Lando Norris stamped an exclamation point on his sprint race triumph earlier on Saturday (November 8) to claim the pole for the MSC Cruises Sao Paulo Grand Prix. Norris will look to build on his nine-point championship lead over McLaren teammate Oscar Piastri, and his 39-point lead over the ever-dangerous Max Verstappen, a task made much easier for Norris after Verstappen’s Q1 exit.
After a mistake in his first run of Q3, Norris took the pressure and ran with it, posting a 1:09.511 lap that nudged Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc off provisional pole.
“Tough out there, with the conditions,” Norris told Sky Sports’ Romain Grosjean after the session.
“Just slippery, inconsistent. But good fun. It always a pleasure around this track … I stayed calm and put it all together when it matter, so I’m very happy.”
LANDO NORRIS TAKES POLE AT INTERLAGOS!!!
— Formula 1 (@F1) November 8, 2025
A stunning final lap when it mattered 💪 #F1 #BrazilGP pic.twitter.com/AIJvPPS7LY
Red Bull’s Verstappen struggled with grip in a disastrous Q1 and failed to advance, a setback which may have been the final blow to his championship aspirations. It was Verstappen’s Q1 exit since Russia in 2021.
After his Q1 fate was sealed, a frustrated Verstappen exclaimed over the radio, “I have no grip, zero! Brilliant.”
Mercedes’ Kimi Antonelli‘s strong final run put him on the front row beside Norris. Leclerc was third, with Piastri, who crashed in Saturday morning’s sprint race, starting fourth.
The grid is set for Sunday's São Paulo Grand Prix 👀
— Formula 1 (@F1) November 8, 2025
Don't miss this one! #F1 #BrazilGP pic.twitter.com/XJjhsDsoaQ
Q3
A confident Oliver Bearman was out early and determined to back up what he displayed in the first two sessions, showing that he was a threat to snatch the pole from the McLaren juggernaut. His 1:09.977 wasn’t as fast as his previous efforts, but left him third after the opening runs.
Norris made an error in the first sector and his first effort put him in last. Piastri’s 1:09.897 put him on provisional pole while his teammate regrouped. It was advantage Piastri, and a pole by the Australian would surely break the Norris momentum and offer Piastri a huge boost.
The stage was set for a final run showdown, with the results certain to impact the championship battle.
Bearman could not improve and tumbled to eighth when all was said and done. Leclerc briefly was on top before Norris’ 1:09.511 boosted the McLaren to the top spot. Piastri had a subpar middle sector and was only third-best. That was before a brilliant run by Antonelli knocked Leclerc off the front row with a time just .174 seconds behind Norris.
| Pos. | Driver No. | Driver | Team | Time from Leader |
| 1. | 4 | Lando Norris | McLaren | 1:09.511m |
| 2. | 12 | Kimi Antonelli | Mercedes | +0.174s |
| 3. | 16 | Charles Leclerc | Ferrari | +0.294s |
| 4. | 81 | Oscar Piastri | Mercedes | +0.375s |
| 5. | 6 | Isaak Hadjar | Racing Bulls | +0.420s |
| 6. | 63 | George Russell | Mercedes | +0.431s |
| 7. | 30 | Liam Lawson | Racing Bulls | +0.451s |
| 8. | 87 | Oliver Bearman | Haas | +0.466s |
| 9. | 10 | Pierre Gasly | Alpine | +0.491s |
| 10. | 27 | Nico Hulkenberg | KICK Sauber | +0.528s |
Q2
After Verstappen’s stunning exit in Q1, there were few surprises in Q2, with the exception of Bearman again setting the fastest time early in the session. Bearman’s 1:09.755 held up until Norris topped it late in the session.
Leclerc nearly lost the rear-end on his first lap, and was in the drop zone with five minutes left in Q2. The Ferrari driver would need to improve from 13th in order to advance to Q3.
Leclerc came through with a 1:09.801, and his teammate would need a similar lap to advance. Hamilton struggled and could only manage 13th-best in Q2.
Norris topped the session with a 1:09.616.
| Pos. | Driver No. | Driver | Team | Time from Advancing |
| 11. | 14 | Fernando Alonso | Aston Martin | +0.385s |
| 12. | 23 | Alexander Albon | Williams | +0.437s |
| 13. | 44 | Lewis Hamilton | Ferrari | +0.484s |
| 14. | 18 | Lance Stroll | Aston Martin | +0.545s |
| 15. | 55 | Carlos Sainz | Williams | +0.856s |
Q1
Bearman set a strong 1:09.891 lap midway through the session that held up until the final run of flying laps.
Verstappen’s second flying lap was only good enough for 16th, meaning he would need to improve significantly on his final run. Few doubted the Dutchman would come through, but whatever happened, it was still not a good sign for the Red Bull, for Sunday’s race and for his fading championship hopes. Verstappen put on fresh tires for his all or nothing final run. Shockingly, Verstappen couldn’t improve and was out of qualifying. What’s more, Verstappen’s Red Bull teammate, Yuki Tsunoda, also failed to advance.
A deflated Max reacts to his Q1 exit 💬#F1 #BrazilGP pic.twitter.com/H5i1pQ0m6B
— Formula 1 (@F1) November 8, 2025
Norris topped Bearman’s time with a 1:09.656 to take the session lead, which held until the end.
Sauber’s Gabriel Bortoleto, who crashed hard in the sprint race, missed qualifying as his team couldn’t get his car ready in time.
| Pos. | Driver No. | Driver | Team | Time from Advancing | |||
| 16. | 1 | Max Verstappen | Red Bull | +0.747s | |||
| 17. | 31 | Esteban Ocon | Haas | +0.782s | |||
| 18. | 43 | Franco Colapinto | Alpine | +0.976s | |||
| 19. | 22 | Yuki Tsunoda | Red Bull | +1.055s | |||
| 20. | 5 | Gabriel Bortoleto | Sauber | No Time |
2025 F1 Sao Paulo Grand Prix Qualifying Results
The F1 MSC Cruises São Paulo Grand Prix will begin on Sunday, November 9th, at 12 p.m. ET. Television coverage in the United States will be provided by ESPN2.
