Lando Norris earns eighth career pole in chaotic, rain-soaked Qualifying at Interlagos

3 November 2024

Lando Norris on track - Photo by Damian Hall

MCLAREN’s Lando Norris truly earned his eighth career pole position today in treacherous conditions at Interlagos ahead of the São Paulo Grand Prix later today (Nov 3).

In a session that was interrupted multiple times due to heavy rain and red flags, Norris set a blistering lap of 1:23.405, finishing 0.173 seconds clear of Mercedes’ George Russell, who will join him on the front row. Yuki Tsunoda of VCARB secured an impressive third place, 0.706 seconds behind Norris.

The qualifying session proved challenging as changing weather repeatedly mixed up the grid, with Norris himself nearly facing elimination in Q1. Reflecting on his pole position, Norris said, “It was a lot going on today, but super, super happy. I was struggling in the first part of qualifying and didn’t feel comfortable, so I’m surprised to be on pole. It was a good weekend for us. It’s never easy in these conditions.”

Russell, set to start alongside Norris, embraced the unpredictable weather, saying it “reminded me of the karting days.” The Mercedes driver added, “I am really pleased with landing on P2. It was a good session, so let’s see if we can deliver in the race.”

The standout surprise of the day was VCARB’s Yuki Tsunoda, who claimed third on the grid. Tsunoda’s impressive lap in the closing seconds of Q3 saw him best both his teammate Liam Lawson and Alpine’s Esteban Ocon, known for his skill in wet conditions. Tsunoda, delighted with the team’s performance, praised their efforts over the radio, saying, “Well done team, all of us, all of us.” His strong showing comes at a crucial time as Red Bull evaluates both him and Lawson to potentially replace Sergio Perez.

After the session, Tsunoda reflected on his accomplishment, saying, “It was very tricky, but I enjoyed it. Overall, as a team—including Liam as well—we did a really good job.” Lawson will start in fifth, with Ocon positioned in fourth.

The session kicked off under heavy rainfall, with poor visibility and challenging grip. Williams' Franco Colapinto was the first casualty, crashing into the barriers at Turn 3, which led to a red flag and the first delay. When the session resumed, the rain intensified, placing Mercedes drivers Hamilton and Russell at risk. Ultimately, Hamilton couldn’t escape the elimination zone, marking his third Q1 exit this season and leaving him to start 16th on the grid.

The second session saw even more drama as Ferrari's Carlos Sainz collided with the barrier at the Senna Esses, triggering a red flag with 5:51 remaining. The weather continued to wreak havoc, with Aston Martin's Lance Stroll’s crash at Turn 3 causing another red flag with only 46 seconds left on the clock.

Due to time constraints, the session did not restart, resulting in the elimination of both Red Bulls. Max Verstappen, who had initially qualified 12th, will start 17th after receiving a five-place grid penalty for exceeding his engine component allocation, while Sergio Perez will line up in 13th.

Verstappen commented on the challenging conditions, noting, “We start in the back, so it will be quite difficult to pass with all the spray and the rain, but we’ll have a look.” This qualifying setback will add tension to Verstappen’s title lead, currently sitting at 367 points to Norris’ 323.

The chaotic session continued into Q3, with another red flag brought out when Aston Martin's Fernando Alonso spun off with 6:59 left on the clock. This disruption further tested drivers’ ability to adapt to the ever-changing conditions, and it set up a thrilling final few minutes that saw Norris and Russell secure the front row spots.

With Verstappen and Perez starting from the back, Norris has a golden opportunity to narrow the gap in the Drivers’ Championship.