Norris Takes Pole as Verstappen Crashes Out in Q1

São Paulo, November 8, 2025 , Lando Norris secured pole position for the São Paulo Grand Prix after a dramatic qualifying session that saw title rival Max Verstappen sensationally knocked out in Q1 for the first time since 2021.

Norris Dominates as Championship Swings

The McLaren driver clocked a blistering 1:09.511 in Q3 to claim his second pole of the weekend, following his sprint race victory earlier in the day. The result extends what has been an extraordinary 24 hours for Norris in Brazil, putting him in the perfect position to extend his championship lead.

"Again, tough out there with the conditions. Just slippery, inconsistent, but good fun," Norris said after securing pole. "It's always a pleasure around this track. I felt good. I was under a bit of pressure because I locked up on my first lap. So a little bit more pressure than I would have liked but stayed calm and put it all together when it mattered."

Historic Red Bull Disaster

In shocking scenes at Interlagos, both Red Bull cars failed to advance beyond Q1, marking the first time since Japan 2006 that both Red Bulls have been eliminated at this stage. Verstappen will start Sunday's race from 16th position, with teammate Yuki Tsunoda in 19th.

The three-time world champion was visibly frustrated with his RB21, complaining over team radio: "Oh my God mate, the car and the ride is a tiny bit better but now sliding in turn one."

Speaking to Sky Sports after the session, Verstappen was brutally honest about his car's performance: "It was just bad. I couldn't push at all. The car was all over the place, sliding around a lot. I had to under-drive it a lot, just to not have a moment and of course, that doesn't work in qualifying."

Red Bull team principal Laurent Mekies revealed the team had taken risks with setup changes after the disappointing sprint race. "We took some risk before qualifying to try to see if we could put the car in a better place and it obviously went in the opposite direction," he explained. "It's sometimes the price you pay when you take a risk."

Mercedes and Ferrari Mix Results

Kimi Antonelli produced an impressive performance to qualify second for Mercedes, ahead of Ferrari's Charles Leclerc in third. George Russell secured sixth for Mercedes after a strong showing throughout the weekend.

However, it was a contrasting day for the Ferrari drivers. While Leclerc celebrated third on the grid, Lewis Hamilton struggled throughout qualifying and will start from 13th position, a disappointing result at a circuit where the seven-time world champion has historically excelled.

"Very good laps in Q2, Q3 and everything is so close it goes from being a disaster of a weekend to a really good weekend in a matter of a few hundredths," Leclerc said. "I am happy I could put everything together in Q2 and Q3, which was crucial for us as everything was on the limit."

Piastri's Struggles Continue

Oscar Piastri could only manage fourth on the grid, continuing a difficult run of form that has seen his championship challenge falter. After crashing out of the sprint race earlier in the day, the Australian couldn't match his teammate's pace in qualifying.

"Everything felt much trickier today, I'm disappointed with the result," Piastri admitted. The 23-year-old has now gone four race weekends without a victory, having led the championship by 34 points as recently as late August.

Young Stars Shine

The session saw impressive performances from several young drivers. Isack Hadjar qualified fifth for Racing Bulls, while Haas's Ollie Bearman secured eighth, showing strong pace throughout Q3. Liam Lawson rounded out the Racing Bulls presence in seventh.

Both Bearman and Lawson received five-second time penalties and penalty points for incidents during the sprint race, with Bearman now on nine penalty points for his super licence.

Bortoleto's Race Against Time

Brazilian home hero Gabriel Bortoleto was unable to participate in qualifying after his Sauber mechanics ran out of time to repair his car following a massive crash on the final lap of the sprint race. The 20-year-old from São Paulo state walked away unharmed but his car suffered significant damage when it became airborne after hitting the barriers.

Full Qualifying Results

Q3 (Top 10)

1. Lando Norris (McLaren)

2. Kimi Antonelli (Mercedes)

3. Charles Leclerc (Ferrari)

4. Oscar Piastri (McLaren)

5. Isack Hadjar (Racing Bulls)

6. George Russell (Mercedes)

7. Liam Lawson (Racing Bulls)

8. Ollie Bearman (Haas)

9. Pierre Gasly (Alpine)

10. Nico Hülkenberg (Sauber)

Eliminated in Q2 11. Fernando Alonso (Aston Martin) 12. Alex Albon (Williams) 13. Lewis Hamilton (Ferrari) 14. Lance Stroll (Aston Martin) 15. Carlos Sainz (Williams)

Eliminated in Q1 16. Max Verstappen (Red Bull) 17. Esteban Ocon (Haas) 18. Franco Colapinto (Alpine) 19. Yuki Tsunoda (Red Bull) 20. Gabriel Bortoleto (Sauber)

Championship Implications

The qualifying result dramatically shifts the championship dynamics heading into Sunday's race. Norris holds a nine-point advantage over Piastri (365 to 356 points), with Verstappen now 39 points adrift on 326 points. With 108 points still available from the remaining four races, including a sprint in Qatar, the Dutchman faces a monumental task to recover from his grid position.

McLaren has looked untouchable at Interlagos this weekend, and with Norris starting from pole and Verstappen from 16th, the British driver has a golden opportunity to extend his championship lead significantly. However, as Brazil has shown time and again, nothing is certain until the checkered flag falls at this unpredictable circuit.

The São Paulo Grand Prix takes place on Sunday, with lights out scheduled for 2:00 PM local time (5:00 PM GMT).

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