Norris outpaces Verstappen for pole position in thrilling F1 Brazilian GP sprint qualifying
Sprint Qualifying: Norris Surprises with Pole Position
In a stunning turn of events during the Sprint Qualifying session, McLaren’s Lando Norris claimed pole position for Saturday’s shortened race. Despite initially lagging behind the Red Bulls in the first sector, Norris managed to make up time over the rest of the lap and secure an unexpected pole position.
The SQ3 session began with both McLaren cars taking to the track first, setting a benchmark time. However, it was Norris’ final lap that overshadowed his teammate Oscar Piastri’s effort. As other drivers were looking stronger in the opening sector, Max Verstappen seemed poised to outpace Norris after being ahead on split times by the end of the second sector. But he couldn’t maintain his pace.
Red Bull’s Sergio Perez briefly took charge as he set a blistering opening split time but ultimately fell behind Verstappen and settled for third place on the sprint grid.
Norris had faced some uncertainty earlier due to alleged failure in following stewards’ instructions regarding maximum lap times. Nonetheless, his performance secured him pole position amidst evident bemusement from feeling that his lap was not particularly exceptional.
Mixed Results Shake Up Grid Order
A number of surprises unfolded during Sprint Qualifying as several drivers struggled or excelled when it mattered most. George Russell initially emerged as a potential contender for pole after matching Norris’ middle sector but lost significant ground compared to his compatriot in the final part of his lap.
Rookie driver Yuki Tsunoda impressed by securing sixth place onthe grid while Charles Leclerc could only manage seventh on his sole flying lap. Daniel Ricciardo found himself behind Leclerc but ahead of his McLaren teammate Carlos Sainz, completing the top 10.
Mercedes and McLaren managed to avoid elimination in the SQ2 session after some nail-biting last-minute laps. Haas’ Kevin Magnussen narrowly outpaced Nico Hulkenberg to claim 11th place on the sprint grid.
The first stage saw Alpine’s Esteban Ocon collide with his teammate Fernando Alonso at Curva do Sol, causing Ocon to crash into the wall just as he began his final lap. This incident resulted in a red flag, prematurely ending the session and leaving Lance Stroll stranded in 17th place for the sprint grid.
An Unexpected End to Sprint Qualifying
Zhou Guanyu failed to progress beyond the first stage while Alex Albon’s hopes of climbing out of bottom five were dashed by an early conclusion to qualifying. The discontinuity caused by these unexpected events added an element of surprise and drama throughout Sprint Qualifying.
All eyes are now on Lando Norris as he prepares for Saturday’s race from pole position, having defied expectations during Sprint Qualifying with a remarkable performance that left both fans and pundits astonished.