November 6, 2026 | Ethical Sports Takes
Formula 1 heads to Interlagos this weekend for the São Paulo Grand Prix, and we’re expecting another close qualifying session between Red Bull, Ferrari, McLaren and Mercedes.
Friday’s opening practice gave us an early look at the competition. Lando Norris topped FP1 for McLaren, with newly crowned world champion Kimi Antonelli second for Mercedes and Max Verstappen third for Red Bull.
But practice doesn’t always tell the full story. Teams run different setups and fuel loads, and the order can change quickly once everyone starts pushing for the fastest lap.
After looking at FP1 and the form coming into Brazil, here are our three EST qualifying predictions.
Max Verstappen — P1
We’re backing Max Verstappen to take pole position at Interlagos.
Verstappen comes into Brazil fresh off his victory in Mexico, where he held off Lewis Hamilton to take the win. He also finished third in Friday’s opening practice, putting himself firmly in the conversation heading into qualifying.
What makes Verstappen so difficult to beat is his ability to get everything out of the Red Bull when it matters. Even when he isn’t the fastest driver in practice, he has a habit of finding extra pace once qualifying begins.
Interlagos is a short circuit, which means even the smallest mistake can cost several positions. Getting a clean lap through the middle sector and carrying speed onto the long straights will be especially important.
We expect Norris and Mercedes to make this difficult, but we’re backing Verstappen to put together the fastest lap when it counts.
Lewis Hamilton — P2
Lewis Hamilton is our pick to qualify second, and there’s plenty of reason to believe he can fight for the front row.
Hamilton took pole position at the Mexican Grand Prix last weekend and followed it with a second-place finish in the race. Ferrari has shown that it can challenge at the front, and Hamilton arrives in Brazil with momentum.
This weekend is also a special one for the seven-time world champion, who is set to make his 400th Formula 1 start. Brazil has always meant a great deal to Hamilton, and the support he receives at Interlagos is unlike almost anywhere else on the calendar.
Of course, sentiment doesn’t make a car faster. Hamilton will still need Ferrari to give him a competitive setup, especially through the circuit’s slower corners.
But after what we saw in Mexico, we believe Hamilton has a real chance to fight for another front-row start.
We’re giving Verstappen the slight edge for pole, with Hamilton right behind him.
Lando Norris — P3
Lando Norris was the fastest driver in FP1, so leaving him off our top three would be difficult to justify.
The McLaren driver clearly has pace around Interlagos, and he has already shown that he can put together a strong lap here. He also won last year’s São Paulo Grand Prix, giving him another reason to feel confident heading into the weekend.
Norris will be one of the biggest threats to our Verstappen pole prediction.
However, we’re expecting the competition to tighten considerably as qualifying approaches. Antonelli was right behind Norris in practice, while Verstappen was also among the top three.
With so many drivers looking competitive, we think Norris will remain near the front but fall just short of the first row.
That doesn’t mean McLaren should be overlooked. If Norris can carry his practice pace into qualifying, he could easily challenge both Verstappen and Hamilton.
Final Thoughts
We’re backing Verstappen to find just enough pace to beat Hamilton for pole position, with Norris completing the top three.
Friday’s practice showed how close the competition could be, and Antonelli’s pace suggests Mercedes will have something to say about the result.
But our picks are set: Verstappen P1, Hamilton P2 and Norris P3.
Now we’ll see who delivers when qualifying begins at Interlagos.
Enjoyed our predictions? Give this article a like and subscribe to Ethical Sports Takes for more Formula 1 coverage, qualifying predictions, race recaps and analysis throughout the season!
Leave a Reply