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Lando Norris has secured pole position for the Brazilian Grand Prix, defying treacherous wet conditions and multiple red flags during a chaotic qualifying session. The McLaren driver's triumph marks a significant upset, as championship leader Max Verstappen faces a daunting start from 17th place due to a five-place penalty.Verstappen's frustration was evident after the second qualifying session was halted due to a crash involving Lance Stroll. The Dutchman, who holds a 44-point lead over Norris in the standings, was running 12th at the time of the incident. He expressed his anger at the delay in displaying the red flag, claiming it cost him a chance to improve his position.Norris, on the other hand, overcame early struggles to dominate the remaining sessions. Despite facing the threat of elimination in the first session, he switched to intermediate tires and showcased his prowess in the wet. His impressive performance earned him the top spot on the grid, alongside George Russell's Mercedes.Red Bull's Yuki Tsunoda and Alpine's Esteban Ocon will occupy the second row, while seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton endured a disappointing qualifying. The Mercedes driver failed to progress beyond the first session and will start from 15th position.The Brazilian Grand Prix promises to be an unpredictable affair, with Norris aiming to capitalize on his pole position and Verstappen determined to overcome his setback. The wet conditions and potential for further interruptions add an element of uncertainty to the race, making it a thrilling prospect for fans.

Lando Norris's triumph in the Sao Paulo Grand Prix sprint race has narrowed Max Verstappen's lead in the Formula One drivers' championship to 45 points. The McLaren driver's victory, ahead of teammate Oscar Piastri, marks his first career sprint race win.Norris took the lead on lap 22 after Piastri swapped positions with him. The Briton then held off a challenge from Verstappen, who will start Sunday's Grand Prix with a five-place grid penalty for an infringement of the Virtual Safety Car (VSC) rules.Piastri, who finished second, praised the team's performance. "It was a great day for the team to score a lot of points," said the Australian. "We showed we are in decent shape."Verstappen, who had won the previous four sprint races this year, admitted that it was a "tricky race." "The pace was good, but it took quite a long time for me to pass Charles (Leclerc)," he said. "I had to wait for a mistake to pass him."McLaren's one-two finish lifted them 35 points clear of Ferrari in the constructors' championship. George Russell came home sixth for Mercedes, ahead of Alpine's Pierre Gasly and Sergio Perez in the second Red Bull.The race began in hot conditions, with the air temperature at 28 degrees Celsius and the track at 47 degrees. The two McLarens made a clean start, with Piastri covering off Norris while Leclerc resisted Verstappen's early attack for third.Norris was unhappy to be running behind Piastri and asked his team to request his teammate to move aside. However, it was not until lap 10 that Piastri was asked to "give Lando DRS" and switch places.Norris remained stuck in second in Piastri's "dirty air" until lap 22, when McLaren finally made the swap. Piastri was then vulnerable to Verstappen, who closed in on him before a VSC was deployed with two laps to go.Verstappen complained that Piastri was running too slowly under the VSC, but the race went "green" again for a final flying lap. Norris held on to win by 0.593 seconds, with Piastri 1.5 seconds ahead of Verstappen.

Oscar Piastri, the McLaren driver, secured pole position for the sprint race at the Brazilian Grand Prix on Friday. Despite his desire to win, Piastri acknowledged that his teammate Lando Norris has a greater need for points in the drivers' standings.The McLaren duo, aided by an updated rear wing, dominated the front row of the grid, raising the possibility of team orders to assist Norris's title bid. Piastri expressed his willingness to relinquish a victory if necessary, recognizing Norris's higher priority in the championship race.However, Piastri emphasized his determination to win the sprint race, stating that anything could happen. He acknowledged that McLaren's performance boost from the new rear wing had given them an advantage.The newly resurfaced track at Interlagos proved to be challenging for the drivers due to its bumpy surface. Piastri described it as "hard enough to see where you're going, let alone try to do a fast lap."Norris expressed surprise at the speed of his car, admitting that he had made mistakes on his final lap. He declined to discuss his prospects of closing in on Max Verstappen in the title race, stating that he was focused on his own performance.Verstappen, who will face a five-place grid penalty in Sunday's Grand Prix for taking a new engine, qualified fourth behind the McLaren duo and Ferrari's Charles Leclerc. He attributed his performance to the car's difficulty on the bumpy track.Alex Albon finished ninth for Williams, while Oliver Bearman impressed in place of Kevin Magnussen for Haas.

