Norris claims pole position in Brazil, while Verstappen faces a challenging start from deep in the grid after Q2 elimination.
For the sixth time in history, F1 qualifying for a Grand Prix is being held on a Sunday, the same day as the race itself. Postponed due to the deluge that struck São Paulo yesterday, the session to determine the starting grid takes place early in the morning, with a 7:30 AM start at Interlagos, equivalent to 11:30 AM in France.
A four-hour gap must be maintained between the end of qualifying and the start of the race, which will therefore commence at 4:30 PM French time. The FIA has proactively moved up the start time as similar downpours to those of the previous day are forecasted for late Sunday in Brazil.
Drivers will battle for pole position on a track that remains far from ideal, with rain having fallen throughout the night in São Paulo. The circuit is expected to stay damp or even fully wet all day, leading McLaren to abandon their new medium-downforce rear wing in favour of a high-downforce one.
McLaren and Ferrari could well contend for pole, as Max Verstappen faces a five-place grid penalty due to an engine change. It remains to be seen if Mercedes will be able to join the fray.
Q1 – 18 minutes
The track is already waterlogged at the start of the session, and drivers head out on full wet tyres. However, with another heavy shower incoming, the early lap times might be crucial for progressing to Q2.
Alex Albon was the first to set a time with a 1:32, but Lando Norris topped that before Esteban Ocon bettered it with a 1:30.096. George Russell only managed fourth, trailing by 2.5 seconds. Yellow flags waved repeatedly as drivers struggled through the last corner before the final climb.
Fernando Alonso slotted into second behind Ocon, with Max Verstappen following close, and Yuki Tsunoda then Sergio Pérez inserted themselves between them. Carlos Sainz positioned himself between Verstappen and Norris. Lewis Hamilton had his time annulled.
Ocon went even faster with a 1:29.916, while Valtteri Bottas was the first to test the intermediate tyres, but promptly slid off at Turn 4, luckily avoiding any major incident. Lance Stroll went off-track twice, nearly beaching himself in the gravel.
Stroll eventually recorded the fifth-fastest time, while Verstappen couldn’t improve his sixth-place lap. Franco Colapinto managed a provisional eighth, and Sergio Pérez advanced to second place. Tsunoda seized the lead with a 1:29.172.
Russell suggested switching to intermediate tyres as lap times improved and standing water reduced with each driver’s passage. Leclerc moved up to second, but a red flag was waved following a crash by Franco Colapinto. The Argentine driver is unharmed, though this interruption occurs just minutes before an anticipated heavy shower.
11:44: The session is set to resume in one minute, but Norris reports “much more rain,” and his engineer confirms the downpour is expected to last two minutes.
Bearman had fitted intermediates but was called back to the garage just before the green flag to switch to wet tyres. With both Mercedes drivers at risk of elimination, Russell overtook Albon in the pit lane but was blocked by an RB F1.
Norris improved his time but only reached 11th, just after Gasly secured ninth. Piastri climbed to fifth, just ahead of the Aston Martins, while Hamilton moved up to a modest 14th. Albon also improved, taking seventh position.
Russell missed his first chicane and rejoined the track in a hazardous manner in front of Albon. On his next lap, the Briton moved up to second. Verstappen climbed to fifth with two minutes remaining in Q1, but Hülkenberg spun.
Verstappen’s time was cancelled, dropping him to 12th, while Hamilton failed to improve beyond 17th. Lawson’s time was also annulled, relegating him to 18th, and Norris saw his time removed as well.
Hamilton managed to improve, taking 14th and temporarily eliminating Norris. Albon topped the timesheets with a 1:29.072, and Russell moved into second. Gasly took fourth, while Norris briefly regained 14th. Lawson claimed 14th, narrowly allowing Norris to scrape into Q2. Verstappen ultimately set the fastest time with a 1:28.522.
The drivers eliminated are Hamilton, Bearman, Colapinto, Hülkenberg, and Zhou.
Q2 – 15 minutes
Piastri was the first out on intermediates, while the rest of the grid opted for wet tyres. The aim was to assess if Norris could quickly switch to intermediates based on positive feedback from the Australian.
