Lando Norris doubles up in Sao Paolo with sprint success and pole position

Lando Norris said he delivered under pressure after he completed a dream day by taking pole position for the Sao Paulo Grand Prix.

Norris extended his lead in the world championship from one point to nine after he won the earlier sprint race and rival Oscar Piastri crashed out.

Piastri then qualified only fourth for Sunday’s main event, and in another boost to Norris, Max Verstappen – 39 points behind the British driver in the title standings – was knocked out in Q1 and will start the 71-lap contest in Interlagos way back in 16th.

Asked to assess his title chances, a disillusioned Verstappen said afterwards: “You can forget about that.”

Kimi Antonelli joins Norris on the front row with Charles Leclerc third for Ferrari. Leclerc’s team-mate Lewis Hamilton finished only 13th.

Just hours after Norris navigated a chaotic sprint race – with Piastri failing to score after he crashed out on the sixth lap – the Englishman was back on track bidding to keep his championship momentum going.

However, Norris was firmly on the backfoot following his first attempt in Q3 when he locked up on the entry to the opening corner. He was 0.651 seconds slower than Piastri and only 10th in the order.

But Norris produced an impressive lap under pressure to soar to the top of the timesheets. He finished 0.174secs clear of Antonelli. Piastri was no match for Norris, ending the day more than three tenths off the pace of his team-mate.

“I put myself under unnecessary pressure after I locked up on my first run so it was more stressful than I would have liked,” said Norris.

“We have been quick all weekend, and we didn’t need that. That put more pressure on my final lap because I saw the others were improving, too.

“I didn’t know if I was up or down on the delta, so I was a bit stressed. But when I got over the line and saw the result I was pretty happy. And when I saw no one beat the lap, I was even happier.”

Norris’ pole lap – his second in as many races as the season reaches its climax – means Piastri faces losing further ground to his McLaren rival.

Verstappen’s championship challenge could be all but over by the close of play on Sunday following a dismal qualifying performance here.

The Dutchman said in the build-up to this week’s event that only his once-in-a-generation talent was keeping him in the hunt. But even he could not pull a rabbit out of the hat in qualifying as Red Bull’s pace deserted him.

Verstappen entered the closing stages of Q1 in the elimination zone and he could not find the speed to haul his under-performing machine into Q2. It marked Verstappen’s first Q1 departure in more than four years.

“Yeah, I have no grip, zero,” he said over the radio. “Brilliant,” a sarcastic Verstappen added. His father, Jos, departed the Red Bull garage abruptly.

Verstappen started 17th at this event last year before delivering a drive for the ages to secure a win which put him on the brink of a fourth world crown.

Then, Verstappen revelled in the wet. But with clear conditions forecast for Sunday’s race, he could be cast more than 50 points off the title pace – the equivalent of two wins – with just four rounds to play and 108 points available.

There was also misery for Verstappen’s one-time rival Hamilton after he crashed out of Q2. Hamilton shook his head and took both hands off the steering wheel, clenching them in anger, as he laboured back to the pits.

Britain’s Ollie Bearman might yet be the man who ends up taking over from Hamilton at Ferrari. The 20-year-old, fresh from a career-best fourth last time out in Mexico, impressed yet again to qualify eighth.