Brazilian Grand Prix - Sprint Qualifying: Piastri leads the way ahead of Norris

SQ1:

For the fifth and penultimate time this season, the 20 Formula 1 drivers are taking part in a sprint weekend. Charles Leclerc was the first driver to exit the pit lane during this sprint qualifying. The time set by the Monegasque was almost instantly surpassed by the two Alpines, Liam Lawson and then Oscar Piastri. The drop in lap times reflected a clear improvement in the tarmac during each driver's run.

Since Liam Lawson's arrival at Racing Bulls, Yuki Tsunoda has been under a lot of pressure. Clearly superior to a washed-out Daniel Ricciardo, the Japanese driver has been making errors and underperforming since the Austin Grand Prix, where his new New Zealand teammate arrived. For his first time on the Interlagos circuit, Liam Lawson managed to leave Honda's protege more than 6 tenths behind his time.

List of eliminated: Fernando Alonso (16th), Esteban Ocon (17th), Yuki Tsunoda (18th), Lance Stroll (19th), and Guanyu Zhou (20th)

SQ2:

In Sao Paulo, for the third time this season, Oliver Bearman had the privilege of stepping up within a Formula 1 team. The British driver replaces Kevin Magnussen, who is sick, during this Friday. After a successful first free practice session, the young rookie managed to get out of Q1. In the following session, the Ferrari protege managed to qualify among the top 10. An impressive feat that he achieved by beating Nico Hülkenberg, whose strong point since his return to F1 has precisely been the qualifying session.

The other impressive performance among the rookies was delivered by Liam Lawson. By setting the 9th best time, the one fighting to potentially join Red Bull in 2025 once again shone. On the contrary, Sergio Perez continues to pale in comparison to the young rookie. The Mexican was eliminated in 13th position.

Lando Norris hit hard during Q2. On his first lap, the British driver left his closest rival, Max Verstappen, more than four tenths behind. The current runner-up in the championship was only caught at the end of the session by his teammate Oscar Piastri. The Australian managed to bring the gap down to just over two tenths.

List of eliminated: Lewis Hamilton (11th), Nico Hülkenberg (12th), Sergio Perez (13th), Franco Colapinto (14th) and Valtteri Bottas (15th)

SQ3:

At the lowering of the checkered flag, only 29 thousandths separate the two McLaren drivers. Unfortunately for Norris, he is not the one at the top of the time sheet but his garage mate, Oscar Piastri. It will be interesting to see if Andrea Stella will ask the Australian to let the British driver pass to favor the latter in his fight against Max Verstappen for the world championship title.

Oliver Bearman did not fully capitalize on his presence in SQ3. The Haas driver carried a little too much speed into the first corner, compromising his exit and forcing him to exceed the track limits in the second corner. This small mistake did not go unnoticed by the stewards, who immediately penalized him by canceling his lap time.