This session has finished. No further updates will be posted.
Sprint race qualifying at the 2024 Brazilian Grand Prix is coming up next
Lando Norris was quickest in the only practice session earlier today. The track has been completely resurfaces since last year and several drivers reported it is noticeably bumpier than last year. Max Verstappen reported the difference was “crazy”.
One of the big surprises in practice was Oliver Bearman, who is substituting for Kevin Magnussen today, who went third-fastest.
Qualifying for the sprint race is about to begin. According to the data from race control there is an 80% chance this session will stay dry.
Just 12 minutes for SQ1 and all the drivers have to use the medium tyre compound. Charles Leclerc is leading them around.
The track is quite a lot cooler than it was in first practice, 40C compared to over 53C. Leclerc crosses the line with a 1’11.654. Verstappen is still in the pits, no doubt reasoning the track grip levels will ramp up a lot later on.
Ocon takes the top time, then Perez, 1’11.162. Verstappen has joined the track so all 20 drivers are now lapping.
Russell now goes top with a 1’10.870.
Norris jumps to the top of the times with a 1’10.672 but loses that to Lawson. Piastri then beats that time in a shower of sparks as he crosses the line.
Verstappen’s on a quick one now, he sets the fourth-fastest time, he’s three-tenths of a second off Piastri. Five minutes to go.
That leaves Sainz in the drop zone along with the Sauber drivers plus Stroll, who briefly pitted, and Colapinto in last place.
Sainz goes safe in fourth, dropping Alonso into the bottom five along with his team mate.
The cars are rolling out of the pits for a final run. Colapinto hasn’t set a representative time yet and he’s among those in the queue.
Meanwhile Pierre Gasly has been summoned to meet the stewards at 5:30pm local time for being late to the drivers’ meeting.
Perez goes fastest of all in the middle sector and takes second. Hamilton only managed ninth with that effort, a 1’10.625, which may not be good enough.
Tsunoda 12th, 1’11.121. Alonso gets out of the drop zone, 11th, dropping Gasly in.
Bearman improves to fifth, Norris now fastest of all in the first sector, while McLaren tell pace-setter Piastri he’s safe.
Norris produces a stunning effort, 1’09.477, to go fastest. Colapinto grabs ninth and deposits Alonso into the drop zone. His team mate is out too, so are Ocon, Tsunoda and Zhou.
SQ2 has begun and Norris picks up where he left off with a 1’09.063. Russell is six-tenths off that in second – until Sainz beats it, getting within half a second off the McLaren.
Piastri goes third this time, just over half a second off his team mate. Verstappen, however, beats Norris in the first sector.
Verstappen just beats Sainz for second, there’s less than an hundredth of a second, though. Hamilton, ninth, says he has “no grip” on this tyre.
Verstappen is still chasing his car’s set-up: “Turn four, now the car doesn’t turn with this wing setting.”
Bearman, Hulkenberg and Lawson haven’t set times yet. Hamilton is in serious danger in 10th place as the final runs begin.
Bearman goes sixth, Perez slips into the drop zone along with Hamilton. Lawson beats Perez and the Red Bull driver fails to get a lap in! He’s out!
Bird: “We’re not going to make it. Box. Recharge on.” Perez: “Oh, fuck.”
Hamilton only makes it to 11th! He’s out in SQ2. Hulkenberg, Perez, Colapinto and Bottas also fall.
SQ3 begins and with clouds gathering McLaren send both their cars out straight away. Albon joins them. Soft tyres are required by the rules for this session.
It’s all about the McLaren on these runs. Norris is mere hundredths quicker than Piastri in the first sector.
Piastri bangs in a 1’09.225, Norris is faster in all three sectors however and a 1’08.928 is the target for the rest.
Albon’s had some poor luck in recent races so he runs by himself and sets a 1’10.078 which is two tenths of a second slower than he managed on the medium rubber in SQ2.
Now the others join in. Piastri is told he can gain time compared to Norris in the Senna ‘S’ and Pinheirinho. Bearman goes off at the Senna S and loses eight tenths of a second.
Sainz goes third but Leclerc beats Piastri for second on the grid. It doesn’t last though as Piastri takes pole position off Norris!
Verstappen goes fourth, Norris abandons his lap which surely means pole position for Piastri.
It’s Piastri on pole! Here’s the grid for Saturday’s sprint race at Interlagos: 2024 Brazilian Grand Prix sprint race grid
2024 Brazilian Grand Prix
- “I didn’t really want to come back” – Hamilton explains cryptic Brazil radio message
- Ocon’s role in Gasly’s Q2 exit was almost another ‘flare-up’ at Alpine – Oakes
- Interlagos must improve “very bad” new track surface for 2025, say F1 drivers
- “That’s how we silence them”: Verstappen’s stunning Brazil win from start to finish
- Verstappen now has as many wins as F1’s first six world champions combined
