Qualifying at the 2026 F1 São Paulo GP saw Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton take early exits due to their respective grid penalties. After the 90-minute rain delay, Lando Norris secured pole position in São Paulo for the third year in a row. He will line up on the front row with 2026 WDC Kimi Antonelli.
With their respective penalties, Verstappen will start the race from P21 while Hamilton lines up P20. The former champions are in the fight for P2 in the 2026 WDC — Verstappen currently two points ahead of Hamilton in the standings.
Both Verstappen and Hamilton discussed their chances of a points finish ahead of tomorrow’s race.
Verstappen on Qualifying — “My mind is already set to tomorrow”
Red Bull driver Max Verstappen is no stranger to a back-of-the-grid masterclass in São Paulo. In 2024, Verstappen took home an impressive win in wet weather after starting from P17. In 2025, the Dutchman became one of eight drivers in Formula 1 history to score a podium after starting from the pit lane.
Speaking in the print media pen after Qualifying at the F1 São Paulo GP, Verstappen explained that his grid penalty was not pre-planned, “It was not the plan normally, starting the weekend, but it came up yesterday.”
He agreed that the team made the correct decision to park his car after Q1, stating, “Just depending a bit on the weather, but yeah, I think this was the right call.”
Verstappen continued, expressing that his pace looked strong during the first segment of Qualifying. At the end of Q1, Verstappen finished P3 behind Lando Norris and George Russell.
“My mind is already set to tomorrow, so it was just about doing a lap, not risking anything. But every lap that I did, we were up there. For me, that’s not a surprise.”
When asked about his best chance for the victory, Verstappen replied, “Lots of safety cars, so they can’t pull away. It keeps coming back to me. We’ll see. I mean, honestly, I don’t really think about it too much. I’ll just go from Lap 1 and see where I end up.”
Hamilton on Qualifying — “It was basically a practice session”
Ferrari driver Lewis Hamilton discussed his Qualifying at the F1 São Paulo GP, ending his session early in Q2. While both Ferrari drivers were set to take 10-place grid drops for an Internal Combustion Engine (ICE) change, Hamilton’s FP3 difficulties meant he required further parts changes and subsequent penalties.
Hamilton stated his plan for tomorrow’s race is to “try to win, somehow. I love the rain, so it’s been fun. It’s really tricky.”
Speaking in the print media pen, Hamilton expressed that his Qualifying was essentially a practice session as the team worked to repair his SF-26.
“The car is okay. Unfortunately, obviously, we have the penalty. But the guys did a great job in fixing the car up. And it was basically a practice session for us to try to understand the conditions and how the tyres work.”
Verstappen and Hamilton on overtaking after 2026 F1 São Paulo GP Qualifying
Both Verstappen and Hamilton expressed concerns with the ability to overtake on-track with the new era of cars.
After Qualifying, Verstappen explained that the Overtake Mode is more limiting than DRS in São Paulo, expecting a similar race to Mexico City.
“Well, it was in the past, but now we don’t have DRS anymore, and the overtake mode is very limiting around here. Because of the long straight, everyone is draining their batteries, so your speed difference on the straight is going to be a lot less. A bit like Mexico, really. So it will be quite a lot harder, I think, to pass than normal.”
Additionally, Hamilton expressed concerns with overtaking following Qualifying at the 2026 F1 São Paulo GP. Starting from the P20, Hamilton will need to make ten overtakes to get into the points.
“Back then we had, obviously, a very long straight. And if you got close, you had the DRS. And maybe the car wouldn’t have it. But now, everyone just comes up the inside. So I think overtaking will be very, very, very hard. I’m not sure you’re going to see the same sort of races that you’ve seen in the past. But maybe the weather conditions change a bit.”
