Lando Norris set the pace in a rain-affected first qualifying session for the Brazilian Grand Prix on Saturday, going to the top of the timesheet at Interlagos with a 1:30.938 on wet tyres.

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The McLaren driver was 0.268 seconds quicker than George Russell, who was second for Mercedes on 1:31.206, and 0.299 seconds ahead of Max Verstappen, who was third for Red Bull on 1:31.237. Lewis Hamilton was fourth for Ferrari on 1:31.665, 0.727 seconds off the top, with Nico Hulkenberg fifth on 1:31.692.

The conditions have turned the session upside down. Every one of the 22 drivers was running wet tyres, and Norris's best lap was more than 20 seconds slower than the 1:10.763 with which Kimi Antonelli topped second practice on Friday, when the track was dry.

Isack Hadjar was sixth on 1:32.058, ahead of Liam Lawson in seventh on 1:32.084 and Fernando Alonso in eighth on 1:32.091. Charles Leclerc was ninth for Ferrari on 1:32.120, with newly crowned world champion Kimi Antonelli tenth on 1:32.228, Oscar Piastri eleventh for McLaren on 1:32.251 and Arvid Lindblad twelfth on 1:32.305.

Rafael Camara was 13th on 1:32.808, followed by Carlos Sainz in 14th on 1:32.959, Oliver Bearman in 15th on 1:33.030 and Alex Albon in 16th on 1:33.150. The drivers occupying the elimination places at that point were Franco Colapinto in 17th on 1:33.326, Pierre Gasly in 18th on 1:33.448, Lance Stroll in 19th on 1:33.653, Valtteri Bottas in 20th on 1:33.774, Sergio Perez in 21st on 1:34.509 and Gabriel Bortoleto in 22nd on 1:41.563.

With the margins between the midfield runners measured in hundredths of a second and rain still falling, the order around the cut-off line remained open. The air temperature was 20.7 degrees Celsius and humidity was 90 percent.