Sao Paulo GP grid position will count for less than usual on Sunday, with Lando Norris on pole for the third year in a row in Brazil while Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton start from the back after power unit changes.
Norris, last year's world champion, is joined on the front row by Mercedes' Kimi Antonelli, the newly crowned champion, in the first race since the title was settled in Mexico a week ago. Rain is forecast, and several leading drivers will be out of position when the lights go out at 5pm on Sunday, live on Sky Sports F1.
Sao Paulo GP grid shuffled by penalties
Power unit changes send Verstappen and Hamilton to the rear, Charles Leclerc starts 14th after a 10-place grid penalty, and George Russell is seventh following a five-place drop for a new internal combustion engine.
- Lando Norris, McLaren
- Kimi Antonelli, Mercedes
- Liam Lawson, Racing Bulls
- Nico Hulkenberg, Audi
- Isack Hadjar, Red Bull
- Oliver Bearman, Haas
- George Russell, Mercedes
- Fernando Alonso, Aston Martin
- Alex Albon, Williams
- Oscar Piastri, McLaren
Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff described the shape of the field in blunt terms.
"It's almost a reverse grid race, no?"
"Yeah, exciting. I think we want to lock in the points for the Constructors' Championship. But it's all floodgates open, the better. Let's race."
Verstappen and Hamilton face harder climbs
Verstappen has form at Interlagos. He won from 17th in the rain in 2024, gaining 11 places in the opening 11 laps, and started from the pit lane on his way to the podium last year in dry conditions. He expects progress to be slower this time.
"It's going to be a bit harder to overtake. The Overtake Mode doesn't really do a lot around here. Everyone is draining their battery from the last corner to Turn 1. Everyone has their wings open, so the effect is less than normal."
Overtake Mode replaced DRS at the start of this year. It activates when a chasing car is within one second of the car ahead and raises the speed at which the electric motor must ramp down from 180mph to 209mph, letting the following car deploy full power for longer.
"That will make it a bit harder to overtake once you get to the cars that are similar on lap times," Verstappen added. "The first few cars are not a problem. The others will be a little harder."
Hamilton went from 20th to fifth in the 2021 Sprint in Brazil after being disqualified from qualifying, then won the Grand Prix from 10th. Ferrari have struggled this weekend compared with their recent form, but rain could change the picture.
"It will be tricky conditions but I love racing in the rain."
"I was basically using the qualifying as a test to make sure the engine is working, and making sure the car felt good. I feel good for tomorrow."
Leclerc has fewer cars to pass from 14th and believes set-up experiments in wet qualifying will pay off in the race.
"It's going to be very tricky. My biggest strength in the junior categories has been wet driving. Since my nine years with Ferrari, we have never found a way around it."
"I still believe if we manage to find the right window of this car, we can fight for much better than top six."
Norris hoping for rain to hold off Antonelli
McLaren brought a new front wing, rear wing, beam wing and floor elements to Brazil, and the package appears to have had an immediate performance effect. Norris and Antonelli traded lap times in dry practice on Friday, but the McLaren driver thinks he needs rain to win.
"I expect a battle no matter what. If it's dry, I probably expect a bigger battle because I don't think we quite have the speed compared to them."
"I'm hoping when I wake up it's a dark, gloomy day because we will have a better chance then."
He pointed to Antonelli's long-run pace in the dry on Friday as the reason for that wish. The Mercedes driver said he is open to any conditions.
"Hopefully, we can get off the line well, and let's see if it's going to be wet or dry. In the dry, I felt very good over a single lap and on the long run, especially in FP2."
Mercedes close on the Constructors' Championship
With Antonelli second and Russell seventh, and both Ferraris outside the top 13, Mercedes can seal their ninth constructors' title since 2014 by outscoring Ferrari by three points or more. Russell, who was left frustrated by a team strategic error in qualifying, hopes the rain returns.
"I felt really confident in the rain. I think my pace, along with Lando's, was by far the best out there."
"In the rain here, it's always a challenge. I hope it is wet. I feel I've got a greater chance if it's wet."
Sky Sports F1 schedule
Build-up for the Sao Paulo Grand Prix begins at 3.30pm on Sky Sports F1 on Sunday, with lights out at 5pm.
This report is based on the original coverage by skysports.com.
