Kevin Magnussen has taken pole position for the sprint at the Sao Paulo Grand Prix. The Danish driver set a 12.059 putting himself two-tenths ahead of Max Verstappen after the weather deteriorated during Q3 causing George Russell go wide and crash at Descida do Lago.
Two years ago, Magnussen was left without a drive but was brought back by Haas after they dropped Nikita Mazepin following the Russian invasion of Ukraine. But this season has proved he deserved the second chance and almost a decade on from his first podium in Melbourne 2013 he took pole.
The result was a popular one throughout the paddock, with even drivers who had missed out on a rare shot at pole expressing their delight at their rival’s success. It was a stunning performance from Magnussen – he had no specific advantages over anyone else on the one lap everyone but Leclerc managed on slick tyres; he just nailed the lap and ended up 0.207 seconds faster than two-time champion Verstappen.
The Dane, who drove for McLaren and Renault before joining Haas in 2017, has impressed throughout 2022, but Friday’s Qualifying triumph put a fairytale ending on his return to the sport.
Throughout Friday the rain lingered around the so-called ‘land of drizzle’, and qualifying was always going to be about being on track at the right time. It appeared to be heavy with an hour to go, but by the time the session started the weather had eased up.
Magnussen was the only driver to get a final run in before Russell brought the session effectively to a close as the weather deteriorated with eight minutes of Q3 to go he became beached in the gravel and that brought out the red flag.
He looked like he would be able to get out, as he reached the asphalt escape road between the gravel and barrier, but he spun the Mercedes when he got there, and became beached. Russell said “third is not necessarily where we wanted to be but a very good place to be starting for the sprint.
On Mercedes’ chances in the sprint race: “I think that’s our best shot at trying to finish above Max and Red Bull, to have the mixed conditions.”
Verstappen went fastest on his first run in Q3 before being beaten by Magnussen, Lando Norris put his McLaren fourth. It was the first time the two-time champion has failed to take pole on a sprint weekend this season.
Norris was two-tenths behind Russell, the Bristolian had been feeling unwell on Thursday but was nearly a tenth faster than Carlos Sainz’s Ferrari.
Amidst the almost disbelief, Magnussen said, “I don’t know what to say. The team put me out on track at exactly the right moment. I mean, we were first out in the pit lane, did a pretty decent lap and we’re on pole. It’s incredible.”
As the shock and celebrations of the first pole for an American-owned team since Shadow at Silverstone in 1975 and the first Dane to take pole, the pit lane erupted in celebration.
Verstappen said, “We knew it was going to be one lap of rain and I think I was like fourth or fifth car and I locked up into Turn Eight, so it cost me pole today. But compared to the proper opposition for tomorrow it looks good, anything can happen so being up front is the most important thing.”
There will be further questions for Ferrari, the latest in a series of strategy errors saw Charles Leclerc sent out straight away in Q3 on inters. That was a huge mistake from the start, they boxed him immediately, meanwhile, the other nine drivers got their laps in on softs before the weather changed and that left Leclerc tenth.
Q3 was not the only error for Ferrari, the changeable conditions had put the Monacan at risk of a Q1 knockout also holding up Sainz. Then Leclerc was forced to abort his first flying lap on the red-walled rubber when he was held up by Yuki Tsunoda through the final sector, in turn delaying his chasing team-mate.
While Sainz improved, Leclerc was only twelfth but hung on as others failed to improve to put him at risk of being knocked out. Sainz however will take a five-place grid penalty following the sprint for an ICE change. It would only get worse for Ferrari.
Admits the confusion and blunders at Ferrari during Q3, Leclerc never had the chance, the gamble to go straight to the inters at the start cost him the chance to challenge for pole when the conditions were at their best. While the Ferrari error appeared also to compromise Perez’s first attempt in Q3.
Afterwards, when asked where he was, he replied sarcastically: “Nice. Beautiful.” And then shouted a swear word, frustrated to be starting a race for which he should at least have been on the front row down in tenth.
Leclerc told reporters, “We were expecting some rain; it never came. I will speak with the team and try to see what we can do better in those conditions. Extremely disappointed, the pace was there. We still have the car but now we need to get on it and do everything good for the rest of the weekend.”
Alpine continued to be best of the rest Esteban Ocon going sixth eight hundredth ahead of teammate Fernando Alonso. The Frenchman had only made it through to Q3 by four and a half hundredths, and Alonso was held up on what proved to be his final real attempt by Leclerc.
Lewis Hamilton was eighth going three seconds faster than Sergio Perez, however, the crash by Russell plus deteriorating conditions prevented both drivers from improving. Mercedes probably failed to take advantage of conditions which have previously favoured both drivers and the best chance for Hamilton to retain one pole in each season probably over.
Alex Albon put his Williams eleventh the British-Thai driver having four-tenths faster than Pierre Gasly. The Frenchman was the first in Q1 to gamble on dry tyres and that got him out of the drop zone, when it looked as if it was too early but his combined sector times were enough to get him into Q2. Instead it saw him fail to get into Q3 at Interlagos since 2017.
Sebastian Vettel will start the final sprint of his career thirteenth going nearly half a second ahead of former teammate Daniel Ricciardo, as they both look to leave the sport following next weekends final race in Abu Dhabi. The Australian split the two Aston Martins after going seven tenths faster than Lance Stroll.
Nicolas Latifi was the fastest of those knocked out in Q1, the Williams driver had gone fastest being the first driver to find the best off the conditions. However as everyone started to improve, the Canadian soon found himself tumbling out of qualifying and eventually missing the cut by a tenth and a half.
Alfa Romeo appeared to not be able to take advantage of the situation, Guanyu Zhou going nearly three-tenths faster than Yuki Tsunoda, with the second half of Mick Schumacher’s twentieth
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