Norris on pole, Verstappen sixth in Brazil sprint qualifying

Norris on Pole, Verstappen Sixth in Brazil Sprint Qualifying

Lando Norris, the current Formula 1 championship leader, secured pole position for the sprint race at the Brazilian Grand Prix after delivering two exceptional laps. Max Verstappen, meanwhile, was limited to sixth place following handling issues throughout the session.

Norris achieved his first sprint pole of the 2025 season, maintaining his strong form after regaining the lead over his McLaren teammate Oscar Piastri two weeks ago — his first time ahead since April.

Piastri qualified third, two tenths behind Norris, with Mercedes rookie Kimi Antonelli impressively splitting the McLarens to take second on the grid. Despite finishing 15th in SQ1 and nearly dropping out early, Antonelli recovered strongly.

George Russell secured fourth place, just 0.001 seconds ahead of Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso, who had topped the second qualifying segment. Verstappen struggled with a lack of balance in his RB21 and could move no higher than sixth.

Aston Martin enjoyed a productive day as Lance Stroll finished seventh, marking his best qualifying result of the year’s second half. Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc took eighth after a challenging session, followed by Isack Hadjar in ninth and Nico Hulkenberg in tenth.

Leclerc spun in the closing moments of SQ2 at Bico de Pato, preventing several drivers — including his teammate Lewis Hamilton — from escaping elimination.
Author’s Summary

Norris continued his strong championship campaign with sprint pole in Brazil, while Verstappen’s setup struggles left him outside the top five.

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The Race The Race — 2025-11-07

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