São Paulo Grand Prix starting grid reshaped by rain and penalties

Rain disrupts qualifying

Norris secured pole with a lap early in Q3. Heavy rain then led the remaining ten drivers in the final qualifying segment to leave their cars before the session clock ran out.

Russell initially qualified second, but a five-place grid penalty moves him to seventh. That promotes his teammate Kimi Antonelli, already the F1 Drivers’ Champion, to second on the grid.

Penalties reshape the field

Charles Leclerc will start 14th after a ten-place penalty. Lewis Hamilton is set to begin 20th, with a 75-place penalty recorded against him. Max Verstappen starts 21st after a 30-place penalty, while Sergio Pérez is last in 22nd after receiving the same penalty. Verstappen won in wet conditions at Interlagos in 2024 after starting 17th, then finished third a year later after starting from pit lane.

Mercedes eyes team title

Antonelli and Russell both start inside the top ten, while Ferrari teammates Leclerc and Hamilton are outside the points. The grid therefore gives Mercedes a strong position to clinch the Constructors’ Championship in the race.