Overview
- Lando Norris topped Sprint Qualifying with a 1:09.243, edging Mercedes rookie Kimi Antonelli, with Oscar Piastri third and George Russell fourth as Fernando Alonso took fifth.
- In the only practice session, Norris was fastest in 1:09.975 with Piastri just 0.023 seconds behind, reinforcing McLaren’s early edge at Interlagos.
- Max Verstappen qualified only sixth and complained over team radio that the car was undrivable after a low-key FP1 that left him 17th.
- Lewis Hamilton failed to reach SQ3 and faces a stewards’ investigation for a possible yellow-flag infringement in SQ2 following Charles Leclerc’s spin, with any sanction set to affect the Sprint.
- Forecasts point to heavy rain and strong winds on Saturday, raising the chance of a mixed-condition Sprint that awards points to the top eight in a title fight led by Norris by one point over Piastri, with Verstappen 36 back.