Interlagos Qualifying Postponed by Rain Before Lando Norris Secures Pole Position
Qualifying for the São Paulo Grand Prix at Interlagos faced repeated delays and stoppages on November 7 due to heavy rain, before Lando Norris claimed pole position. gazzetta.it reported that the session was initially postponed, resumed, and then halted once more as downpours swept across the circuit. Norris secured a time that recalled his successes from the previous season, reflecting on what he described as a long day and a great qualifying session.
Mercedes driver George Russell missed out on the front spot by a narrow margin, pointing to a tactical miscalculation by his team. According to gazzetta.it, Russell admitted they should have simply finished the lap they were on as the rain began to fall, noting that his car felt better in wet conditions than in the dry.
Ferrari Evaluates Wet Weather Experiment After Leclerc Claims Fourth
Ferrari drivers Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton posted the fourth and eleventh fastest times respectively during qualifying, according to Ferrari. Both drivers will drop further down the starting grid due to power unit penalties. Ferrari noted that Leclerc must serve a ten-place penalty for replacing the internal combustion engine on his SF-26, while Hamilton starts from twentieth on the grid after taking on an entirely new power unit.
For Leclerc, the session served as an experiment. Motorsport reported that the Monegasque driver made several radical adjustments to his wing and car settings between sessions to address a long-standing weakness in wet conditions. ANSA reported Leclerc stating that he chose to be much more aggressive with his choices, an experiment he believes will pay, and that he finally had a good feeling on the wet track after many difficult years. Motorsport noted that in Q3 he went too far in one direction, which did not pay.
Team principal Frédéric Vasseur addressed recent tensions between his drivers, confirming to gazzetta.it that they held a positive discussion to clear the air. Vasseur supported the race direction’s decisions regarding the extreme weather and noted that the team intentionally managed tire usage during qualifying because of their impending grid penalties, calling Interlagos an ideal venue for a comeback race.
Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton Assess Wet Weather Grid Penalties
Entrambi i piloti della Scuderia Ferrari HP scatteranno tuttavia più indietro sulla griglia di partenza a causa di penalità legate alla power unit, con Leclerc che ha parlato con Lewis spiegando che non è il caso di continuare a parlarne per così tanto tempo e che è importante chiudere questo capitolo.
Frequently Asked Questions About the São Paulo Grand Prix
When does the São Paulo Grand Prix start?
Ferrari reported that the main race begins at 14:00 local time (18:00 CET) and runs for a distance of 71 laps over 305.879 kilometers.
What grid positions will Leclerc and Hamilton start from?
Ferrari confirmed that Charles Leclerc starts fourteenth after a ten-place penalty for a new internal combustion engine, while Lewis Hamilton starts from twentieth on the grid following a full power unit replacement.
How long has Leclerc driven for Ferrari?
Motorsport reported that Charles Leclerc has been with the Ferrari team for nine years.
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