Lando Norris delivered another statement performance in his 2025 F1 World Championship campaign, claiming Sprint Qualifying pole for the 2025 São Paulo Grand Prix with a blistering lap around Interlagos. The McLaren driver set a benchmark time of 1:09.243 in the dying seconds of SQ3, edging Mercedes rookie Kimi Antonelli by just 0.097s, with Oscar Piastri completing a McLaren 1–3.
What To Know?
- Lando Norris took Sprint pole with 1:09.243, his first of 2025 and fourth career.
- Kimi Antonelli finished 0.097s behind, with Oscar Piastri in P3.
- Lewis Hamilton was P11 in SQ2 and under investigation for a yellow flag infringement.
The Friday afternoon session began at 15:30 local time, the first competitive running of the weekend’s Sprint format, and gave teams their only shot to fine-tune setups after a frantic FP1 earlier in the day. Under clear skies, SQ1 saw all drivers on medium tyres, and Norris immediately looked at ease—topping the times with a 1:09.702. Drama struck early as Carlos Sainz, still recovering from illness, locked up on his final lap and was eliminated in P20, alongside Esteban Ocon, Yuki Tsunoda, Liam Lawson, and Franco Colapinto. At the sharp end, Norris maintained his advantage over Max Verstappen, while both Ferraris struggled for grip but scraped through—Leclerc in P8, Hamilton in P9.
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SQ2 brought another ten minutes of tension, again on mediums. Fernando Alonso set the pace with a 1:09.330, narrowly ahead of Norris and Piastri, as the Aston Martin looked sharp on low fuel. Both Ferraris flirted with elimination again—Leclerc surviving a spin at Turn 10 to secure ninth, but Hamilton was less fortunate. The seven-time World Champion missed the chequered flag on his final attempt and ended P11, joining Alex Albon, Pierre Gasly, Gabriel Bortoleto, and Ollie Bearman in the drop zone. To compound matters, Hamilton faced a stewards’ investigation for failing to respect yellow flags during Leclerc’s incident.
That left 10 drivers for the top-shootout SQ3, where the soft tyre was mandatory and the pace intensified. Norris stamped his authority early with a 1:09.271 banker lap before improving again to a 1:09.243, a time that would prove unbeatable. Antonelli came closest, just shy of his first pole by a tenth, while Piastri’s final attempt fell short, leaving him in P3. George Russell ensured a strong showing for Mercedes in fourth, narrowly ahead of Alonso, while Max Verstappen—visibly frustrated—had to settle for sixth after abandoning his earlier run.
Further back, Lance Stroll secured his best Sprint grid slot of the season in seventh, followed by Leclerc, Isack Hadjar, and Nico Hülkenberg rounding out the top ten. For Norris, it was his first Sprint Qualifying pole of 2025 and the fourth of his career, capping off a near-perfect day as McLaren continued to look like the team to beat in Brazil.
With the Sprint race set for Saturday and the threat of rain hovering over Interlagos, the grid was finely poised—Norris leading Antonelli and Piastri into what promised to be another chaotic Brazilian showdown in the battle for the Drivers’ Championship.
