Lando Norris Secures Pole in São Paulo; Verstappen Exits Early in Q1
Lando Norris will start in pole position for the upcoming São Paulo Grand Prix after an exciting qualifying session. The British driver set the fastest time of 1m 09.511s, edging out Mercedes’ Kimi Antonelli by 0.174 seconds. This session witnessed the surprising early exit of Max Verstappen, who finished in P16 after battling grip issues.
Qualifying Recap
The qualifying session at the Autodromo Jose Carlos Pace was highly competitive, with numerous fast laps being set. Oscar Piastri initially put himself on top during Q3 but finished fourth overall. Charles Leclerc of Ferrari performed well to secure third place.
Top Ten Results
- Pole: Lando Norris (McLaren) – 1m 09.511s
- 2nd: Kimi Antonelli (Mercedes) – +0.174s
- 3rd: Charles Leclerc (Ferrari)
- 4th: Oscar Piastri (McLaren)
- 5th: Isack Hadjar (Racing Bulls)
- 6th: George Russell (Mercedes)
- 7th: Liam Lawson (Racing Bulls)
- 8th: Ollie Bearman (Haas)
- 9th: Pierre Gasly (Alpine)
- 10th: Nico Hulkenberg (Kick Sauber)
Other notable performances included a strong showing by Racing Bulls, with Hadjar and Lawson finishing in the top seven. Meanwhile, Lewis Hamilton faced disappointment again as he failed to progress past Q1, finishing in P13. Fernando Alonso and Alex Albon also did not advance, ending their sessions in P11 and P12, respectively.
Surprising Early Exits
The most significant surprise of the day was Verstappen’s unexpected exit during Q1. The Red Bull driver struggled throughout the session and ultimately ended in P16. His teammate Yuki Tsunoda also had an early departure, finishing in P19. The remaining drivers eliminated in Q1 included Esteban Ocon, Franco Colapinto, and Gabriel Bortoleto.
Q1 Eliminated Drivers
- 16th: Max Verstappen (Red Bull)
- 17th: Esteban Ocon (Haas)
- 18th: Franco Colapinto (Alpine)
- 19th: Yuki Tsunoda (Red Bull)
- 20th: Gabriel Bortoleto (Kick Sauber)
What Lies Ahead
The 2025 São Paulo Grand Prix is scheduled to begin at 14:00 local time on Sunday. Fans are eagerly anticipating the race after a thrilling qualifying session filled with ups and downs.
