2024 Sao Paulo Grand Prix qualifying report and highlights: Norris beats Russell and Tsunoda to pole position in Sao Paulo amid five red flags in dramatic rain-affected qualifying

Q2 – Purple Bull face double elimination amid two extra crimson flags

The rain regarded to have eased off as Q2 kicked off, with Piastri having bolted on the intermediate tyres for his opening run whereas the remainder of the pack had been nonetheless utilizing the wets. All eyes had been on what the Australian might do – and he went third quickest on a 1m 28.925s.

A number of different drivers then began to field for inters as Piastri continued to go even faster, going sooner than Verstappen on the prime by 0.6s. Grip tough, although, with Russell experiencing a spin – and this was quickly adopted by Sainz going off at Flip 2, triggering the yellow flags which then grew to become the second crimson flag of the session.

“I crashed, sorry guys,” Sainz commented over the radio, having misplaced the rear of his Ferrari. With 5 minutes left on the clock as Q2 got here to a halt, the drivers in danger had been Norris, Gasly, Albon, Tsunoda and Ocon. Would Norris face a repeat of his last-minute battle to get via in Q1?

The Briton appeared eager to keep away from this, having positioned himself on the entrance of the pit lane queue forward of the session recommencing. When the motion resumed Norris put himself into third – however others had been additionally bettering, together with Alonso who went quickest of all.

Leclerc obtained himself out of the hazard zone whereas Norris went quickest on a 1m 24.844s, but catastrophe struck for Purple Bull when a crash for Stroll sparked one other crimson flag – which means that there was not time for the world champions to enhance.

Verstappen’s P12 will grow to be P17 on the grid, with the Dutchman having a five-place grid drop resulting from an influence unit change. The opposite drivers eradicated in Q2 had been Bottas in P11, Perez in P13, Sainz in P14 and Gasly in P15.

Knocked out: Bottas, Verstappen, Perez, Sainz, Gasly