Piastri misses Q3 after red flag as Norris takes São Paulo pole

McLaren’s rain-hit qualifying at Interlagos produced contrasting fortunes: Lando Norris took pole, while Oscar Piastri finished qualifying 12th after a red flag prevented him from completing his final Q2 lap.

Piastri said the track was extremely slippery early in the session and became easier later. He described the tyre decision as difficult, with the possibility of an earlier red flag complicating the call. He said the car felt reasonable in the wet and that McLaren had been more competitive and comfortable in dry conditions over the weekend.

Team principal Andrea Stella estimated that Piastri’s unfinished lap probably would have been enough to make Q3. He said it was difficult to judge when to switch to intermediate tyres and that the red flag was beyond McLaren’s control.

Norris said he had felt confident in the wet from Q1 and was pleased to put his decisive lap together. He also said McLaren had not matched Mercedes’ pace in the dry, and that the car had not felt as strong as earlier in the weekend.