Max Verstappen and Lando Norris, fierce championship rivals, are poised for another thrilling duel in Sunday's Mexico City Grand Prix after qualifying second and third, respectively.Verstappen, the three-time champion and series leader, expressed satisfaction with his starting position despite having his first fastest lap in Q3 deleted for exceeding track limits. "I wasn't sure it would be possible to be on the front row," he said. "So, to do it makes me very happy!"Norris, trailing Verstappen by 57 points with five races remaining, was penalized five seconds for running off-track during last Sunday's United States Grand Prix. He remains determined to find a way to overcome Verstappen and claim the title. "Honestly, I'm pretty happy with third," he said. "I feel like I got to the limit of the car quite quickly."Both drivers acknowledged the challenges of the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez circuit. "This is probably one of the hardest tracks to get right," said Verstappen. "Low downforce, easy to lock-up and to slide ... it's one of the trickiest ones on the calendar."Norris added, "No one has done long runs on the tires we will be on tomorrow so there are question marks for us all."Ferrari's Carlos Sainz Jr. secured pole position, while Sergio Perez and Oscar Piastri, the second drivers for Red Bull and McLaren, respectively, failed to qualify in the top half of the grid.Norris hinted at potential changes in his approach to passing Verstappen on track. "I might be more aggressive or I might be less aggressive," he said. "It depends ... Let's see what happens."The Mexico City Grand Prix promises to be a captivating battle between Verstappen and Norris, with both drivers eager to gain an advantage in the championship race.

Carlos Sainz secured a stunning pole position for Ferrari at the Mexico City Grand Prix, outpacing defending champion Max Verstappen of Red Bull. Sainz's time of 1:15.946 was 0.225 seconds faster than Verstappen, who had his first lap in the top 10 shoot-out deleted.McLaren's Lando Norris qualified third, ahead of Charles Leclerc in the second Ferrari and George Russell in the Williams. Seven-time champion Lewis Hamilton finished sixth for Mercedes.Sainz's pole was his sixth career pole and his third in the last three Mexican events. "I am very happy with that and to be on pole," said Sainz, who is set to leave Ferrari for Williams next year. "I had a great couple of laps and it is very difficult here with lots of sliding. My laps were almost identical and perfect. It is such a tricky circuit!"Verstappen, who had an engine change on his car following problems on Friday, said: "I felt under pressure and I was playing catch-up especially after losing my first lap time."Norris said he was satisfied with third. "Honestly, I'm pretty happy as I struggled to get more in my final two laps. Carlos was very quick all weekend, but I'm happy with third. Ferrari look very strong."Kevin Magnussen was seventh for Haas, the team's best qualifying result in Mexico, ahead of Alpine's Pierre Gasly, Williams' Alex Albon, and Nico Hulkenberg in the second Haas.Sergio Perez, the Mexican driver for Red Bull, had a disappointing qualifying session, finishing 18th. It was his worst starting slot in nine Mexican Grands Prix."It's very difficult with this car - I can't attack the corner into braking," said Perez.The Sauber drivers were first out as Q1 began in warmer conditions than those for final practice. Both Ferraris went top before Norris, and then Verstappen took control. Perez, struggling with his brakes, was 1.5 seconds adrift in 14th.As the track improved, the times tumbled with Stroll briefly fourth and Gasly second ahead of Hulkenberg. Switching to softs, in search of more pace and grip, Piastri, who was fastest for McLaren in FP3, fought to progress and slumped to 19th ahead of Red Bull's Perez with two minutes to go - while Norris leapt to the top of the times.In the final seconds, big improvements by others left Piastri and Perez in the drop zone - a surprise to many and a shock to the Mexicans' huge following at the circuit.Alex Albon led the way for Q2, with Verstappen setting the early pace before Norris took command as RB's Yuki Tsunoda locked up and crashed at Turn 12, bringing out red flags.This meant he and team-mate Liam Lawson were out along with Aston Martin's two-time world champion Fernando Alonso, in his 400th Grand Prix, and Lance Stroll and Sauber's Valtteri Bottas.Verstappen setting the pace in the top-10 final session with a sizzling early lap in 1:16.368, more than half a second quicker than Norris, but the Dutchman's lap was deleted for exceeding track limits.That left Ferrari to take control with Sainz on top in 1:16.055. Fortunately, Red Bull had another set of softs available for Verstappen's second run.In a frantic finale, Sainz improved his time to resist Verstappen's best effort with Norris lining up third, unable to break into the front row.

In a thrilling United States Grand Prix, Ferrari's Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz secured a dominant one-two victory, while McLaren's Lando Norris was relegated to fourth after a five-second penalty.Leclerc, starting from fourth on the grid, seized the lead on the opening lap, capitalizing on a gap left by pole-sitter Norris. Verstappen, who had initially challenged Norris, was forced wide and fell to third.Norris, despite a strong start, dropped to fourth as Sainz also overtook him. The opening lap was further marred by Lewis Hamilton's retirement after an off-track excursion.As the race progressed, Leclerc extended his lead, while Verstappen struggled with understeer and defended valiantly against Norris. On lap 53, Norris finally passed Verstappen, but the move was deemed illegal by the stewards, resulting in a five-second penalty.Norris's penalty dropped him to fourth, behind Leclerc, Sainz, and Verstappen. Oscar Piastri and George Russell completed the top six, while Sergio Perez finished seventh for Red Bull.Leclerc's victory was his first in the United States and his eighth career win. It also marked Ferrari's first one-two finish in America since 2006."It wasn't an easy weekend up to now," said Leclerc. "I have been struggling with the feeling with the car, but I had confidence in the race. I am really happy with today, a 1-2 for the team, we couldn't have dreamed for better."Verstappen, despite his podium finish, extended his championship lead over Norris to 57 points. "It was a difficult race for me," said Verstappen. "I never had the pace to attack and defending was quite difficult with understeer. It was a tough battle and tough to keep him (Norris) behind but it's a great result."Norris expressed disappointment with his penalty. "I have my opinion about his move, but I'll leave it to the stewards," he said. "I don't need to say anything here."

