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F1 Qualifying Results for the 2026 Brazilian Grand Prix

Who will start on pole at Autodromo Carlos Pace after a the F1 World Drivers' Championship was won by Kimi Antonelli last week in Mexico?
Kaitlin Tucci|
Lando Norris, McLaren
Lando Norris, McLaren | McLaren Racing

The winner of the 2026 F1 World Championship may be determined, but with four races remaining in the season, everything is still on the line for the rest of the field. At Interlagos, the weekend started off relatively dry. That is, until Qualifying began.

The Autodromo Carlos Pace is known for some of the most shocking and exciting wet-weather races of the entire Grand Prix calendar. However, with that comes inevitable delays. This is exactly what happened just a few minutes into the session. It was delayed for almost an hour and a half. Needless to say, after a season-long 'meme' of sorts for F1, wet weather tires were out on track.

It was Lando Norris who ultimately secured pole position for the third Brazilian Grand Prix in a row.

F1 Brazilian Grand Prix 2026: Q1 Results

Once the session finally resumed, the drivers up and down the grid complained about how wet the track was, with Rafael Camara spinning out on his opening lap. Soon after, Gabriel Bortoleto found the wall but was able to keep the car running.

Rafael Camara
May 24, 2026; Montreal, Quebec, CANADA; Invicta Racing driver Rafael Camara (1) during the Formula Two feature race of the Lenovo Grand Prix du Canada at Circuit Gilles-Villeneuve. Mandatory Credit: David Kirouac-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Some of the usual suspects, like Stroll and both Cadillacs, were out in Q1, and Bortoleto understandably did not make the cut after colliding with the wall. The interesting part was who did make it through. Despite Camara hitting the wall, he continued and made it through to Q2.

The Alpines closed out Q1 with a tense battle down to the line, attempting, and failing, to create a slipstream to shoot them into Q2. This is traditionally not a good track for the Alpines, but F1 fans remember the 2024 race where both Alpines made the podium.

Position

Driver / Team

Gap to Q2 [s]

17.

Colapinto / Alpine

+0.177

18.

Gasly / Alpine

+0.299

19.

Stroll / Aston Martin

+0.503

20.

Bottas / Cadillac

+0.624

21.

Perez / Cadillac

+1.359

22.

Bortoleto / Audi

+9.414

F1 Brazilian Grand Prix 2026: Q2 Results

Crucially, at the top of the session, Verstappen got out of the car, as he must start in the pit lane tomorrow. The team is looking to save as many tires as possible to fight from the back. Later in the session, Lindblad had an issue with the car and was forced to stop his session.

Max Verstappen, Red Bull, Australian GP 2026
Max Verstappen, Red Bull, Australian GP 2026 | Getty Images / Red Bull Content Pool

The carnage continued in Q2 as Sainz had an issue with the car and went off once his inters were bolted on. Finally, to bring out the red flag, Camera crashed into the wall.

Most notably, due to the red flag, Piastri was knocked out yet again in Q2. While Interlagos isn't his strongest track, there was no reason he wouldn't have made it to Q3 today. Alongside him, Hamilton was also caught out due to the red flag and didn't make it to Q3.

World Champion Kimi Antonelli nearly did not make Q3 either. With only 45 seconds left in the session, all of the 'top drivers' were starting their final flying laps when Camara brought out the red flag.

Position

Driver / Team

Gap to Q3 [s]

11.

Hamilton / Ferrari

+0.699

12.

Piastri / McLaren

+1.067

13.

Camara / Haas

+2.213

14.

Lindblad / Racing Bulls

+2.385

15.

Sainz / Williams

+2.483

16.

Verstappen / Red Bull

No Time

F1 Brazilian Grand Prix 2026: Q3 Results

After the carnage that was Q2, the driver to watch in Q3 was Fernando Alonso, who tripped and fell into the top-10 shootout in his Aston Martin. Not only that, we had a Q3 session with an Audi, a Haas, AND a Williams alongside Alonso.

Fernando Alonso, Aston Martin
Fernando Alonso, Aston Martin | IMAGO / DeFodi Images

Due to incoming rain, the drivers and teams decided to run just one flying lap. This left Lando Norris on Pole for the third year in a row. Although Antonelli finished third due to Russell's grid penalty, he will start on the front row with Norris tomorrow.

Position

Driver / Team

Gap to Pole [s]

1.

Norris / McLaren

1:27.470

2.

Russell / Mercedes

+0.204

3.

Antonelli / Mercedes

+0.625

4.

Leclerc / Ferrari

+0.819

5.

Lawson / Racing Bulls

+0.851

6.

Hulkenberg / Audi

+1.198

7.

Hadjar / Red Bull

+1.293

8.

Bearman / Haas

+2.361

9.

Alonso / Aston Martin

+2.841

10.

Albon / Williams

+2.986

The grid, being as shaken up as the Brazilian Grand Prix qualifying session left it, spells out an exciting race for tomorrow. The Brazilian Grand Prix will begin at 12:00 PM ET tomorrow, Sunday, November 8th.

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Kaitlin Tucci
KAITLIN TUCCI

Kaitlin Tucci has been a fan of motorsport for close to a decade. Before joining On SI in 2025, she contributed heavily to the marketing and media efforts at FanAmp, a motorsports startup for which she was the Head of Marketing. She has contributed to a number of publications covering series such as Formula 1, IndyCar, IMSA, and more... Kaitlin graduated from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology with both a degree in Business/Marketing and Political Science. She works full time as a marketer at high-growth tech startups while spending her weekends immersed in the world of racing. Kaitlin was raised in Las Vegas, Nevada, but has lived in New York City for the past 5 years with her 'giant chihuahua' Willow. You'll often catch Willow watching races alongside Kaitlin, but unfortunately she doesn't have enough airline miles to join her at the track just yet.

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