Overview
- Lando Norris secured pole at Interlagos ahead of rookie Kimi Antonelli and Charles Leclerc, with Oscar Piastri fourth and nine points behind his McLaren teammate in the standings after a Sprint non‑score.
- Red Bull recorded its worst qualifying since 2006 as both cars fell in Q1, with team figures acknowledging significant setup changes went the wrong way and Verstappen saying the championship looks out of reach.
- Verstappen is set to launch from P16 and the team is weighing further changes that could force a pit‑lane start, underscoring the uncertainty over race‑day recovery.
- Sauber will be without Gabriel Bortoleto for the Grand Prix after his 57 g Sprint crash, though he was uninjured, as the team fell short of rebuilding the car in time.
- Nico Hülkenberg reached Q3 for the first time in a Grand Prix qualifying this year with P10, while Isack Hadjar (P5), Liam Lawson (P7) and Oliver Bearman (P8) delivered standout grid positions and Lewis Hamilton qualified only 13th.