Piastri Clinches Pole: Sao Paulo Sprint Thriller

Oscar Piastri emerged victorious against McLaren teammate Lando Norris, securing pole position for the Sao Paulo Grand Prix sprint. The Australian clocked an impressive lap time with Norris trailing closely. Max Verstappen will start fourth, while Lewis Hamilton found himself back in 11th position.

Oscar Piastri delivered a stunning performance to secure pole position in the Sao Paulo Grand Prix sprint qualifying on Friday, overtaking his McLaren teammate Lando Norris. The Red Bull ace and championship leader, Max Verstappen, was clocked as the fourth fastest. Ferrari's Charles Leclerc is set to start from third position.

The Australian driver recorded the best lap at the Interlagos circuit with a time of 1:08.899 seconds, narrowly beating Norris by just 0.029 seconds. Despite setting the pace in the first two phases of qualifying, Norris sits 47 points behind Verstappen with only four rounds left.

Meanwhile, Mercedes' Lewis Hamilton, a seven-time world champion, found himself qualifying at 11th place, while Red Bull's Sergio Perez will line up at 13th. The sprint race is poised for Saturday, serving as a precursor to Sunday's main grand prix event.

(With inputs from agencies.)