verstappen Red Bull/Red Bull Ford - - -
17 Franco Colapinto Alpine/Mercedes 1:33.327 5.857 
18 Pierre Gasly Alpine/Mercedes 1:33.449 5.979 
19 Lance Stroll Aston Martin/Honda 1:33.653 6.183 
20 Valtteri Bottas Cadillac/Ferrari 1:33.774 6.304 
21 Sergio Pérez Cadillac/Ferrari 1:34.509 7.039 
22 Gabriel Bortoleto Audi 1:41.564 14.094