Oscar Piastri claimed pole position for the Sprint at the 2024 São Paulo Grand Prix, edging out teammate Lando Norris to secure a McLaren front-row lockout. Despite leading much of Sprint Qualifying, Norris was narrowly beaten by Piastri, who snatched pole by just 0.029 seconds, marking his second Sprint pole position.
Charles Leclerc slotted into third, separating the McLarens from championship leader Max Verstappen, who ended up fourth, 0.320 seconds behind Piastri. Carlos Sainz took fifth, followed by Mercedes’ George Russell in sixth, with Alpine’s Pierre Gasly and RB’s Liam Lawson completing the top eight.
Formula One History Recommends
In a surprise, both Lewis Hamilton and Sergio Perez were eliminated in SQ2. Meanwhile, young British driver Oliver Bearman made it to the final segment of Sprint Qualifying for Haas, stepping in for the unwell Kevin Magnussen at least through the first part of the weekend, later confrimed for the whole weekend.
Sao Paulo GP Sprint Qualifying Results
2024 Sao Paulo Grand Prix Sprint Qualifying, 1 November 2024
Lando Norris topped the only practice session on Friday and led the times in both SQ1 and SQ2 on medium tyres, with McLaren’s new scooped rear wing seemingly boosting driver confidence through the challenging middle sector.
In SQ2, where drivers typically make a single run, McLaren opted to send their cars out early, possibly anticipating rain or the risk of yellow or red flags. Norris initially set a time nearly four-tenths faster than teammate Oscar Piastri, but Piastri went for another run and narrowly took pole by just 0.029 seconds.
Reigning world champion Max Verstappen, facing a five-place grid penalty for Sunday’s main race due to a new engine, wasn’t a top contender for pole but still managed to secure fourth. Charles Leclerc extracted maximum performance from his Ferrari to take third place.
Ferrari didn’t display the pace they showed in Mexico City last week; Carlos Sainz, the most recent race winner, settled for fifth. However, Ferrari could still be competitive if their tyre management proved strong.
2024 Sao Paulo Sprint Starting Grid
The Sprint starting grid, with or without penalties, after the 2024 Sao Paulo Grand Prix Sprint Qualifying session.
Seen in: