Brazilian GP 2026: Norris in pole ahead of Antonelli, a grid upset by penalties

Lando Norris signed Saturday, November 7th the pole position of the Grand Prix of Brazil 2026, after qualifications disrupted by diluvian showers at Interlagos. The McLaren pilot will share the first line with Kimi Antonelli, after applying the penalties. Ouest-France, Blick, Nice-Matin and Europe 1 agree on this result and on the retreat of several leading drivers, sanctioned by changes in engine components. [S1] [S2] [S3] [S4]

Norris ahead, Antonelli takes advantage of Russell's retreat

For world champion Norris 2025, it is a third consecutive pole in Brazil, after those of 2024 and 2025, reports Ouest-France. Next to him will sway Antonelli, presented by the sources as the new world champion 2026, sacred in Mexico the previous weekend. The first line will bring together the last two championship winners. [S1] [S2] [S5]

However, George Russell had achieved the second time of qualification. The Mercedes driver loses five places due to a change of engine parts and is seventh on the published grid. Charles Leclerc, fourth of the session, turned back ten positions: the Monegasque had to leave fourteenth at the wheel of his Ferrari. These sanctions clearly distinguish the chronometric performance of the initial effective placement. [S1] [S2] [S3]

The beneficiaries include Liam Lawson, third with Racing Bulls, and Nico Hülkenberg, fourth with Audi. Isack Hadjar placed his Red Bull in fifth place, ahead of Oliver Bearman's Haas. This order appears identically in the grids published by Ouest-France and Le Parisien; Blick also confirms the positions of Lawson, Hülkenberg and Hadjar. [S1] [S2] [S5]

Technical changes with direct sporting consequences

Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen have to leave from the back of the grid after the complete replacement of their engine blocks, according to Blick, Nice-Matin and Europe 1. Ouest-France specifies penalties of more than twenty places for both drivers, as well as for Sergio Pérez. The detailed grid placed Hamilton in the twentieth place, Verstappen in the twenty-first and Pérez in the twenty-second, an order also published by Le Parisien. [S1] [S2] [S3] [S4] [S5]

The formulations, however, require clarification: the reports of Blick, Nice-Matin and Europe 1 follow the sanction of ten places of Leclerc with those of Hamilton and Verstappen, without clearly detailing their respective scale. For the initial positions announced, the complete lists of West France and Parisien are therefore more precise. The technical reasons reported should not be confused with sanctions for dangerous runway manoeuvre. [S1] [S2] [S3] [S4] [S5]

The starting grid announced

The following positions are consistent in West France and Parisien publications. They include penalties reported after qualifications. [S1] [S5]

1. Lando Norris — McLaren; 2. Kimi Antonelli — Mercedes. 3. Liam Lawson — Racing Bulls; 4. Nico Hülkenberg — Audi. 5. Isack Hadjar — Red Bull; 6. Oliver Bearman — Haas. 7. George Russell — Mercedes; 8. Fernando Alonso — Aston Martin. 9. Alexander Albon — Williams; 10. Oscar Piastri — McLaren. 11. Rafael Câmara — Haas; 12. Arvid Lindblad — Racing Bulls. 13. Carlos Sainz — Williams; 14. Charles Leclerc — Ferrari. 15. Franco Colapinto — Alpine; 16. Pierre Gasly — Alpine. 17. Lance Stroll — Aston Martin; 18. Valteri Bottas — Cadillac. 19. Gabriel Bortoleto — Audi ; 20. Lewis Hamilton — Ferrari. 21. Max Verstappen — Red Bull; 22. Sergio Pérez — Cadillac. [S1] [S5]

A disturbed session, a less uniform chronology

All sources describe a qualification upset by the rain, but their indications of duration differ. Ouest-France evokes a delayed start of 85 minutes, while Blick and Nice-Matin mention 90 minutes. Europe 1 also speaks of an hour of interruption in its introduction, and the Parisian has an interruption of an hour and a half. These formulations do not allow the exact reconstruction of the different phases of waiting and stopping. However, they do not call into question the convergence on the Norris pole and the order of departure announced after sanctions. [S1] [S2] [S3] [S4] [S5]