Sainz set a time of 1:29.406, with Leclerc narrowly improving to 1:29.332. Russell slotted in between them, and Lawson took fourth place, while Tsunoda’s time was disqualified. Stroll then set the fastest time with a 1:29.308, only for Bottas to surpass him with a 1:29.055.
Alonso bettered this with a 1:28.707, and Pérez went even quicker at 1:28.158. Norris could only manage eighth, while Piastri, running intermediates, moved up to third, suggesting the crossover point between compounds. Verstappen then set a time of 1:27.771.
Ocon improved on his wets, but as Piastri continued to make gains, he pitted, likely to switch compounds. Piastri subsequently took the top spot with a 1:27.141, just as Norris also switched to intermediates.
Piastri continued to push, clocking a 1:25.179, putting the Red Bulls over two seconds behind and confirming that intermediates were now the optimal choice. Tsunoda made an error on his lap with these tyres and had to abandon it, setting up for a fresh attempt.
Lawson moved up to third, with Russell taking second. However, another red flag was triggered when Carlos Sainz collided with the wall at Turn 2! The rear of the Ferrari sustained significant damage, leaving Ferrari’s mechanics with considerable repairs before the race.
The Spaniard’s impact wasn’t severe, but the damage to the SF-24 is significant. Norris nearly made a similar error and couldn’t improve, leaving him 11th with 5:51 remaining. Stroll managed to climb to third before the red flag.
A few raindrops begin to fall as Q2 restarts, with Piastri’s engineer advising that heavier rain is expected in approximately four minutes. This qualifying session could well become a one-lap shootout for a place in Q3!
Norris was the first back on track to avoid traffic, improving his time to secure third. Tsunoda moved into fourth, with Albon in fifth. Alonso set the fastest time at 1:25.035, while Bottas took sixth. Stroll climbed to fourth, and Ocon moved up to third.
Leclerc advanced to third, and Norris then claimed the top spot with a 1:24.844. Albon improved to fourth, and Lawson took fourth shortly after. A red flag was deployed after Stroll crashed at Turn 3.
Verstappen was only 12th and, with his grid penalty, will start 17th—an extraordinary twist for the weekend and the championship battle, as Norris secured the fastest time in Q2.
The drivers eliminated are Bottas, Verstappen, Pérez, Sainz, and Gasly.
Q3 – 12 minutes
Pérez initially remarked he was positioned too far back in the pit lane, criticising his team for sending him out too late. As his engineer attempted to justify the situation, the Mexican firmly responded, “that’s not an excuse.” This is one of the rare occasions this season where Red Bull has let Pérez down, a contrast to the numerous times the reverse has occurred.
This final segment of qualifying commenced a few minutes late, starting at 12:37 French time, as marshals took extra time to repair the barriers damaged in Stroll’s crash.
Norris’s engineer advised him that track conditions would be optimal in the opening minutes, meaning drivers are likely to set quick laps consecutively until conditions deteriorate.
Ocon was the first to set a time, clocking in at 1:26.267. Piastri bettered this with a 1:26.099, while Norris moved into first place with a 1:25.631. Lawson took fourth, as Albon abandoned his initial lap.
Tsunoda climbed to second, with Leclerc slotting into the same position before being displaced by Russell. Ocon then topped the timesheets with a 1:25.085, only for Piastri to improve to a 1:24.686. Albon also set a stronger time with a 1:24.657, but Norris reclaimed the lead with a 1:24.158.
The red flag was deployed once again as Fernando Alonso crashed at the third-last corner before the climb! Aston Martin now faces repairs on both cars, with Alonso and Stroll set to finish ninth and tenth in this Q3 session, halted with 6:59 remaining.
Despite the delay and the usual rule requiring a four-hour gap between qualifying and the race, the FIA has confirmed an exception for this Sunday to allow the race to start as scheduled at 16:30.
After several minutes of repairs, the session resumed. The key question now, in these final minutes, is whether the track surface has lost too much performance with the ongoing rain. If so, times may not improve.
Russell misjudged Turn 1, then went off-track at Turn 4. Tsunoda made an error, impeding Lawson. The red flag was deployed yet again after Albon crashed, destroying his Williams.
