Overview
- Lando Norris starts from pole at Interlagos and carries the championship lead into Sunday’s race.
- Oscar Piastri lines up fourth and sits nine points behind his McLaren teammate after a sprint crash stalled his momentum.
- Red Bull’s aggressive setup shift eliminated Max Verstappen and Yuki Tsunoda in Q1, and the team is considering a pit‑lane start with a different setup and new power unit depending on the weather.
- Verstappen, set to launch from P16, said his title hopes are effectively over after struggling with grip and balance through qualifying.
- Charles Leclerc recovered to third following setup tweaks as Lewis Hamilton qualified 13th citing rear‑tyre temperature issues, highlighting Interlagos’ sensitivity to preparation; Sauber’s Gabriel Bortoleto was uninjured after a 57 g sprint crash but missed qualifying.