Max Verstappen set the pace with a lap of 1:10.727, a mark that remained unbeaten as rain descended, solidifying his and Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc’s spots on the front row.
Aston Martin gained a much-needed morale boost, with Lance Stroll poised to start from the second row next to teammate Fernando Alonso, and a Mercedes lockout on the third row initially saw Lewis Hamilton in front of George Russell, until Russell incurred a grid penalty, dropping him two spots for blocking at the pit exit.
This shift promoted McLaren’s Lando Norris to line up alongside Hamilton on row three, while Carlos Sainz, the penalized Russell, Sergio Perez, and Oscar Piastri round out the top 10 starters.
What numbers are the 20 F1 drivers sporting in 2023?
Haas’ Nico Hulkenberg is slated to start 11th, with his teammate Kevin Magnussen on row six beside him.
Williams’ Alex Albon, despite his fastest Q2 time being nullified for exceeding track limits, secures 13th on the grid, with Alpine’s Esteban Ocon, who also received a two-place penalty for impeding, alongside him.
Pierre Gasly of Alpine begins in 15th, after a two-position demotion for the same infringement, sharing the eighth row with AlphaTauri’s Yuki Tsunoda.
Daniel Ricciardo of AlphaTauri is set for the head of row nine next to Alfa Romeo’s Valtteri Bottas, while Williams’ Logan Sargeant takes the 19th slot ahead of Zhou Guanyu in the Alfa Romeo, who rounds out the field.
Starting Grid for the Brazilian Grand Prix
- Max Verstappen, Red Bull
- Charles Leclerc, Ferrari
- Lance Stroll, Aston Martin
- Fernando Alonso, Aston Martin
- Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes
- Lando Norris, McLaren
- Carlos Sainz, Ferrari
- George Russell, Mercedes*
- Sergio Perez, Red Bull
- Oscar Piastri, McLaren
- Nico Hulkenberg, Haas
- Kevin Magnussen, Haas
- Alex Albon, Williams
- Esteban Ocon, Alpine*
- Pierre Gasly, Alpine*
- Yuki Tsunoda, AlphaTauri
- Daniel Ricciardo, AlphaTauri
- Valtteri Bottas, Alfa Romeo
- Logan Sargeant, Williams
- Zhou Guanyu, Alfa Romeo
*Includes grid penalties
