Racing
League
Rugby
Cricket
Golf
Motorsport
Combat Sports
Football
Netball
Basketball
Other Sports
Sport Nation
Live sport on SN this weekendRacing Bulls make Q3 as Red Bulls stumble in Brazil GP qualifiers
Sport Nation • November 9th, 2025 9:29 am
Liam Lawson during qualifiers for the Brazilian Grand Prix | Photo: Getty Images/Red Bull Content Pool
It was a qualifying session to forget for Red Bull Racing as defending Formula 1 champion Max Verstappen, and his teammate Yuki Tsunoda, failed to get out of Q1 ahead of Monday's (NZ time) Brazilian Grand Prix.
Battling for grip and seeing his chance of surpassing his McLaren rivals in the title race slipping by, Verstappen will start 16th on the grid after the Dutchman could only manage a best lap of 1:10.403 around Interlagos. Tsunoda will line up 19th, as the countdown towards the end of the 2025 season continues with three race weekends remaining after Brazil.
But as the Red Bulls struggled, it was junior team Racing Bulls that were flying in Q3.
Kiwi driver Liam Lawson improved upon a disappointing practice and sprint race to qualify seventh with a best time of 1:09.962. His French teammate Isack Hadjar placed two better at 1:09.931.
The session gives Lawson a solid platform to build upon after failing to finish inside the top ten for the past three Grand Prix. His best finish of the 2025 season came in September's Azerbaijan GP when the RB driver crossed the line in 5th.
“We lost a little bit of time in the lap and that’s definitely cost us a few positions, but when it’s this close in these kinds of conditions, I think everybody’s got that story. It’s a decent place for tomorrow,” Lawson said after qualifying.
“Trying to score points, that’s the target. Both cars in Q3 obviously which puts us in a good position, so we’ll definitely give it a good shot.”
Oscar Piastri's title hopes took a blow as McLaren rival Lando Norris completed a dream day in his pursuit of a maiden world championship by securing pole position for the Sao Paulo Grand Prix .
Norris extended his lead in the championship from one point to nine after he won the earlier sprint race and Australian rival Piastri crashed out.
Kimi Antonelli joins Norris on the front row with Charles Leclerc third for Ferrari. Leclerc's team-mate Lewis Hamilton finished only 13th.
It means Piastri faces losing further ground to Norris as the Aussie driver starts from fourth, and Verstappen's championship challenge could be all but over by the end of the race weekend following a dismal qualifying performance.
Verstappen started 17th at this event last year before delivering a drive for the ages to secure a win which put him on the brink of a fourth world crown.
Then, Verstappen revelled in the wet, but with clear conditions forecast for Sunday's race, he could be cast more than 50 points off the title pace - the equivalent of two wins - with just four to play and 108 points available.
There was misery for Verstappen's one-time rival Hamilton, too. The seven-time world champion's wait for a first Ferrari podium is set to carry over to Las Vegas in a fortnight after he crashed out of Q2.
Hamilton shook his head and took both hands off the steering wheel, clenching them in anger, as he laboured back to the pits.
Britain's Ollie Bearman might yet be the man who ends up taking over from Hamilton at Ferrari. The 20-year-old, fresh from a career-best fourth last time out in Mexico, impressed yet again to qualify eighth.
- with reporting by PA.
