McLaren’s Lando Norris described securing pole position for Saturday’s sprint race as a “good start” to his São Paulo Grand Prix weekend.
The British driver said he felt “confident” in dry conditions, though the sprint—scheduled to begin at 14:00 GMT (11:00 local time)—could be impacted by an expected overnight storm.
“We have to prepare for both conditions,” Norris said, starting two places ahead of teammate and championship rival Oscar Piastri. “I expect heavy rain and strong winds in the morning. Let’s wait and see what happens.”
Norris, who leads Piastri by one point in the standings after his victory at the Mexico City Grand Prix two weeks ago, edged out Mercedes’ Kimi Antonelli by 0.097 seconds in sprint qualifying, with Piastri 0.185 seconds behind in third.
Red Bull’s Max Verstappen, 36 points adrift in the title race, could only manage sixth, behind Mercedes’ George Russell and Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso.
“The car has been performing well,” Norris added. “It’s not perfect, but I’m happy overall. There are still things to improve for qualifying. For the sprint, if I can cruise to victory, that would be ideal.”
Meanwhile, Lewis Hamilton was eliminated in the second session, qualifying 11th in his Ferrari after teammate Charles Leclerc spun in front of him at Turn 10, compromising his final lap.
Hamilton also faced an investigation for failing to slow adequately under yellow flags caused by Leclerc’s spin but was given a reprimand rather than a penalty, as the flag was visible only briefly and he had hesitated before applying the throttle.
