Follow us on Google Discover McLaren driver Lando Norris scored pole position for the Sprint at the 2025 Sao Paulo Grand Prix, as his F1 title rivals Oscar Piastri and Max Verstappen achieved P3 and P6.
Norris posted a 1:09.243 lap around Interlagos during SQ3 on Friday to record his first Sprint pole of the 2025 F1 season. Mercedes racer Andrea Kimi Antonelli will join the Briton on the front row after posting a 1:09.340, to pip Piastri after the McLaren driver penned a 1:09.428.
Verstappen recorded a 1:09.580 in SQ3, but the Red Bull ace’s effort was only good enough for P6 behind George Russell of Mercedes (1:09.495) and Fernando Alonso of Aston Martin (1:09.496). Yuki Tsunoda in the other Red Bull bowed out during SQ1 in P18, with a 1:10.692.
Norris will now look to convert his Sprint pole at the Sao Paulo GP, as the 25-year-old looks to extend his one-point lead over Piastri and 36-point margin over Verstappen atop the 2025 F1 drivers’ championship. It would be his second Sprint win of 2025 after the Sprint in Miami.
Photo by Mark Sutton – Formula 1/Formula 1 via Getty ImagesMartin Brundle thinks McLaren will love Max Verstappen calling his Red Bull ‘undrivable’ in Brazil
Martin Brundle expects Norris will be happy to see his McLaren teammate Piastri qualify P3 for the Sao Paulo Sprint and Red Bull rival Verstappen qualify P6. But he expects the papaya squad would have loved hearing Verstappen complain about his RB21 even more on Friday.
READ MORE: Lando Norris scores pole position for the F1 Sprint at the 2025 Sao Paulo GP
Friday 7th November to Sunday 9th November
Friday 7th November 14:30 1st Practice Friday 7th November 18:30 1st Sprint Qualifying Friday 7th November 18:52 2nd Sprint Qualifying Friday 7th November 19:06 3rd Sprint Qualifying Saturday 8th November 14:00 Sprint Saturday 8th November 18:00 1st Qualifying Saturday 8th November 18:25 2nd Qualifying Saturday 8th November 18:48 3rd Qualifying Sunday 9th November 17:00 Race
Verstappen called his Red Bull RB21 “undriveable” during SQ2 and even claimed his car was “completely broken”, having only managed to finish the second phase of Sprint Qualifying in P8 with a 1:09.707. Norris was second to Alonso’s table-topping 1:09.330 in SQ2 by 0.043s.
Brundle said on Sky Sports F1 (07/11, 19:30): “I think he’ll be satisfied with both of them, but he’ll know that there is peril, especially on a wet start here.
“But I would say McLaren in general would be very happy to see Verstappen complaining about the car, and struggling with two Mercedes and an Aston Martin ahead of him.”
Lando Norris can score back-to-back Sao Paulo Grand Prix Sprint wins in 2025
Norris will hope to utilise starting from pole position to now take back-to-back Sprint wins in Brazil but, more importantly, outscore Piastri and Verstappen in the title scrap. McLaren told Piastri to give Norris the Sprint win in Brazil in 2024 to support the latter’s quest for the title.
Victory on Sunday would also be Norris’ second Sprint win of the 2025 F1 season so far, as he aims to head into a Grand Prix atop the drivers’ championship for the first time since April come Sunday. Norris last started a Grand Prix atop the tree in Saudi Arabia during round five.
Norris benefitted from a safety car to win the Miami Sprint in May, as the Briton pitted to get off his intermediate tyres as Alonso crashed. Mixed conditions may yet await in Brazil, as rain is on the forecast for the Sao Paulo Sprint and possibly even for qualifying for the Grand Prix.