Norris hails Sao Paulo Sprint pole as ‘great result’ after ‘not feeling quite as comfortable’ at Interlagos

Lando Norris felt that taking pole position for the Sprint at the Sao Paulo Grand Prix was a “great result” after admitting to “not feeling quite as comfortable” at Interlagos as he had last time out in Mexico.

After facing close competition from McLaren team mate Oscar Piastri during Friday’s earlier practice session – the Australian having led for much of the hour before being pipped to the top spot by Norris in the final moments – Norris again edged out his team mate with a solid banker lap during SQ3 of Sprint Qualifying.

While others including Piastri tried to beat the Briton, he improved further to seal pole position via a lap of 1m 09.243s, putting him 0.097s clear of his closest challenger, Mercedes’ Kimi Antonelli. Piastri, meanwhile, took third place in the other papaya car.

Reflecting on the session afterwards, Norris admitted that it had not felt quite as straightforward as during his dominant performance two weeks ago at the Mexico City Grand Prix, meaning that he was even more pleased to claim pole.

“It was a little bit tougher than I would have liked,” Norris explained. “It was close between a lot of cars – Mercedes were quick on the soft [tyre]. It’s always tricky when you’ve got the medium and the soft and knowing how much more to push, or not push sometimes.

“We did the job we needed to do, which was to be fastest today. It was trickier than Mexico. I’ve not been feeling quite as comfortable, but therefore it’s a great result.”

Despite the challenges, Norris spoke positively about the experience of Sprint Qualifying at the Autodromo Jose Carlos Pace.

“Qualifying is one of the best things here,” the 25-year-old said. “You can also race and have great racing, but Qualifying around here is difficult – it’s bumpy, it’s tricky. You’ve got the hills, the undulations, so it’s always a joy.

“It always puts a smile on your face, especially when you end up on pole. A good day today, but it’s a long weekend. It’s only Friday, so another Qualifying, another couple of races to go. A good start.”

While Friday’s running at Interlagos took place in dry conditions, there looks to be a possibility of rain arriving on Saturday. When asked if he had thought about this – and what he is expecting – Norris answered: “No. We’ll wait and see what tomorrow’s going to do.

“It’s meant to rain a lot in the morning and it’s meant to still be incredibly windy, so make sure everyone brings their rain jackets. There’s no point worrying about anything for now. I’m happy with today – it was difficult, it was a good job I put things together. Now, focus will switch to tomorrow.”