The Thai driver holds the second-fastest time, but the rear of his FW46 is completely wrecked. With only 3 hours and 30 minutes until race start, it seems unlikely the car can be repaired given the extent of the damage.
Williams now faces repairs on two cars, as does Aston Martin. However, initial checks on Albon’s car may well indicate he won’t make the grid. Additionally, he appeared to have injured his wrist as he exited the cockpit.
Ocon was the first to head out for the final three minutes. He improved his time but remained fourth, while Norris went quicker with a 1:24.092. Piastri couldn’t improve and nearly went off track after his hot lap.
Lawson advanced to second, and Tsunoda finished his lap with the second-fastest time, just ahead of his teammate! Ocon improved to third, and Norris further extended his lead with a 1:23.405. Russell followed with the second-best time, while Leclerc could only manage sixth. Piastri also failed to improve.
Norris claims pole ahead of Russell, with Tsunoda and Ocon starting on the second row. Lawson is fifth, just in front of Leclerc, while Albon qualified seventh but may not start. Piastri is eighth, ahead of the Aston Martins.
As a reminder, Verstappen qualified 12th and carries a five-place grid penalty. His final grid position will depend on whether Albon, Alonso, and potentially Sainz can start, given the damage to their cars.
Times after Q2:
| Pos. | Driver | Team | Q1 | Q2 | Q3 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | Lando Norris | McLaren Mercedes MCL38 | 1:30.944 | 1:24.844 | 1:23.405 |
| 02 | George Russell | Mercedes W15 | 1:29.121 | 1:26.307 | 1:23.578 |
| 03 | Yuki Tsunoda | RB Honda RBPT VCARB 01 | 1:29.172 | 1:26.464 | 1:24.111 |
| 04 | Esteban Ocon | Alpine Renault A524 | 1:29.171 | 1:26.206 | 1:24.475 |
| 05 | Liam Lawson | RB Honda RBPT VCARB 01 | 1:30.758 | 1:25.654 | 1:24.484 |
| 06 | Charles Leclerc | Ferrari SF-24 | 1:29.839 | 1:26.097 | 1:24.525 |
| 07 | Alex Albon | Williams Mercedes FW46 | 1:29.072 | 1:25.889 | 1:24.657 |
| 08 | Oscar Piastri | McLaren Mercedes MCL38 | 1:30.114 | 1:25.179 | 1:24.686 |
| 09 | Fernando Alonso | Aston Martin Mercedes AMR24 | 1:30.207 | 1:25.035 | 1:28.998 |
| 10 | Lance Stroll | Aston Martin Mercedes AMR24 | 1:30.580 | 1:26.334 | :—.— |
| — | —————- | ————— | ———- | ———- | ———- |
| 11 | Valtteri Bottas | Stake F1 Kick Sauber C44 | 1:30.633 | 1:26.472 | |
| 12 | Max Verstappen | Red Bull Honda RBPT RB20 | 1:28.522 | 1:27.771 | |
| 13 | Sergio Pérez | Red Bull Honda RBPT RB20 | 1:30.035 | 1:28.158 | |
| 14 | Carlos Sainz | Ferrari SF-24 | 1:30.303 | 1:29.406 | |
| 15 | Pierre Gasly | Alpine Renault A524 | 1:29.420 | 1:29.614 | |
| — | —————- | ————— | ———- | ———- | ———- |
| 16 | Lewis Hamilton | Mercedes W15 | 1:31.150 | ||
| 17 | Oliver Bearman | Haas Ferrari VF-24 | 1:31.229 | ||
| 18 | Franco Colapinto | Williams Mercedes FW46 | 1:31.270 | ||
| 19 | Nico Hülkenberg | Haas Ferrari VF-24 | 1:31.623 | ||
| 20 | Guanyu Zhou | Stake F1 Kick Sauber C44 | 1:32.263 |
- You may also like>Red Bull’s 2025 Dilemma: Who Will Partner Verstappen Next?
- Also make sure you follow us on social media>Facebook and>Twitter
Brazil GP Qualifying F1 2024 Brazil GP Qualifying F1 2024 Brazil GP Qualifying F1 2024 Brazil GP Qualifying F1 2024 Brazil GP Qualifying F1 2024 Brazil GP Qualifying F1 2024
