SQ1

The first part of Sprint Qualifying began quietly under the Brazilian sun, with Yuki Tsunoda leading the cars out on track. He was soon followed by the two McLarens of Norris and Piastri. The Australian went fastest after the first runs with a 1:10.286, just 0.02 seconds ahead of Norris.

Not everyone followed the same timing plan. Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton waited until the final minutes to set their laps, while Max Verstappen was even later, only beginning his first flying lap as the Ferraris crossed the line. Using two slipstreams to his advantage, Verstappen briefly went fastest with a 1:10.107, but his time was quickly beaten by George Russell, and then by Norris, who set an impressive 1:09.702 to top the session.

The short and twisty Interlagos circuit kept the field extremely close together, meaning small mistakes could make a big difference. Carlos Sainz found that out the hard way when he locked up at Turn 1, losing almost a full second. His mistake left him at the very bottom of the timesheets. The cut-off time for progression was 1:10.381, set by Antonelli, leaving several drivers disappointed to be out early.

Eliminated after SQ1: Franco Colapinto, Liam Lawson, Yuki Tsunoda, Esteban Ocon, and Carlos Sainz.

SQ2

As the second session began, McLaren took a calmer approach, waiting before heading out. Max Verstappen struggled again, with a scruffy lap that left him only fourth, while Norris immediately went second fastest with a 1:09.373, just 0.04 seconds behind Fernando Alonso. Piastri followed closely behind, another 0.04 seconds slower than his teammate.

Both McLarens stayed on track for a couple of cool-down laps before deciding whether to go again. With a projected cut-off around 1:09.5, Piastri was just about safe, so he chose to return to the pits and save his tyres.

Late in the session, Charles Leclerc spun, bringing out double yellow flags. The incident caused chaos for those still on flying laps. Lewis Hamilton was one of the unlucky drivers caught out, as he failed to reach the line in time to start a final lap. The seven-time world champion missed the top ten by just 0.07 seconds, ending his session early.

Eliminated after SQ2: Lewis Hamilton, Alex Albon, Pierre Gasly, Gabriel Bortoleto, and Oliver Bearman.

SQ3

The final eight-minute shootout saw the remaining ten drivers go head-to-head for pole. Kimi Antonelli was the first to set a time, producing a quick 1:09.340 to go top. Oscar Piastri couldn’t match that effort after suffering a slide at Turn 1, which left him slightly off-line for the rest of the lap. Norris, however, managed to go a little faster, taking provisional pole by just 0.07 seconds.

As the clock ran down, both McLarens went for one last flying lap. Piastri improved slightly to move up to third, but Norris went even quicker, shaving 0.028 seconds off his previous time to secure Sprint pole position. Antonelli held on to second with a strong performance, while Russell, Alonso, and Verstappen completed the top six.

Behind them, Lance Stroll impressed with seventh for Aston Martin, followed by Charles Leclerc, Isack Hadjar, and Nico Hülkenberg to round out the top ten.