McLaren's Lando Norris stunned the field to secure pole position for the Singapore Grand Prix, edging out championship leader Max Verstappen of Red Bull in a dramatic qualifying session. Norris's blistering lap of 1min 30.002sec was 0.155sec faster than Verstappen, marking a significant upset for the British driver.Norris, who trails Verstappen by 59 points in the drivers' championship, expressed his delight with the result. "It was good enough for pole and I'm happy with that, especially here in Singapore," he said. "A good feeling. I've felt good all weekend, I've felt confident, maybe not so much in qualy but we got the job done."The qualifying session was marred by a late crash involving Ferrari's Carlos Sainz, who spun into the barriers on the final bend. The incident brought out the red flag with just over eight minutes remaining, leaving most drivers with only one shot at a qualifying lap.Sainz's crash proved costly for Ferrari, as his teammate Charles Leclerc had his only lap time deleted for breaching track limits. As a result, the Ferrari duo will start down in ninth and 10th on the grid, respectively.Verstappen, who had struggled in practice, was pleased to secure a front-row start alongside Norris. "I'm happy to be on the front row if you look at where we came from yesterday," he said. "Tomorrow is a bit difficult to say, in Singapore a lot of things can happen, but at least we have a shot at it like this."Lewis Hamilton, who has endured a challenging season with Mercedes, managed to put together a strong lap to qualify third. "Qualifying has been a disaster for me all year long and I've been working, working and working trying to get myself back up there," said the seven-time world champion. "All of a sudden the car came alive for the first time in qualifying in a long time."McLaren's Oscar Piastri and Haas's Nico Hulkenberg will start on the third row, while Fernando Alonso (Aston Martin) and Yuki Tsunoda (RB) will occupy the fourth row. Verstappen's teammate Sergio Perez failed to make it to the shootout for pole position and will start from 13th on the grid.The Singapore Grand Prix is known for its unpredictable nature, and with a tight field and several potential challengers, the race promises to be an exciting affair.

Ferrari's Charles Leclerc has once again proven his dominance at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, securing pole position for the fourth consecutive year. The Monegasque driver, fresh off his victory at Monza, will be joined on the front row by McLaren's rising star, Oscar Piastri.However, reigning world champion Max Verstappen's recent struggles continued as the Red Bull driver could only manage sixth place on the grid. Verstappen, who has not won a race in six attempts, will be eager to break his losing streak in Baku.Lando Norris, Verstappen's closest rival in the championship standings, suffered a major setback by being eliminated in the first qualifying session. The McLaren driver will start from a lowly 17th position, making his task of closing the 62-point gap to Verstappen an even more daunting one.Leclerc's Ferrari teammate, Carlos Sainz, will start alongside Sergio Perez in the second Red Bull on the second row. George Russell, in the Mercedes, will occupy the third row alongside Verstappen.Norris acknowledged the challenges he faces from the back of the grid, especially on the narrow streets of Baku, where overtaking is notoriously difficult. "I'm not expecting a lot from 17th, but we will put in a good plan tonight and do our best," said the Briton.With Leclerc in pole position and Verstappen starting further down the grid, the Azerbaijan Grand Prix promises to be an intriguing battle for supremacy. The narrow and unpredictable nature of the Baku City Circuit could lead to unexpected twists and turns, making it a race that is sure to keep fans on the edge of their seats.

McLaren's Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri faced a disappointing Friday at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, with Norris struggling to 17th place and Piastri finishing fifth in second free practice. The team found themselves well off the pace set by Ferrari's Charles Leclerc, who topped the timesheets ahead of Red Bull's Sergio Perez.Norris admitted that McLaren had a lot of work to do overnight to find a solution to their performance deficit. "We're quite a long way off," he said. "I'm having to push way too much to try and get a lap time."Norris acknowledged that Piastri's performance was more representative of McLaren's true pace, but he remained optimistic that the team could improve. "I think if we nail it, we're just about there," he said. "But I'm sure they're not even close to nailing it yet."Norris dismissed an incident with Alpine's Pierre Gasly as a factor in his poor showing. "It's just that here, you don't deploy the power until very late so he's clearly misjudged it," he said. "It didn't matter. I'd done my lap already."McLaren had announced their intention to introduce team orders to support Norris's title bid, but the driver emphasized that he did not want to rely on others. "I don't want to be in a position where I'm relying on someone else to do something for me," he said.Assessing the team's pace, Norris identified Mercedes, Ferrari, and Red Bull as the frontrunners. "There's a good three or four-tenths gap back to us," he said. "So, we have a lot of work to do."Piastri, who had a more positive day, said that it was difficult to gauge McLaren's true pace due to the evolving track conditions. "Ferrari look strong and Red Bull are quick," he said. "But our long runs look competitive."