'Relieved' Norris takes pole in Brazil

SAO PAULO:

Lando Norris secured pole position for the Sao Paulo Grand Prix and a boost for his title challenge on Sunday as a furious Max Verstappen, facing a five-place grid penalty, qualified 12th from a delayed rainswept qualifying.

McLaren's Norris, who is 44 points behind championship leader Verstappen, drove with great skill in difficult conditions that saw qualifying interrupted by five red flags, pulling out a best final lap of one minute and 23.405 seconds.

It was good enough to edge out Mercedes George Russell by just 0.173 seconds.

All the top drivers made their best times in the final seconds on a drying track that supplied increased grip - enabling RB's Yuki Tsunoda to take a career-best third ahead of Alpine's Esteban Ocon and Liam Lawson in the second RB.

It was Norris's eighth career pole, his fifth in seven races and seventh this year, giving him a great opportunity to reduce Verstappen's 44-point lead in the title race as the three-time champion faces a five-place penalty.

"I am so happy and I'm relieved after that!" said Norris.

"It was so difficult in those conditions. There was a lot going on and I am super-happy to be on pole and a bit surprised after my problems in Q1."

The Grand Prix started later on Sunday at 1530 GMT.

Verstappen failed to make the cut from the second qualifying session, when it was halted by Aston Martin's Lance Stroll crash.

Verstappen, knowing Norris had a chance to cut his championship points lead, was infurated by the delay in showing the red flag which came too late to continue the second session.

"It's ridiculous and it's stupid to talk about it. That car hit the wall. It's a straight red flag so why delay 40 seconds?"

The Dutchman will start the race 17th after a penalty for taking a new engine.

He was joined by team-mate Sergio Perez as both Red Bulls missed the top-10 shootout along with last Sunday's Mexico victor Carlos Sainz of Ferrari and seven-time champion Lewis Hamilton of Mercedes, who exited in Q1.

Norris's McLaren team-mate Oscar Piastri qualified eighth behind Ferrari's Charles Leclerc in sixth and Alex Albon, who crashed heavily in his Williams. Two-time champion Fernando Alonso who also crashed was ninth for Aston Martin.

The five red flags in qualifying equalled the record total set in qualifying at the 2022 Emilia Romagna Grand Prix - and extended the one-hour session by 45 minutes.

The session began in steady rain and official "full wet" conditions.

After several early incidents, a first red flag to halt the action in Q1 came when Franco Colapinto went into the barriers at Curva do Sol in his Williams.

After a five-minute pause, the session resumed and Norris required a last-gasp lap to squeeze into Q2 as both Haas drivers Oliver Bearman and Nico Hulkenberg missed the cut along with Hamilton, Colapinto and Zhou.

The second session started in better conditions and several drivers switched to intermediate tyres.

Oscar Piastri set the pace in 1:25.179 before another red flag when Sainz, victorious in Mexico last Sunday, smacked the barriers in his Ferrari at Turn Two. He was unhurt.

With five minutes remaining, Norris was languishing in 11th, but reacted by taking fresh intermediates to clinch his passage before Lance Stroll crashed to bring a third red flag.

He was unhurt but his Aston Martin suffered severe damage.

It ended Q2 - and meant both Red Bulls were out, Verstappen in 12th and Sergio Perez 13th. Both were eliminated with Bottas, Sainz and Alpine's Pierre Gasly.

The red flag also came out after two-time champion Fernando Alonso's Aston Martin and Albon's Williams both slammed into the barriers, leaving their teams facing rapid rebuilds to get their cars ready for the race.