Andrea Kimi Antonelli inherits the front row alongside Lando Norris after George Russell receives a five-place grid penalty. Norris secured pole position for the Grand Prix de São Paulo on November 7, 2026. He mastered a chaotic qualifying session at Interlagos disrupted by torrential downpours and delayed by ninety minutes, edging out Andrea Kimi Antonelli on a drying track, according to RMC Sport.
Drivers Struggle with Low Visibility and Wet Asphalt During Qualifying Crashes
Drivers faced near-zero visibility and slippery asphalt when the session finally got underway on full wet tyres. Rafael Camara, Gabriel Bortoleto, Lance Stroll, and Carlos Sainz all experienced minor off-track moments during the opening phase, though none triggered a red flag according to RTBF. Camara later crashed during Q2, bringing an end to late improvements for several competitors as reported by Motorsport.
Lando Norris has claimed pole in a wet qualifying at the Brazilian GP, beating George Russell on a treacherous Interlagos ⏱️ Full F1 report and results ⬇️https://t.co/fsLLM3lYmi
Grid Penalties Alter the Starting Order
George Russell recorded the second-fastest time for Mercedes. A five-place grid penalty for a power unit component change drops him down the order. That penalty elevates newly crowned world champion Andrea Kimi Antonelli to the front row alongside Norris reported by Mezha.
Liam Lawson and Nico Hülkenberg capitalized on the conditions to secure surprising spots on the second row according to Nextgen Auto. Charles Leclerc qualified fourth for Ferrari but faces a ten-place grid drop for a separate engine change.
A VERY wet start to Quali. We’ve got a red flag because of the conditions 📻 Kimi: “That was a bit of a shower! I’m so wet!!”
His teammate Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen will both start from the back of the grid as detailed by 20 Minuten after Ferrari and Red Bull completed total power unit replacements.
Standings at Interlagos
The 20th round of the Formula 1 World Championship brings the racing world to the 4.309-kilometre Autodromo José Carlos Pace, a venue that has hosted the event since 1973. The championship recently announced that the circuit in São Paulo will remain on the calendar at least through 2035 under a five-year contract extension. Mercedes enters the weekend on the verge of claiming the constructors’ championship, holding a dominant position in the standings as the season nears its conclusion.
Max Verstappen leads Lewis Hamilton in the drivers’ standings by 261 points to 259. George Russell sits on 250 points. Charles Leclerc holds 245 points, and Lando Norris has 221 points heading into the final stages of the campaign.
Rookie Debuts in São Paulo
Brazilian youngster Rafael Câmara makes his official Formula 1 debut this weekend at his home race. Câmara replaces Esteban Ocon at Haas ahead of a permanent seat with the American team for the 2027 season. He experienced a dramatic introduction to the weekend by reaching Q2 before suffering his crash.
We have a mixed-up starting grid for Sunday's race 👇#F1 #BrazilGP pic.twitter.com/QC1XTzreOT
Fellow Brazilian Gabriel Bortoleto joins Câmara on the grid as the nation’s other full-time representative alongside drivers from across the international field. The fierce competitive action continues with the Grand Prix scheduled to start on Sunday at 18:00.
Lando's visor cam gives you a good idea of how wet it was on track before the stoppage 🤯#F1 #BrazilGP pic.twitter.com/gM1qKiv2hJ
More on Lando Norris
🚩 Drapeau rouge, conditions dantesques au Brésil ! https://t.co/gGHeinQDV2
Lando Norris takes Pole Position for the F1 São Paulo GP Russell (5), Leclerc (10), Hamilton (30), Verstappen (30) and Bottas (30) will drop grid positions due to pu-changes pic.twitter.com/xNt8p9iOXe