> ## Content Index > Fetch the complete content index at: https://www.the-race.com/llms.txt > Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further. # Norris on Brazilian GP pole as Russell rages at Mercedes over aborted lap - URL: https://www.the-race.com/formula-1/norris-on-brazilian-gp-pole-as-russell-rages-at-mercedes-over-aborted-lap/ - Published: 2026-11-07T20:48:57.000Z - Updated: 2026-11-07T20:48:57.000Z - Description: Lando Norris snatched a stunning Brazilian Grand Prix pole position at Interlagos in torrential rain, as George Russell felt Mercedes robbed him of a chance to finish first - Author: Jack Benyon - Tags: Formula 1, #brazilian-grand-prix, #primary_homepage_feature Lando Norris snatched a stunning Brazilian Grand Prix pole position at Interlagos in torrential rain, as George Russell felt Mercedes robbed him of a chance to finish first, despite a five-place grid penalty rendering that effectively irrelevant anyway. After rain delayed the start of F1 qualifying by an hour and 25 minutes, Q1 got underway and you could tell conditions were treacherous merely by the rarely used wet weather tyres being bolted onto all of the cars, while by the time Q3 rolled around it was dry enough for intermediates. But, and it was a big but, the weather radar suggested there would only be time for one flying lap before more heavy rain arrived early in Q3. In the end there was time for two laps, and Russell was fastest with the first, and then looked good enough to be quickest in the second before backing off at the end of his second lap when he caught Alex Albon's Williams. ### Russell's Mercedes radio exchange GR: "Move, Albono!" Merc: “So, we will get one more lap here.” Russell: “You need to tell me mate what I’m doing, if I’m backing or going.” Merc: “We can back up now, back up now.” Russell: “Are you sure?” Merc: “It’s raining heavier now.” *\[Russell prepares to start final lap\]* Merc: “It’s raining heavily now in the pitlane.” Russell: “Mate I should have f\*\*\*ing finished the lap!” *\[Halfway round lap when it’s clear it’s done\]* Russell: “MATE! You f\*\*\*ing told me to back off. What the hell!” Wolff: “George you’re P2" Russell: “Yeah but…P2\. I don’t wanna be P2, I want to be P1\. That was a P1 lap. F\*\*\*\*\*\*ing hell!” The final gap was 0.204s, but it doesn't really matter as Russell will drop back five places for an engine penalty. Norris has to be happy with a wet pole at Interlagos, a huge badge of honour for any driver and a reminder of his talent as the outgoing world champion. The champion elect, Kimi Antonelli, took third, ahead of Charles Leclerc's Ferrari - facing a 10-place grid penalty - and two of the stars of qualifying, Liam Lawson and Nico Hulkenberg who will start third and fourth after penalties. Lawson was the fastest initially on the inters in Q2, and delivered again in Q3 to take fifth for Racing Bulls. Will that be enough to sway a decision from Racing Bulls on keeping him in F1 next year? Hulkenberg was also spectacular and took sixth - rising to fourth on the grid after penalties are applied, which will be Audi's highest start - ahead of Isack Hadjar's Red Bull. Ollie Bearman and Fernando Alonso - his best start for Aston Martin this year - both impressed across qualifying to take eighth and ninth respectively, ahead of Alex Albon, who made Q3 for Williams. ### Hamilton and Verstappen out early! Q2 produced plenty of drama as Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen went out, while rookie Rafael Camara crashed. Verstappen cleverly decided not to run in the session at all to save tyres for tomorrow's race and protect his car, owing to the back-of-the-grid penalty he'll serve tomorrow for an unscheduled engine change. He had been third quickest in Q1. Hamilton did elect to run, but didn't switch to intermediates with six minutes to go like the rest of the field and sat in the pits in his Ferrari, basically surrendering the rest of the session for the same reasons as Verstappen, as Hamilton will also start at the back of the grid after an engine change. Camara's red flag effectively ended Q2 early. He locked up and went straight on at Juncao - a problem corner all session - and hit the barriers. He had also had a scrape in Q1 when he lost the car in a striaght line aquaplaning into the barrier on the Reta Oposta straight! But Camara went from zero to hero by beating team-mate Ollie Bearman in Q1 - who also went off at Juncao late on in that session - and then took 13th in Q2 on his F1 debut. Just behind Hamilton was Oscar Piastri's McLaren, while Arvid Lindblad's Racing Bulls (which broke down on track) and Carlos Sainz's Williams were the other cars eliminated in Q2. ### Alpine's Q1 disaster Despite the appalling conditions it was a relatively predictable Q1 exit list, apart from the two Alpines of Pierre Gasly and Franco Colapinto. Colapinto reported his tyres were done on the last lap and he then appeared to hold up Gasly behind, consigning both to a Q1 exit in that order. Despite Alonso regularly challenging towards the top and ending Q1 in eighth, Lance Stroll was only 19th via an early off at Juncao, ahead of Valtteri Bottas who was nearly seven tenths ahead of team-mate Sergio Perez, but Perez does have a grid penalty that will send him to the back of the grid. Gabriel Bortoleto anchored the order as he went off at Juncao and broke his rear wing, ending his session early.