McLaren’s Lando Norris beat Crimson Bull’s Max Verstappen to pole place for Saturday’s dash race on the Sao Paulo Grand Prix.

Crimson Bull’s Sergio Perez got here third, regardless of having solely used tyres for his lap.

Mercedes drivers George Russell and Lewis Hamilton have been fourth and fifth.

Alpha Tauri’s Yuki Tsunoda got here sixth whereas Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc, second on the grid behind Verstappen for the grand prix, may handle solely seventh place, additionally restricted to used tyres.

He’ll line up forward of Alpha Tauri’s Daniel Ricciardo and the second Ferrari of Carlos Sainz. McLaren’s Oscar Piastri was tenth. Each Sainz and Piastri have been additionally on used tyres.

Norris stated: “An amazing day. Actually, it felt like one of many worst laps I’ve completed so it is a bit of little bit of shock, nevertheless it’s a great shock. We made up for yesterday. My first pole in a very long time, so I am pleased.”

The Briton felt he had been quick sufficient on Friday to take pole however will begin the grand prix sixth after failing to maximise his tempo in tough circumstances as rain approached the observe.

The dash is a shorter race, about one-third of the gap of a grand prix. Norris has the possibility to realize his first F1 win if he can maintain off Verstappen for twenty-four laps, with the race beginning at 18:30 GMT.

There was a 25-minute delay in the midst of the session after a collision between Esteban Ocon’s Alpine and Fernando Alonso’s Aston Martin on the finish of the primary knockout session.

Alonso moved to the skin off the racing line by Flip Three as Ocon approached on a flying lap. The Frenchman misplaced the rear of his automobile and had what is named a ‘tank-slapper’, when the automobile snaps back and forth as the driving force fights for management.

This took the Alpine on a diagonal trajectory into Alonso’s automobile after which the limitations. The incident additionally broken the entrance proper nook of Alonso’s automobile and he trailed again to the pits in a bathe of sparks.

Aston Martin have been unable to restore Alonso’s automobile in time for him to participate within the second session, so after taking fourth on the grid for the grand prix behind team-mate Lance Stroll on Friday, he’ll begin the dash fifteenth, one place forward of Ocon.

The incident was investigated by stewards within the hole between qualifying and the dash race, together with others involving quite a few drivers accused of not going quick sufficient on out laps. No motion was taken within the Ocon-Alonso incident. Norris and Tsunoda acquired reprimands for too-slow in-laps.