Sao Paulo (AFP) – The British McLaren driver, Lando Norris, tamed the rain that bathed the Interlagos circuit in Sao Paulo this Saturday and will start in first position at the Formula 1 Brazilian Grand Prix.

First modification: 11/07/2026 - 23:09 Last modification: 11/07/2026 - 23:40

Norris surpassed the two Mercedes drivers by thousandths, the also British George Russell and the new world champion, the young Italian Kimi Antonelli.

Russell, however, will have to serve a five-place penalty due to a change to a component in his car's engine and will start in seventh place on Sunday.

Antonelli will accompany Norris on the front row and the podium is completed by New Zealander Liam Lawson (Racing Bulls), followed by Audi's German, Nico Hülkenberg.

The starting list will not be made up of the times recorded in qualifying, since five drivers must comply with sanctions for modifications to their cars.

Norris achieved the best time in qualifying in Brazil for the third consecutive year, although for the first time underwater, which delayed qualifying for an hour and a half.

It is his 20th pole in the highest category of motorsport.

"Luckily it was wet, if it were dry I think it wouldn't have been the best time," said last year's Major League champion. "I was confident, but it was difficult, there was little visibility. It was a good experience."

Russell's Displeasure

Norris, 26, had time to set the fastest lap before a storm hit Interlagos again in Q3.

With about seven minutes left, with the British in the lead, the teams decided to withdraw and protect their cars from the downpour.

"It was quite complicated, I didn't know exactly what to expect. I had never driven here on a wet track, so I didn't know what to expect," said Antonelli, the youngest Formula 1 champion, at 20 years and 68 days old.

"I made a big mistake, I almost went off the track at Turn 5, but I still got third place, so I'm happy with that," he added.

Due to Russell's sanction, the Italian will start in second position, a functional position for Mercedes to get excited about winning the constructors' title in Brazil.

The German brand needs to add three more points than Ferrari, the other team that also aspires to the crown, to once again win a title that it has not achieved since 2021.

Russell, however, was disappointed not to have taken pole after his training told him to put his foot down on his final flying lap.

"Congratulations to Lando, but without a doubt that was my pole lap. We should have completed the lap," he said.

The Ferrari drivers, Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton, immersed in a war of egos, were fourth and eleventh, but will start on the seventh and tenth lines, respectively, as a result of the penalties.

The rain, protagonist

The heavy rain wreaked havoc at Interlagos, where the Frenchman Isack Hadjar (Red Bull), the British Oliver Bearman (Haas), the Spanish Fernando Alonso (Aston Martin) and the Thai Alexander Albon (Williams) completed the Top-10.

The drivers were barely able to ride for two minutes in Q1 before the session was suspended due to lack of visibility. The safety car authorized the restart after going out onto the waterlogged track for the third time.

With the asphalt very wet and full of water, there were several road departures and incidents. Q2 even ended abruptly with 40 seconds left after an accident by Brazilian debutant Rafael Câmara (Haas).

The Dutch driver Max Verstappen (Red Bull), consecutive F1 champion between 2021 and 2024, chose not to start in that session so as not to compromise his car.

Verstappen is one of five drivers who received a penalty for engine changes. He will start from the back in the GP, accompanied by the also sanctioned Mexican Sergio Pérez (Cadillac).

"I know I have to start from the back, so we didn't want to take too many risks," explained Mad Max, second in the drivers' world championship.

© 2026 AFP

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