Lando Norris of McLaren has claimed pole position for the São Paulo Grand Prix at Interlagos. The qualifying session was extended to two and a half hours due to heavy rain, which created challenging conditions for all drivers.
Despite setting the second-fastest time, Mercedes' George Russell will start from seventh due to a five-place grid penalty for taking a new engine. This promotes his teammate, new world champion Kimi Antonelli, to second on the grid, with Liam Lawson of Racing Bulls starting third.
Other drivers, including Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton, also incurred grid penalties for new engine components. Verstappen, who opted not to set a time after Q1 to save tyres, will start from 21st, while Hamilton will begin from 20th after an engine problem in final practice.
McLaren had introduced new upgrades, including a new front wing, for this race, which Norris noted felt like they were working. More rain is predicted for the race on Sunday.