Lando Norris capped a perfect day at Interlagos by taking pole position for the Sao Paulo Grand Prix, just hours after extending his championship lead with victory in the sprint race.
The McLaren driver overcame early pressure after locking up on his first lap in the top-10 shootout, which left him down in 10th place heading into the final runs.
But the Briton delivered a superb final lap to secure pole by 0.174 seconds ahead of Mercedes rookie Kimi Antonelli.
Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc took third, while Norris’ team-mate and closest title rival Oscar Piastri, who had been quickest on the first runs, slipped to fourth.
Red Bull’s Max Verstappen — the only other realistic championship contender — suffered a shock exit in Q1 and will start 16th, dealing a major blow to his title hopes.
Earlier in the day, Piastri crashed out of third place in the sprint race, allowing Norris to stretch his lead to nine points in the standings.
“I felt good,” said Norris. “I was under a bit of pressure because I locked up on my first lap, so it was a little more stressful than I’d like — but I stayed cool and very happy with that final lap.”
Piastri admitted frustration after missing out: “Bit disappointed with the result, but the car’s been quick all weekend, especially on longer runs. Hopefully I can take advantage of that tomorrow and make some progress.”
