Lando Norris wins pole after rain-delayed qualifying

SAO PAULO (AP) – McLaren driver Lando Norris will start Sunday’s Brazilian Grand Prix from pole with Formula 1 championship leader Max Verstappen in 17th place after struggling in his Red Bull during a rain-affected qualifying session that was marred by five crashes.

The gap between the two drivers going into the afternoon race is 44 points.

Norris clocked the fastest lap time on the wet Interlagos track with 1 minute and 23.405 seconds. His compatriot George Russell of Mercedes starts second. Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc, who has a slim chance of winning the drivers’ title, was sixth in qualifying.

“I’m a little surprised again,” said Norris. “It was easy to end badly, on the wall.”

“It’s an enlightening qualification,” he added.

Three-time champion Verstappen did not even reach the final third of qualifying. His 12th place in the second third of the session was pushed back even further by a five-place grid penalty for changing his engine for the sixth time this season, exceeding the maximum allowed of four.

Every third of qualifying was interrupted by at least one crash with Aston Martin’s Lance Stroll, his teammate Fernando Alonso, Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz Jr., Williams’ Albon Albon and his teammate Franco Colapinto all losing control of their cars.

The result was an unusual starting lineup, with Visa Cash App RB’s Yuki Tsunoda qualifying third with Alpine’s Esteban Ocon alongside him.

“I had a few mistakes, but I also had a bit of luck,” Tsunoda said. “We also had a good pace in the rain.”

Tsunoda’s teammate Liam Lawson completed the top five.

Sergio Perez, the second Red Bull driver, also failed to reach the final third of qualifying, setting the 13th fastest time. Seven-time champion Lewis Hamilton of Mercedes didn’t even reach the second third place and will start from 15th after moving up one place due to Verstappen’s penalty.

Qualifying started at 7:30 am local time (1030 GMT) in low-grip conditions, and two red flags were shown after crashes by Stroll and Colapinto. The start of the Grand Prix was brought forward from 2:00 PM to 12:30 PM (1530 GMT). All drivers started on wet tires, but switched to the intermediate class as qualifying progressed.

Many drivers arrived at Interlagos around 6am. Ferrari’s Sainz took the time to serve coffee to team staff as they prepared for qualifying.

Organizers said Sunday qualifying has only taken place five times in F1 history and a German driver has secured pole position on each occasion. The most recent was at the 2019 Japanese Grand Prix, with four-time champion Sebastian Vettel starting from the front.

The FIA ​​announced that qualifying had been postponed on Saturday after a two-hour delay, with no cars having the chance to complete laps. A statement said the decision was made due to the lack of visibility caused by the amount of rain, “with a lot of standing water on parts of the circuit, making conditions unsafe.”

Many of the more than 60,000 fans who came to Interlagos on Saturday did not show up for qualifying on Sunday morning.

The gap between Norris and Verstappen could further narrow in Brazil with four Grand Prix and a final sprint race until the end of the season.

Organizers have yet to decide whether the tribute to legendary three-time champion Ayrton Senna will take place on Sunday. The late Brazilian’s title-winning McLaren is expected to be driven by one of his biggest fans, Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton.

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