Norris and Antonelli Claim Front Row at Interlagos Sprint

Post by : Mina Rahman

Italian rookie Kimi Antonelli of Mercedes has joined British racer Lando Norris at the front row for Saturday's 100km sprint race at Interlagos. Norris, fresh off his victory in last year's sprint against Max Verstappen, clinched his first sprint pole of the season, enhancing his championship lead by a single point over Oscar Piastri, with four grand prix and two sprints left on the calendar.

The sprint competition offers eight points for the winner and points down to the eighth finisher. Norris commented, “We accomplished what we set out to do by being the fastest today.” He acknowledged the track conditions were more challenging compared to Mexico, expressing some discomfort but satisfaction with the outcome. He also cautioned teams about potential rain and strong winds expected on Saturday.

Piastri, in third, was more optimistic, stating, “We can definitively compete with what we have, and there are obviously more points to be earned on Sunday.” Meanwhile, George Russell secured the fourth position for Mercedes at a track that marked his first win in 2022, while Aston Martin's Fernando Alonso placed fifth after recording the quickest time in the second qualifying session.

Max Verstappen, a four-time world champion, will start from sixth but voiced disappointment regarding his car's performance, describing it as “completely broken” and “undriveable.” Team principal Laurent Mekies acknowledged Verstappen's frustrations, confirming the car's complications.

Lewis Hamilton could not make it to the final qualifying round, finishing 11th after running out of time for one last lap in phase two. He was also summoned by the stewards for not adequately slowing down for yellow flags, visibly demonstrating his frustration. His teammate Charles Leclerc, who spun and caused double yellow flags, still managed to qualify in eighth place.

The top ten qualifiers for the sprint race are Lando Norris, Kimi Antonelli, Oscar Piastri, George Russell, Fernando Alonso, Max Verstappen, Lance Stroll, Charles Leclerc, Isack Hadjar, and Nico Hulkenberg.