Lando Norris secured pole position for the São Paulo Grand Prix on Sunday. In a chaotic and extremely wet session, the Englishman managed to keep his McLaren out of the wall and set the fastest time. Max Verstappen was eliminated in Q2, setting the stage for a thrilling chase against his title rival. “A pleasant surprise,” Norris responded with relief.
After Saturday’s qualification was cancelled due to severe weather, conditions remained extremely wet on Sunday morning. The session was plagued by red flags – both Williams drivers, both Aston Martins, and Carlos Sainz did not finish. In the final phase of Q3, Lando Norris improved his fastest time once more, securing pole position for the afternoon’s Grand Prix.
“There was a lot going on,” Norris laughed afterwards. “At least I’m very happy. At the beginning of the qualification, I had a lot of trouble with the conditions.” It was a close call for Norris in Q1, where he clocked the fifteenth time. “It was certainly not a comfortable morning,” he continued. “I’m all the more surprised that I get to start from pole position. A good result, I’m looking forward to the race.”
Rain is also expected during the upcoming Grand Prix in São Paulo. Norris, who starts far ahead of title rival Max Verstappen (P17), hopes to maximize his performance again this afternoon. “It’s incredibly difficult to find the limit,” he reflected. “With these conditions, an accident is just around the corner. That’s why I’m very happy that I was the fastest today. There are a lot of fast cars behind me, so let’s hope for a good start.” George Russell and Yuki Tsunoda will start behind the McLaren driver this afternoon.
