A mixed up grid, Verstappen fighting from the pit lane and Norris on pole: What to expect in the São Paulo Grand Prix

A qualifying full of thrilling twists and turns set the mixed up starting order for race day in São Paulo, complete with Max Verstappen taking a pit lane start, Oscar Piastri in fourth and Lando Norris on pole. Here’s everything to look out for in what is sure to be another dramatic São Paulo Grand Prix.

Lando Norris took the 15th pole of his F1 career at São Paulo | Credit: Formula One

Chaos is a staple of race weekends in São Paulo, and 2025 has been no different thus far. We head into race day after a dramatic sprint race that saw title hopeful Oscar Piastri crash out, followed by a qualifying session with shock Q1 exits and unexpected contenders in the top 10.

The 21st round of the season has all the ingredients for another action-packed Grand Prix, and is set to be championship leader Lando Norris’ golden opportunity to stretch one hand closer to the biggest trophy – with his key rivals starting further behind.

From surprise podium contenders to a home hero hoping to get back in the fight, here are five things to watch out for ahead of the 2025 São Paulo Grand Prix.

A jumbled up starting grid

Saturday’s qualifying session was nothing short of frenzied action, with drama descending upon the grid right from the get-go.

The first shock was Verstappen’s early exit, the RB21 not responding to the defending champion’s efforts behind the wheel at all.

This marked Verstappen’s first ever Q1 exit on pure pace, as well as Red Bull’s first double Q1 elimination since all the way back in 2006.

The next big name to fall was Lewis Hamilton in Q2, after failing to get his rear tyres into the right window, recording his second Q2 exit of the weekend following sprint qualifying.

While we had veteran drivers struggling to set competitive lap times, the rookies and mid-field drivers had an excellent session with impressive benchmarks and formidable form in the damp conditions, resulting in the closest Q3 session in the sport’s history. 

Oliver Bearman was consistently in the top 10 and Kimi Antonelli collected back-to-back front-row starts, while Pierre Gasly’s Alpine seemed to come alive again in Brazil after taking a point in the sprint and slotting into ninth for the race.

The Racing Bulls pair fared much better than their senior team’s drivers, with Isack Hadjar and Liam Lawson securing fifth and seventh.

With key drivers out of their usual grid spots and mid-field teams taking up crucial point-scoring positions, the race is set to have exciting developments in the context of both the Drivers’ and Constructors’ World Championships.

Wet weather chaos

The previous edition of the São Paulo Grand Prix is fresh in our memories for Verstappen’s ruthless charge though the pouring rain from 17th to the top step, and while similar conditions aren’t forecasted for this year’s race, wet weather will no doubt play a significant role during the race.

Although we haven’t seen a completely wet session thus far, the track has remained damp throughout the weekend, significantly affecting the narratives on track.

The slippery kerbs caught out Piastri, Nico Hülkenburg and Franco Colapinto during the sprint race, while many drivers also explored alternate racing lines to avoid the wet streaks across the track surface.

Furthermore, there still remain chances of a light shower during the Grand Prix, which could throw a curveball into the session.

As is popularly said in Formula One, rain levels the playing field, and could very well swing the door wide open for those willing to take a risk.

All odds in Norris’ favour

Championship leader Norris has had a dream weekend thus far. The Briton has topped every single session since Friday, and took pole for the race with ease – setting an electric lap when it counted the most.

Meanwhile, his nearest rival Piastri sits nine points adrift after crashing out in the sprint, and lines up fourth for the race.

Another threat in the form of Verstappen has been subdued, as the Red Bull champion is set to start from the pit lane, after the team were hard at work to completely reconfigure his RB21, resulting in a grid penalty that drops him down from 16th.

With his key rivals all out of place and struggling to get to grips at Interlagos, this weekend is set to be Norris’ golden opportunity to extend his lead and inch closer to championship victory.

Bortoleto’s resolve to delight the home crowd

Gabriel Bortoleto had a promising start to his maiden home round in F1, finishing fifth during the sole practice session, but a devastating shunt during the sprint meant the Brazilian rookie could not take part in qualifying.

Gabriel Bortoleto escaped unscathed from a 57G crash | Credit: Formula One

In the final lap of the sprint, Bortoleto was engaged in a tight battle with Alex Albon and attempted to break out of Albon’s slipstream heading into the Senna S, but the high-speed car was carrying too much momentum and slammed into the barriers, bouncing back on track with the body and wings completely shattered.

Despite the tireless efforts of the Sauber mechanics, the car could not be repaired in time.

Bortoleto will hope that his race day will be a smoother affair, with support on home soil giving him extra reason to claw his way up the field and fight for points. With teammate Hülkenburg starting 10th, it’s clear Sauber has pace in the car, which Bortoleto will be eager to extract during the Grand Prix.

Rookie podiums

While Antonelli is best poised to grab another Grand Prix podium in his maiden F1 season, fellow rookie drivers Hadjar and Bearman are also in the mix to challenge the top three.

Hadjar will be intent on making inroads from fifth on the grid, while Bearman in eighth will hope for a repeat of the Mexico City Grand Prix that saw the Haas driver capitalise on chaos up ahead to contest for a potential podium.

Meanwhile Antonelli is in the prime position to collect more silverware this weekend, following his second-place finish during the sprint race. 

The Italian driver has shown promising pace throughout the weekend, finishing ahead of his experienced teammate George Russell in each of the competitive sessions this round thus far. 

He has also been unafraid to challenge for the win, piling pressure on Norris in the late stages of the sprint, so watch out for a feisty start from the rookie when the lights go out at 17:00 BST.