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Haas’ Kevin Magnussen took advantage of George Russell’s red flag to secure his first pole position at the Sao Paulo Grand Prix
Haas’ Kevin Magnussen took advantage of George Russell’s red flag to secure his first pole position at the Sao Paulo Grand Prix
Kevin Magnussen took his first Formula 1 pole and that of Haas as wet conditions caused a thrilling upset in qualifying for the Sao Paulo Grand Prix.
Magnussen will start Saturday’s Sprint in Brazil at the head of the grid, with world champion Max Verstappen second for Red Bull.
The 30-year-old Dane was leading the grid with eight minutes remaining in Q3 when Mercedes’ George Russell, who will start third, spun into a gravel trap and triggered a red flag.
The rain, which had fallen in varying degrees throughout qualifying, then intensified, meaning neither driver could improve once the session resumed, leaving Magnussen and Haas to celebrate a win remarkable
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Magnussen was in disbelief when told he had set the fastest time in qualifying
Magnussen was in disbelief when told he had set the fastest time in qualifying
After leading qualifying in Q1, Lando Norris maintained an impressive pace to take fourth for McLaren, ahead of Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz, who faces a five-place grid penalty for the race of Sunday after getting a new engine.
Alpine duo Esteban Ocon and Fernando Alonso followed in sixth and seventh, ahead of Lewis Hamilton, who will be disappointed not to have been able to take advantage of the conditions in which he usually excels, at one of his favorite tracks.
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George Russell lost control of his Mercedes and got stuck in the gravel, bringing out the red flag during Q3 in Brazil
George Russell lost control of his Mercedes and got stuck in the gravel, bringing out the red flag during Q3 in Brazil
Red Bull’s Sergio Perez was ninth after his flying lap was compromised to be behind Charles Leclerc, who completed the top 10 after Ferrari strangely sent the Monegasque out on intermediate tires at the start of Q3.
Interlagos hosts the third and final Sprint of the 2022 season, with Verstappen looking to complete a hat-trick of wins following victories in Imola and Austria.
The grid for Sunday’s feature race, in which Verstappen will seek a record 15th win of the season, will be dictated by the result of the Sprint, which also offers points to the top eight finishers.
Sao Paulo GP: Qualifying result, Top 101) Kevin Magnussen, Haas2) Max Verstappen, Red Bull3) George Russell, Mercedes4) Lando Norris, McLaren5) Carlos Sainz, Ferrari6) Esteban Ocon, Alpine7) Fernando Alonso, Alpine8) Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes9) Sergio Perez, Red Bull10) Charles Leclerc, Ferrari
Spectacular scenes as Magnussen takes pole
Magnussen’s F1 career appeared to be over when Haas let him go at the end of the 2020 season, but he returned as a replacement for Russian Nikita Mazepin earlier this year.
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 to his return to the sport
The result was popular across the paddock, with even drivers who had missed out on a rare shot at pole expressing their joy at their rival’s success.
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Magnussen says his Haas car handled the wet conditions perfectly as he battled to grasp pole position for the Sao Paulo Grand Prix.
Magnussen says his Haas car handled the wet conditions perfectly as he battled to grasp pole position for the Sao Paulo Grand Prix.
“I went in as this cocky kid thinking I was the king of the world,” Magnussen told Sky Sports F1. “I had a lot of lessons after that, showing how hard it really is in this sport.
“Now I’m in pole position so I’m just going to enjoy it.”
Although there was fortune tied to the timing of the rain, Magnussen’s place at the top of the time sheet was fully earned.
Apart from Leclerc and Pérez, the other eight drivers had a clear chance at one lap on fresh soft tyres, and it was Magnussen who went out fastest.
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Karun Chandhok was on the SkyPad to look back as Magnussen sealed his first Formula 1 pole
Karun Chandhok was on the SkyPad to look back as Magnussen sealed his first Formula 1 pole
The Haas was the first car to take to the track, but the advantage it gained – as the rain intensified – was marginal at best.
Russell’s spin, during which he narrowly avoided the barrier but then ended up in the gravel, saw the session halt and, as the rain grew heavier, Magnussen and the crowd realized that a special moment was happening.
After radioing that he was first on the time sheet as the rain intensified, Magnussen expressed his excitement but warned his team that he was not done.
That caution soon gave way to celebrations, with only Perez and Hamilton bothering to take to the track – on intermediate tires – in the remaining eight minutes of the session.
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Haas team principal Guenther Steiner says Magnussen’s fairytale pole position was not down to luck and he deserved it.
Haas team principal Guenther Steiner says Magnussen’s fairytale pole position was not down to luck and he deserved it.
“I still can’t believe it,” Magnussen added.
“What a phenomenal job the team did to put me in the pitlane as the first car to give me the best track. It was starting to rain, so that was the crucial part.”
The Brazilian crowd cheered as images on the big screens around the track showed Magnussen celebrating in his car, before Haas team principal Guenther Steiner emerged from the pitwall to a standing ovation from the spectators at the local straight
Although no points are awarded for qualifying, pole represents a precious moment for one of F1’s smallest teams, which only entered the sport in 2016.
Rain creates early qualifying chaos
The rain began to fall about an hour before the start of qualifying, adding intrigue to a session that already looked set, with the top three of Perez, Leclerc and Verstappen separated by eight thousandths of a second in the first training previously. Friday.
Heavy downpours turned to steady rain as the session approached, ensuring no delays, but also that a drying track would create plenty of hazards.
All 20 cars went straight into the intermediates at the start of Q1, but Pierre Gasly switched to slicks around the halfway mark and quickly went to the top of the time sheet, making the rest of the field followed suit.
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Valtteri Bottas lamented his choice of tires during Q1, while Charles Leclerc showed his frustration with AlphaTauri’s Yuki Tsunoda as the Ferrari driver felt he repeatedly got in his way.
Valtteri Bottas lamented his choice of tires during Q1, while Charles Leclerc showed his frustration with AlphaTauri’s Yuki Tsunoda as the Ferrari driver felt he repeatedly got in his way.
After that, the time sheet changed constantly as the track rapidly improved, with both Verstappen and Hamilton finding themselves in the bottom five after the checkered flag waved, but both kept their cool to climb to the classification and advance to Q2.
The big losers were Alfa Romeo, with Valtteri Bottas and Zhou Guanyu…