Lando Norris claimed pole place for Saturday’s Dash on the Sao Paulo Grand Prix as his title rivals Oscar Piastri took third and Max Verstappen was solely sixth.
Championship chief Norris set two laps ok for Dash pole as he beat Mercedes rookie Kimi Antonelli by 0.097s and Piastri by almost two tenths.
It’s a continuation of Norris’ robust type as he rotated a 34-point deficit to Piastri right into a one-point lead within the Drivers’ Championship with 4 rounds to go.
Verstappen was 0.337s off the tempo and by no means regarded like difficult on the entrance and is ready to see his 36-point drawback to Norris improve after Saturday’s Dash at 2pm (build-up from 1pm), stay on Sky Sports activities F1 and Sky Sports activities Principal Occasion.
Pink Bull struggled all through Friday and Verstappen will probably be counting on the specter of heavy rain to repeat his Sao Paulo heroics from 12 months in the past when he took a surprising win within the moist.
George Russell was fourth with Aston Martin pair Fernando Alonso in fifth and Lance Stroll in seventh, both facet of Verstappen.
Lewis Hamilton suffered a second consecutive SQ2 elimination in Interlagos as he was partly hampered by a late spin for Ferrari team-mate Charles Leclerc.
Leclerc’s pirouette meant no person may enhance their lap occasions, so Hamilton’s banker lap proved not ok and he averted a penalty for allegedly rushing beneath yellow flags when going previous Leclerc, who certified eighth.
Racing Bulls’ Isack Hadjar was ninth and Sauber’s Nico Hulkenberg rounded out the highest 10.
Pink Bull’s Yuki Tsunoda had a tough day after hitting the wall in Follow and was knocked out in 18th, together with Liam Lawson – two drivers who’re understood to be battling over a seat at Racing Bulls in 2026.
Alpine introduced on Friday that Franco Colapinto would stay with the crew subsequent 12 months however the Argentine was solely sixteenth in his first aggressive outing because the information.
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Yuki Tsunoda’s Pink Bull spins off early throughout Follow on the Sao Paulo GP
How ‘large’ Norris continued effective type
The title race story coming into Sao Paulo was whether or not Piastri may cease Norris’ momentum and it regarded just like the Australian had made a step ahead as he led most of Friday apply, just for Norris to ship him a message on the finish by going quickest on the chequered flag.
Norris went on to outpace Piastri in every phase of Dash Qualifying, topping SQ1 and, extra importantly SQ3 to turn out to be the fifth totally different Dash pole sitter in 2025.
McLaren despatched each drivers out early with loads of gas on board however Norris nonetheless went onto provisional pole by 0.069s from Antonelli and Russell, with Piastri solely fourth.
Each McLarens accomplished two cooldown laps, earlier than going once more as Piastri improved to 3rd and Norris additionally went even sooner to consolidate Dash pole.
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Lando Norris admits his current run of type, which has seen him shut the title race hole to Oscar Piastri, is all the way down to a combos of some issues
“It was a little bit tougher than I would have liked. Close between a lot of cars. Mercedes quick on the soft,” stated Norris.
“But it’s always tricky when you’ve got the medium and the soft and knowing how much to push. We did the job we needed to do, which was to be fastest today.
“Trickier than Mexico. I’ve not been feeling fairly as snug, however subsequently it is an incredible end result. It is solely Friday, so one other qualy, one other couple of races to go, however it’s a great begin.”
Pink Bull have been hoping Mexico was a one-off to present Verstappen a preventing likelihood within the championship however they have been shedding a minimum of three tenths to the McLarens within the twisty Interlagos center sector.
Verstappen was a match for the McLarens within the first and ultimate sector, so Pink Bull have robust straight-line velocity however that doesn’t essentially bode properly if the anticipated rain arrives on Saturday the place extra downforce is a bonus.
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Max Verstappen blamed ‘vibrations within the automotive’ and ‘grip’ after struggling in Dash Qualifying on the Sao Paulo GP
“A lot of vibrations in the car, a lot of just ride problems, so not what we want,” stated Verstappen.
“But I think besides that, we just don’t have the grip. The middle sector is terrible, just can’t get the car to turn. But at the same time also, I can’t really rely on the rear. So for us it’s quite poor I would say. It is what it is.”
Sky Sports activities F1’s Sao Paulo GP Schedule
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Look again at a few of the most dramatic moments to have taken place on the Sao Paulo Grand Prix
Saturday November 8
1pm: Sao Paulo GP Dash build-up
2pm: SAO PAULO GP SPRINT*
3.30pm: Ted’s Dash Pocket book
5pm: Sao Paulo GP Qualifying build-up
6pm: SAO PAULO GP QUALIFYING
8pm: Ted’s Qualifying Pocket book
Sunday November 9
3.30pm: Grand Prix Sunday: Sao Paulo GP build-up
5pm: THE SAO PAULO GRAND PRIX
7pm: Chequered Flag: Sao Paulo GP response
8pm: Ted’s Pocket book
*additionally on Sky Sports activities Principal Occasion
Formulation 1’s thrilling title race continues in Brazil with a Dash weekend on the Sao Paulo Grand Prix from this Friday, stay on Sky Sports activities F1. Stream Sky Sports activities with NOW – no contract, cancel anytime
