Lando Norris secured pole position for the 2026 Brazilian Grand Prix after a dramatic rain-soaked qualifying session at Interlagos, beating George Russell in conditions that brought proceedings to a halt for almost 90 minutes. The Mercedes driver was left furious after a pit wall instruction appeared to cost him the opportunity to take pole, while Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc qualified fourth but faces a ten-place grid penalty.
It was one of the most spectacular qualifying sessions of the season, with heavy rain, poor visibility and constantly changing track conditions making every lap a challenge. Andrea Kimi Antonelli finished third in qualifying and will start second, ahead of an impressive Liam Lawson in the Racing Bulls. George Russell, meanwhile, will drop to seventh because of his five-place penalty, while Charles Leclerc is set to start from the midfield.
Extreme conditions at Interlagos bring out an immediate red flag
After the final free practice session took place on a dry track, the 19th qualifying session of the 2026 Formula 1 season began in completely different circumstances. Heavy rain was falling over the São Paulo circuit, leaving drivers facing extremely difficult conditions even before they had completed a timed lap.
There was confusion in the pit lane from the outset. Several drivers had already lined up at the pit exit on intermediate tyres before returning to their garages to switch to full wet compounds. The conditions were so severe that race control quickly suspended the session with a red flag, as torrential rain and almost non-existent visibility made it unsafe to continue.
During the lengthy interruption, Ferrari team principal Frédéric Vasseur explained the difficulties facing the teams and drivers.
“These are truly extreme conditions. It’s the first time I’ve seen Formula 1 in conditions like these. The drivers have even had to change their race suits. We have to be ready, because every time the safety car goes out, it could mean we’re ready to resume. We’d all like to get out on track, but safety comes first.”
Brazilian GP qualifying Q1: Lando Norris fastest as Rafael Câmara impresses
After a delay lasting almost an hour and a half, race control finally gave the drivers permission to return to the circuit. The pit lane quickly filled with cars, although rain continued to fall and conditions remained extremely challenging.
Valtteri Bottas was the first driver to set a representative lap time in his Cadillac, with the rest of the field following shortly afterwards. Television images showed that the track was still in a similar condition to the one that had forced the earlier suspension, but the session was now underway and every driver was searching for a breakthrough lap.
With the circuit improving continuously, there was little opportunity to remain in the garage. Drivers stayed on track, accumulating mileage and repeatedly lowering their lap times as the available grip increased.
Lando Norris eventually topped Q1 ahead of George Russell, Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton, with Nico Hülkenberg also delivering an outstanding performance in the wet.
The biggest disappointment came from Alpine, whose two drivers were eliminated following a chaotic conclusion that included a head-to-head battle along the start-finish straight. Lance Stroll, Valtteri Bottas, Sergio Pérez and Gabriel Bortoleto also failed to progress, with Gabriel Bortoleto forced back to the pits after hitting the barriers.
There was better news for Rafael Câmara, who reached Q2 in his very first Formula 1 qualifying appearance with Haas.
Q2: George Russell leads as Rafael Câmara crash ends session early
The remaining drivers returned to the circuit without a lengthy delay, although Max Verstappen stayed in the garage because of the grid penalty that would force him to start from the back of the field.
Lewis Hamilton faced the same punishment but nevertheless took part in Q2. Ferrari team-mate Charles Leclerc was also carrying a ten-place grid penalty, while George Russell faced a five-place drop for Sunday’s race. The penalties added another layer of complexity to an already unpredictable qualifying session.
As in Q1, track evolution played a decisive role. Lap times continued to improve as the drivers pushed harder and searched for grip on the wet surface. Everyone remained on full wet tyres until approximately five minutes from the end, when the first drivers began switching to intermediates.
George Russell produced the fastest lap of Q2, finishing ahead of Liam Lawson and Isack Hadjar. However, the session ended abruptly when Rafael Câmara made a mistake on the exit of Turn 12 and crashed into the barriers, triggering a red flag.
The interruption also prevented Oscar Piastri from progressing to Q3. Lewis Hamilton was eliminated after Ferrari opted not to send him back out following his initial attempt on full wet tyres, a decision influenced by the grid penalty he was already facing.
Carlos Sainz and Arvid Lindblad were also knocked out, with Arvid Lindblad suffering a technical problem that forced him to abandon the session.
For Ferrari, the result meant both drivers would face difficult starting positions regardless of their qualifying performance. The situation added to the concerns surrounding Lewis Hamilton’s Ferrari power unit and grid penalty problems heading into the Brazilian Grand Prix.
Q3: Lando Norris takes Brazilian GP pole as Mercedes decision frustrates George Russell
The final qualifying segment delivered another dramatic battle, with the provisional pole position changing hands repeatedly as the drivers pushed to the limit on the wet Interlagos circuit.
However, the return of heavier rain effectively brought the fight to an early conclusion, preventing several drivers from improving their times.
Lando Norris emerged on top with a lap of 1:27.470, securing pole position for the Brazilian Grand Prix. George Russell finished second on the timesheets, although his final attempt was compromised by a controversial instruction from the Mercedes pit wall.
The British driver had set the fastest sector times during his lap when his engineers instructed him to ease off in the third sector because of traffic involving Alex Albon. The decision provoked an angry reaction over the team radio, particularly as the subsequent increase in rainfall left him unable to improve.
With a five-place grid penalty to serve, George Russell will start seventh despite setting the second-fastest qualifying time.
Andrea Kimi Antonelli finished third, followed by Charles Leclerc in fourth, Liam Lawson in fifth, Nico Hülkenberg in sixth and Isack Hadjar in seventh. Oliver Bearman, Fernando Alonso and Alex Albon completed the top ten.
For Ferrari, Charles Leclerc’s fourth-fastest lap offered some encouragement in extremely difficult conditions, but his ten-place grid penalty means he will begin the Brazilian Grand Prix much further down the order. Lewis Hamilton, meanwhile, faces a start from the back of the grid.
The qualifying performance of the two Ferrari drivers can also be examined through the F1 qualifying pace and sector comparison, which provides a closer look at lap-time differences across the field.
With both Ferrari drivers facing substantial obstacles on Sunday, the focus now turns to whether they can recover positions during the race. Fans can check the full 2026 Brazilian Grand Prix schedule and race start times ahead of the action at Interlagos.
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