Norris takes Interlagos pole, but says he needs rain

Lando Norris secured pole position for the Sao Paulo Grand Prix at Interlagos, beating Mercedes drivers George Russell and Kimi Antonelli in wet conditions. It was his third consecutive pole at the Brazilian venue, and he credited his confidence in the McLaren MCL40 and a clean final lap in Q3 for the result.

Russell has a five-place grid penalty, which moves Antonelli up to second on the grid. Norris said that if he wants to win on Sunday, the race needs to be wet, as McLaren does not currently have the same pace as its rivals in the dry. He pointed to his strength in the rain as the reason he can still challenge.

Norris described Antonelli as probably the quickest driver this weekend, making the race a tough challenge should the track dry out.