Five power-unit penalties reshaped the São Paulo Grand Prix starting grid after Saturday’s rain-hit qualifying at Interlagos. Lando Norris took pole with a 1:27.470, but the two drivers who qualified immediately behind him will start in reverse order. Andrea Kimi Antonelli moves up from third to second, while Mercedes teammate George Russell drops from second to seventh.
Russell’s penalty and Charles Leclerc’s drop from fourth to 14th open up the second row for Liam Lawson and Nico Hülkenberg. Haas debutant Rafael Câmara moves from 13th to 11th, while Audi’s Gabriel Bortoleto rises from 22nd to 19th. The FIA’s provisional grid places Lewis Hamilton 20th, Max Verstappen 21st and Sergio Pérez 22nd.
George Russell — Five places for a sixth combustion engine
Mercedes fitted Russell’s sixth internal combustion engine of the season. He had already exceeded his allocation of four, so the repeat breach carried a five-place penalty. Russell qualified second, 0.204s behind Norris, and will start seventh alongside Fernando Alonso. Mercedes also fitted an ancillary power-unit component within Russell’s allowance. That change carried no additional penalty.
Charles Leclerc — 10 places for a fifth combustion engine
Ferrari fitted Leclerc’s fifth internal combustion engine, his first beyond the season allocation. That cost him 10 places. He qualified fourth with a 1:28.289 and will start 14th alongside Carlos Sainz. With Russell also dropping back, Lawson, Hülkenberg, Isack Hadjar and Oliver Bearman each move up two places.
Lewis Hamilton — 75 places across two Ferrari engine changes
Hamilton’s penalty came in two stages. Ferrari fitted his fifth internal combustion engine before final practice, triggering an initial 10-place drop under FIA document 37. After he reported a vibration and smoke during FP3, Ferrari removed the unit and replaced it in full.
Document 43 added 65 places. Hamilton’s sixth combustion engine cost five because he had already exceeded that allocation. The other six components each cost 10 places for a first breach of their respective allocations. They were his fifth turbocharger, fifth exhaust set, fourth MGU-K, fourth energy store, fourth control electronics unit and seventh ancillary power-unit component. Hamilton qualified 11th and will start 20th on the provisional grid.
Max Verstappen — 30 places for an engine, turbocharger and exhaust
Red Bull fitted Verstappen’s fifth combustion engine, fifth turbocharger and fifth exhaust set. Each was the first to exceed its allocation and carried a 10-place penalty. Red Bull also changed an ancillary power-unit component within the permitted allowance. Verstappen was third in Q1 but stayed in the garage for Q2 with the penalty already in place. He qualified 16th and is listed 21st on the grid.
Sergio Pérez — 30 places for an engine, turbocharger and MGU-K
Cadillac fitted Pérez’s fifth combustion engine, fifth turbocharger and fourth MGU-K. Each change exceeded the relevant allocation for the first time, resulting in three 10-place penalties. His new ancillary component was within the allowance. Pérez was eliminated in Q1 in 21st and is listed 22nd on the provisional grid.
Why Hamilton starts ahead of Verstappen and Pérez
Drivers with more than 15 cumulative grid penalty places are placed behind the other classified drivers. Within that group, the order follows qualifying. Hamilton was 11th, Verstappen 16th and Pérez 21st, so the FIA lists them in that order in the final three grid slots.
2026 São Paulo Grand Prix — FIA provisional starting grid
Times are from the last qualifying segment in which each driver set a lap.
| Pos. | Driver | Team | Time | Gap to pole | Penalty |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | L NORRIS | McLaren Mercedes | 1:27.470 | — | — |
| 2 | A K ANTONELLI | Mercedes | 1:28.095 | +0.625 | — |
| 3 | L LAWSON | Racing Bulls RBPT Ford | 1:28.321 | +0.851 | — |
| 4 | N HÜLKENBERG | Audi | 1:28.668 | +1.198 | — |
| 5 | I HADJAR | Red Bull RBPT Ford | 1:28.763 | +1.293 | — |
| 6 | O BEARMAN | Haas Ferrari | 1:29.831 | +2.361 | — |
| 7 | G RUSSELL | Mercedes | 1:27.674 | +0.204 | P+5 |
| 8 | F ALONSO | Aston Martin Honda | 1:30.311 | +2.841 | — |
| 9 | A ALBON | Williams Mercedes | 1:30.456 | +2.986 | — |
| 10 | O PIASTRI | McLaren Mercedes | 1:30.369 | +2.899 | — |
| 11 | R CÂMARA | Haas Ferrari | 1:31.515 | +4.045 | — |
| 12 | A LINDBLAD | Racing Bulls RBPT Ford | 1:31.687 | +4.217 | — |
| 13 | C SAINZ | Williams Mercedes | 1:31.785 | +4.315 | — |
| 14 | C LECLERC | Ferrari | 1:28.289 | +0.819 | P+10 |
| 15 | F COLAPINTO | Alpine Mercedes | 1:33.327 | +5.857 | — |
| 16 | P GASLY | Alpine Mercedes | 1:33.449 | +5.979 | — |
| 17 | L STROLL | Aston Martin Honda | 1:33.653 | +6.183 | — |
| 18 | V BOTTAS | Cadillac Ferrari | 1:33.774 | +6.304 | — |
| 19 | G BORTOLETO | Audi | 1:41.564 | +14.094 | — |
| 20 | L HAMILTON | Ferrari | 1:30.001 | +2.531 | P+75 |
| 21 | M VERSTAPPEN | Red Bull RBPT Ford | 1:31.238 | +3.768 | P+30 |
| 22 | S PÉREZ | Cadillac Ferrari | 1:34.509 | +7.039 | P+30 |
GRANDE PRÊMIO is following every session of the São Paulo Grand Prix in Formula 1 live from Interlagos.
FAQ
Who starts on the front row at Interlagos?
Lando Norris starts from pole, with Andrea Kimi Antonelli alongside him after George Russell’s five-place penalty.
Where do Hamilton, Verstappen and Pérez start?
The FIA’s provisional grid lists Lewis Hamilton 20th, Max Verstappen 21st and Sergio Pérez 22nd.
What time does the São Paulo Grand Prix start?
The race is scheduled for 14:00 local time on Sunday, 8 November, or 17:00 GMT, 12:00 EST, 09:00 PST and 22:30 IST. It starts on Monday at 04:00 AEDT in Sydney and Melbourne and 06:00 NZDT in Auckland and Wellington.
