SAO PAULO, Brazil — Lando Norris will line up in pole position for the Sao Paulo Grand Prix after the McLaren turned the top qualifying lap Saturday afternoon at the Interlagos Circuit.
Norris, who won the Sprint Race from the pole earlier in the day, turned a best lap of one minute and 9.511 seconds.
“We’ve been on very good form,” Norris said. “The team are good at giving me a great car, of course. So, I’ve always got to thank the team, but I didn’t make it easy for them or for myself then. I’m still having to push, Q3, run one, just locking up in Turn 1, it puts unnecessary pressure on myself, and the others are doing a good job.
“But I think when I’m in a good rhythm, when I can stay calm, when I can just put it all together, then I’ll be on top.
Mercedes driver Kimi Antonelli qualified second, a mere .174 seconds behind Norris.
“I’m a bit annoyed I’m again behind him,” Antonelli said. “I mean, we’re so close this morning in the Sprint as well but it was a very tricky session with the wind. Very tricky to put a lap together but still managed in the last run to put a decent lap, and yeah, happy with that. Starting P2 tomorrow. Of course, they’re very fast, so it’s going to be important to get a good start and try to set a good pace.”
Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc put together a good session to take third.
Norris’ McLaren teammate Oscar Piastri had to settle for fourth, while it was a positive day for Racing Bulls as Isack Hadjar and Liam Lawson claimed fifth and seventh respectively.
George Russell was sandwiched between them for Mercedes in sixth, with Haas’ Ollie Bearman, Alpine’s Pierre Gasly and Kick Sauber’s Nico Hulkenberg completing the top 10.
