McLaren lock out front row as Piastri takes Brazil Sprint pole
McLaren secures front-row lockout in Brazil Sprint qualifying as Piastri beats Norris, while Hamilton and Perez suffer shock early exits.
McLaren dominated sprint qualifying at the Brazilian Grand Prix, with Oscar Piastri securing pole position in a dramatic final session.
The Australian's time of 1:08.899 narrowly beat teammate Lando Norris by 0.029 seconds on the resurfaced Interlagos circuit.
The McLaren pair opted for an early strategy in SQ3, both completing two runs on the same set of soft tyres as rain threatened and track temperatures dropped.
Ferrari's Charles Leclerc claimed third, with championship leader Max Verstappen settling for fourth.
Earlier sessions saw significant developments, with Lewis Hamilton surprisingly eliminated in SQ2, while Sergio Perez struggled to 13th in his modified Red Bull.
SQ1 produced further drama as Fernando Alonso faced an early exit, joining Esteban Ocon, Yuki Tsunoda, Lance Stroll, and Zhou Guanyu on the sidelines.
Brazilian GP Sprint Qualifying Results
| Pos | Driver | Time | Team | Gap |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | O. Piastri | 1:08.899 | McLaren | |
| 2 | L. Norris | 1:08.928 | McLaren | +0.029 |
| 3 | C. Leclerc | 1:09.153 | Ferrari | +0.254 |
| 4 | M. Verstappen | 1:09.219 | Red Bull | +0.320 |
| 5 | C. Sainz | 1:09.257 | Ferrari | +0.358 |
| 6 | G. Russell | 1:09.443 | Mercedes | +0.544 |
| 7 | P. Gasly | 1:09.622 | Alpine | +0.723 |
| 8 | L. Lawson | 1:09.941 | RB | +1.042 |
| 9 | A. Albon | 1:10.078 | Williams | +1.179 |
| 10 | O. Bearman | No Time | Haas | - |
| 11 | L. Hamilton | 1:09.062 | Mercedes | SQ2 |
| 12 | N. Hulkenberg | 1:09.214 | Haas | SQ2 |
| 13 | S. Perez | No Time | Red Bull | SQ2 |
| 14 | F. Colapinto | 1:09.498 | Williams | SQ2 |
| 15 | V. Bottas | 1:09.552 | Aston Martin | SQ2 |
| 16 | F. Alonso | 1:09.617 | Aston Martin | SQ1 |
| 17 | E. Ocon | 1:09.678 | Alpine | SQ1 |
| 18 | Y. Tsunoda | 1:09.789 | RB | SQ1 |
| 19 | L. Stroll | 1:09.901 | Aston Martin | SQ1 |
| 20 | G. Zhou | 1:10.123 | Sauber | SQ1 |
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