F1 Brazil GP live commentary and updates – sprint qualifying

WELCOME BACK TO SAO PAULO

Sprint qualifying is shortly to begin here at Interlagos and a fascinating tussle is in prospect. On the face of it, McLaren is in charge – Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri were over half a second faster than anyone else in FP1 – but neither Max Verstappen nor the Ferrari drivers went for a fast lap on softer rubber.

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With so much scrutiny of the two McLaren drivers, team boss Andrea Stella has been fielding questions again over whether the relationship is sustainable. "We're not naive," he reckons... but he doesn't think the battle will escalate into Prost-Senna-style rancour.

And as the engines fire up, the sun is still shining. Track temperature is 43C and ambient is 19C.

Yuki Tsunoda first out of the garages and taking his place at the head of the queue to exit the pits when the lights go green. Remember SQ1 is just 12 minutes long so this will be fast – and some people will come out furious.

Other furious people include native speakers who hear the commentariat pronounce the penultimate corner as "young sow".

Norris purple in sector one on his first flying lap. This is looking good so far as the timesheet is concerned but the in-car footage is revealing some gruesome understeer.

1m10.311s for Norris – but Piastri is faster with 1m10.286s.

Fernando Alonso currently P3, 0.130s off Piastri, but we've not seen Verstappen or the two Ferraris yet, or the Mercedes. Tsunoda's first flier was 1.067s slower than P1.

Now we see the Ferraris join the track. Dear oh dear, the first fliers for Hamilton and Leclerc aren't good. Hamilton 0.402s off Piastri, Leclerc 0.476s slower – they're currently in the nether regions of the top 10.

1m10.107s for Max Verstappen – also on the mediums – and that's P1 for now.

Mercedes drivers now completing their out-laps.

George Russell briefly goes to the top of the timesheet with 1m.10.048s but Norris immediately bunks him down to second with 1m09.702s. The Piastri slides in between them, 0.315s off his McLaren team-mate.

Both McLarens running on fresh mediums according to our data screen.

Pierre Gasly briefly hit P3 but has been demoted to P5 by that flurry – only a tenth and a bit off Verstappen!

Kimi Antonelli currently P6, 0.679s off Piastri – no, P7! Hamilton finds something down the back of the sofa and goes P6. Leclerc has also improved.

With a minute to go, the danger zone encompasses Hulkenberg, Albon, Ocon, Colapinto and Sainz.

Albon finds something – 1m10.275s.

Bortoleto also safe thanks to a 1m10.217s.

Colapinto lifts himself to P15 with a 1m10.441 – that puts Tsunoda in the bottom five!

In contrast to Esteban Ocon, Oliver Bearman went P6 – seven tenths faster than his team-mate.

At the death there Norris went even quicker – 1m09.627s. Verstappen second but 0.348s.

Lawson on the team radio saying "What the **** just happened?" The x-rated version of Britain's entry for this year's Eurovision Song Contest.

Gabriel Bortoleto winning the race to be first on track for SQ2.

Bortoleto starts his flying lap, and might have got a little bit of a tow from Max Verstappen on the run to Turn 4.

It's good for Bortoleto – 1m09.963 on new mediums – but those who follow are even faster. The track evolving quickly now. Fernando Alonso currently P1 with 1m09.330s.

Verstappen looked on course to beat Alonso but then fell 0.377s short. Leclerc also wanting in terms of lap time, 0.402s off after his first run. Hamilton 0.481s off. Extraordinary scenes with just under five minutes to go.

Neither of the two McLarens can dethrone Alonso! Norris 0.043s short, Piastri 0.086s. But they're safe, while the Ferraris definitely aren't. Hamilton P11 and Leclerc P9 as we type.

0.633s separates fastest (Alonso) from slowest (Bortoleto) as we hit the three-minutes-to-go mark.

Verstappen on a flyer now. He's currently P8 and 0.377s off Alonso, so he needs to bank this one to be safe.

Lots of traffic in the final sector for Max – Piastri and the two Ferraris.

Yes, no improvement from him.

Leclerc also pushing but he's got Hadjar in the final sector... is that a glitch on our driver tracker? No! Charles spun.

So, out in SQ2 we have Hamilton, Albon, Gasly, Bortoleto and Bearman. That late yellow cost several drivers in terms of having to abort hot laps or missing the opportunity to start one.

Verstappen describing his car as "completely broken". Still, he's through...

And Hamilton has been "noted" for a yellow-flag infringement – likely hustling a bit too much to get to the line and start a new lap.

Soft tyres being deployed now so let's see who's got what in terms of pace.

George Russell is first to set a time but he got very crossed up in that final sector. 1m09.556s – let's see how that stacks up but George definitely left some time on the table there.

Antonelli now P1 with 1m09.340s. Piastri's first run is a disappointment – P3, no, P4! Norris goes top with 1m09.271s. Piastri's time was 0.363s off.

Replays show Piastri needed a "dab of oppo" into Turn 1 to correct a slide. That's where the time went.

Both McLarens still circulating, so clearly attempting the standard double cool-lap to see if those Pirellis can be persuaded to deliver another quick one.