The off-season is almost over as Formula One prepares for its longest campaign to date – 24 races! What you need to know … Photo by Nelson ALMEIDA / AFP

Sao Paulo Grand Prix: FINAL grid after ALL driver penalties

Max Verstappen and Red Bull anticipated the weather conditions perfectly to secure pole position for Sunday’s Sao Paulo Grand Prix.

by Garrin Lambley

04-11-2023 13:25

in Motorsport

The off-season is almost over as Formula One prepares for its longest campaign to date – 24 races! What you need to know … Photo by Nelson ALMEIDA / AFP

Max Verstappen and Red Bull anticipated the weather conditions perfectly to secure pole position ahead of Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc for Sunday’s Sao Paulo Grand Prix in a rain-curtailed qualifying session that ended in wild thunderstorms on Friday.

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The newly-crowned three-time world champion clocked a best lap in one minute and 10.727 seconds to outpace Leclerc by 0.294 seconds with Lance Stroll and Fernando Alonso taking third and fourth places to lock out the second row of the grid for Aston Martin.

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Post-qualifying there were grid penalties handed down to Mercedes’ George Russell and Alpine duo Esteban Ocon and Pierre Gasly for ‘impeding’ other cars during the session.

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Sunday’s race is due to start at 19:00 (SA time).

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