2025 São Paulo GP Sprint Qualifying Results
2025 São Paulo Grand Prix Sprint Qualifying, 7 November 2025
| Pos. | No. | Driver | Team | Q1 | Q2 | Q3 | Laps |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 4 | Lando Norris | McLaren | 1:09.627 | 1:09.373 | 1:09.243 | 20 |
| 2 | 12 | Kimi Antonelli | Mercedes | 1:10.381 | 1:09.504 | 1:09.340 | 16 |
| 3 | 81 | Oscar Piastri | McLaren | 1:10.017 | 1:09.416 | 1:09.428 | 19 |
| 4 | 63 | George Russell | Mercedes | 1:10.048 | 1:09.384 | 1:09.495 | 16 |
| 5 | 14 | Fernando Alonso | Aston Martin | 1:10.011 | 1:09.330 | 1:09.496 | 12 |
| 6 | 1 | Max Verstappen | Red Bull Racing | 1:09.975 | 1:09.707 | 1:09.580 | 15 |
| 7 | 18 | Lance Stroll | Aston Martin | 1:10.326 | 1:09.647 | 1:09.671 | 15 |
| 8 | 16 | Charles Leclerc | Ferrari | 1:10.324 | 1:09.732 | 1:09.725 | 19 |
| 9 | 6 | Isack Hadjar | Racing Bulls | 1:10.095 | 1:09.608 | 1:09.775 | 15 |
| 10 | 27 | Nico Hulkenberg | Kick Sauber | 1:10.333 | 1:09.735 | 1:09.935 | 15 |
| 11 | 44 | Lewis Hamilton | Ferrari | 1:10.224 | 1:09.811 | 14 | |
| 12 | 23 | Alexander Albon | Williams | 1:10.275 | 1:09.813 | 12 | |
| 13 | 10 | Pierre Gasly | Alpine | 1:10.097 | 1:09.852 | 12 | |
| 14 | 5 | Gabriel Bortoleto | Kick Sauber | 1:10.217 | 1:09.923 | 12 | |
| 15 | 87 | Oliver Bearman | Haas F1 Team | 1:10.066 | 1:09.946 | 12 | |
| 16 | 43 | Franco Colapinto | Alpine | 1:10.441 | 6 | ||
| 17 | 30 | Liam Lawson | Racing Bulls | 1:10.666 | 5 | ||
| 18 | 22 | Yuki Tsunoda | Red Bull Racing | 1:10.692 | 6 | ||
| 19 | 31 | Esteban Ocon | Haas F1 Team | 1:10.872 | 6 | ||
| 20 | 55 | Carlos Sainz | Williams | 1:11.120 | 6 |
2025 São Paulo GP Sprint Starting Grid
The Sprint starting grid, with or without penalties, after the 2025 São Paulo Grand Prix Sprint Qualifying session.
| Pos. | No. | Driver | Team | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 4 | Lando Norris | McLaren | 1:09.243 |
| 2 | 12 | Kimi Antonelli | Mercedes | 1:09.340 |
| 3 | 81 | Oscar Piastri | McLaren | 1:09.428 |
| 4 | 63 | George Russell | Mercedes | 1:09.495 |
| 5 | 14 | Fernando Alonso | Aston Martin | 1:09.496 |
| 6 | 1 | Max Verstappen | Red Bull Racing | 1:09.580 |
| 7 | 18 | Lance Stroll | Aston Martin | 1:09.671 |
| 8 | 16 | Charles Leclerc | Ferrari | 1:09.725 |
| 9 | 6 | Isack Hadjar | Racing Bulls | 1:09.775 |
| 10 | 27 | Nico Hulkenberg | Kick Sauber | 1:09.935 |
| 11 | 44 | Lewis Hamilton | Ferrari | 1:09.811 |
| 12 | 23 | Alexander Albon | Williams | 1:09.813 |
| 13 | 10 | Pierre Gasly | Alpine | 1:09.852 |
| 14 | 5 | Gabriel Bortoleto | Kick Sauber | 1:09.923 |
| 15 | 87 | Oliver Bearman | Haas F1 Team | 1:09.946 |
| 16 | 43 | Franco Colapinto | Alpine | 1:10.441 |
| 17 | 30 | Liam Lawson | Racing Bulls | 1:10.666 |
| 18 | 22 | Yuki Tsunoda | Red Bull Racing | 1:10.692 |
| 19 | 31 | Esteban Ocon | Haas F1 Team | 1:10.872 |
| 20 | 55 | Carlos Sainz | Williams | 1:11.120 |
Race Guide
Season: 2025 F1 World Championship
Race weekend: 7 November 2025 – 9 November 2025
Race date: Sunday, 9 November 2025
Race start time: 14:00 local time
Circuit: Interlagos – Autodromo Jose Carlo Pace
Laps: 71
Circuit length: 4.309km
2024 winner: Max Verstappen
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