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The Brazil Grand Prix Formula One weekend is in full swing with sprint qualifying coming up today.
McLaren team-mates Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri were quickest in free practice in Sao Paulo.
Title rival Max Verstappen will be hoping to make an impression in sprint qualy at Interlagos later.
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Another bit of momentum for Lando Norris in the story of this title race. Oscar Piastri has been looking in a better groove this weekend, but couldn't nail the laps when it mattered. Kimi Antonelli will split the McLarens on the charge to the first corner tomorrow. Some good breathing room — if only a little — for Norris.
Norris seals sprint pole in Interlagos! He improved his best time to a 1:09.243-seconds with a second lap on his soft tires. Antonelli stayed second but didn't improve, with Piastri climbing to third ahead of Russell. But Verstappen on his one flier? Only sixth and shaking his head as he crossed the line.
Norris leads after the first SQ3 runs – a 1:09.271-second lap. Piastri is only fourth, with Antonelli and Russell second and third. These four will now try and cool their tires and go again, while Verstappen and the rest are just going to leave it for one late flier.
Hamilton will be investigated for a possible yellow flag infringement on his own teammate, Charles Leclerc, after the session. Not a great day for Ferrari.
The final eight-minute session is underway, with the pack now on the soft tires. George Russell leads them out of the pits this time.
Well, SQ3 looks tricky to predict. McLaren would seem to have it, with Norris abandoning a lap late in SQ2, but Alonso's time going unbeaten suggests there could be a surprise left in this session. Verstappen is calling his car "completely broken" and "undriveable", but he's said that so many times over the years and still ended up on top… Game on!
With Alonso on top in SQ2 – yes, really! – here's the full list of fallers ahead of the final segment of sprint qualifying:
11 – Hamilton
12 – Albon
13 – Gasly
14 – Bortoleto
15 – Bearman
Both Aston Martins through to SQ3? I really don't understand this team sometimes…
Leclerc spins with seconds of SQ2 left! And Hamilton then comes to the line but without enough time to start a final lap. It's unclear so far if Hamilton was held up by having to slow for the yellow flags caused by Leclerc's spin, but either way it's a really poor result for Ferrari, as Hamilton is out in 11th.
Some work for Ferrari to do ahead of the final runs in SQ2. Both Leclerc and Hamilton had scruffy first laps, leaving them P9 and P11 respectively. Hamilton loves Brazil — he won his first title here in 2008 and is an honorary citizen — but he may struggle to have a lot to cheer about this weekend, as it stands.
None of the usual frontrunners have been able to top Alonso's time after the first fliers in SQ2. The Aston Martin driver is leading so far with a 1:09.330. There's still time for things to change, but that's a good position right now for F1's most experienced driver
So far it's the reverse of SQ1 – Verstappen is doing his laps before the McLaren drivers, but the Dutchman only goes fourth fastest and is behind Alonso, Hadjar and Stroll. Verstappen had been flying early in his lap, but then lost a big chunk in the middle sector.
And that felt like not much of a break at all! SQ2 is underway, with home hero Gabriel Bortoleto leading the pack back out of the pits.
Another disappointing showing from Tsunoda. At a time when he's trying to fight for his Red Bull future, being knocked out in P18 when your teammate is P2 and seven-tenths quicker isn't going to help his case. Liam Lawson, who is also tied up in the related Red Bull/Racing Bulls permutations for 2026, is also out in Q1.
Here is your fall list of SQ1 fallers:
16 – Colapinto
17 – Lawson
18 – Tsunoda
19 – Ocon
20 – Sainz
Norris managed to go even quicker with a third flier and so he tops SQ1 on a 1:09.627, with Verstappen's second effort getting him back up to second. But there's drama at the back for Carlos Sainz – a poor first sector means he fails to improve and he's out in last. A rare shocker for Sainz.
Verstappen's time at the top didn't last long – Norris has gone back ahead with a 1:09.702-second lap. Piastri is a chunk adrift now but is second, with George Russell ahead of Verstappen in third.
Verstappen didn't set a proper time over a single lap in FP1 earlier today, meaning this is the first real look at his pace. He picked up a couple of good tows on that lap, and it's enough for P1 by nearly two-tenths of a second. He's here to play.
Well, game on then – Verstappen shoots to the head of the times with his first flying lap. He does a 1:10.107-second lap, which is 0.179-seconds clear of Piastri. Verstappen got the benefit of a tow on times on that lap, but it does appear as if the McLarens won't have it all their own way after all
