Qualifying for the 2026 Brazilian Grand Prix begins at 19:00 Italian time (CET) at Interlagos, with Ferrari drivers Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc facing 10-place grid penalties and Max Verstappen set to start from the back. George Russell also faces a five-place penalty, leaving Mercedes driver Andrea Kimi Antonelli and McLaren’s Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri in the strongest position to fight for the front of Sunday’s starting grid.
Welcome to ScuderiaFans.com’s live coverage of the 2026 Formula 1 Brazilian Grand Prix qualifying session. With FP3 complete, attention now turns to the battle for grid positions at Interlagos. The session is scheduled to begin at 19:00 CET and, barring accidents or other interruptions, should establish the provisional starting order for Sunday’s race approximately one hour later, before the relevant grid penalties are applied.
Brazilian GP qualifying live: Three different drivers lead practice sessions
There are plenty of unanswered questions about the performance of Formula 1’s leading contenders following an unpredictable sequence of free practice sessions. Three different drivers topped the timing sheets across the weekend: Lando Norris was fastest in FP1, Andrea Kimi Antonelli led FP2, and Max Verstappen set the pace in FP3.
Those results leave the competitive picture far from straightforward as the drivers prepare for qualifying. However, the starting grid will also be heavily influenced by penalties affecting several leading competitors.
Ferrari grid penalties reshape the Brazilian GP pole position battle
Max Verstappen is set to start from the back of the grid, while Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc have both received 10-place grid penalties. George Russell faces a five-place drop. All four penalties are linked to the replacement of power unit components.
For Ferrari, the penalties represent another complication heading into the decisive qualifying session, particularly after the power unit concerns surrounding Lewis Hamilton following the Mexican Grand Prix.
With several leading drivers facing grid drops, Andrea Kimi Antonelli and the two McLaren drivers, Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri, appear to be the main contenders for the first starting position. Although penalised drivers can still compete for the fastest qualifying lap, their penalties will affect their final grid positions.
The final order will depend on both the qualifying results and the application of those penalties, making the session particularly interesting for Ferrari and its rivals. The differences in outright pace and sector performance can also be explored through the F1 Qualifying Pace and Sector Comparison.
Follow 2026 Brazilian GP qualifying live from Interlagos
Will Andrea Kimi Antonelli or one of the McLaren drivers take advantage of the grid penalties, or could qualifying produce another surprise after three different drivers topped the practice sessions?
Follow our live coverage of Brazilian Grand Prix qualifying as the battle for grid positions unfolds at Interlagos, with the full 2026 Brazilian GP weekend schedule also available for the remaining sessions.
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