Summary

Live Reporting

Lorraine McKenna

  1. Lap 6/24

    The fastest lap goes to Charles Leclerc and his Ferrari and the Monegasque driver continues to chase down the McLaren of Lando Norris. Max Verstappen is also gaining on the the top three but isn't in a position to make a move just yet.

  2. Jolyon Palmer
    Former Renault driver on BBC Radio 5 Live

    No sign of team orders out front [for McLaren] at the moment. Norris looks quicker, but so far no way through.

  3. Lap 5/24

    Charles Leclerc is staying on the rear wing of Lando Norris, while the Briton in turn is attached to his team-mate Oscar Piastri. Norris wants the Australian to quicken up the pace so he doesn't come under too much pressure from the Ferrari in third.

    Charles Leclerc ahead of Max VerstappenReuters

  4. Team radio - Verstappen

    Engineer: "Take your time Max and you know the game"

  5. Lap 4/24

    Sergio Perez has climbed up to 11th in the Red Bull but as it's a sprint, that position won't be good enough for points. Liam Lawson and Pierre Gasly are holding firm in the final two points places.

    sergio Perez in the Red BullGetty Images

  6. 'We may have a fight for the lead'

    Jolyon Palmer
    Former Renault driver on BBC Radio 5 Live

    Verstappen is the man applying the pressure and Norris is right with his team-mate as well.

    The laps are frantic here, just one minute and eleven seconds and we may have a fight for the lead.

  7. Lap 3/24

    Max Verstappen is waiting for an opportunity to pounce on Charles Leclerc and tries his luck at Turn Four. It doesn't quite pay off, so fourth place will have to do for the moment, but Red Bull tell the Dutchman to just be patient.

  8. Jolyon Palmer
    Former Renault driver on BBC Radio 5 Live

    It was a fantastic getaway from Piastri, covered off Norris immediately and McLaren still have one-two.

  9. Lap 2/24

    The Red Bull of Max Verstappen is pressuring Charles Leclerc for fourth place but the Ferrari is blocking off the attack so far. Oscar Piastri has opened up a 0.506 seconds on team-mate Lando Norris and leads this Brazil sprint.

  10. Go! Go! Go!

    Lap 1/24

    The Saturday sprint is on!

    Oscar Piastri covers off the threat from team-mate Lando Norris and stays in first place heading to the first corner. Charles Leclerc in still in third and Max Verstappen is just behind in fourth.

    Lewis Hamilton has lost places in the Mercedes and is now running in 14th spot.

    Oscar PiastriGetty Images

  11. 'Norris will have the inside'

    Jolyon Palmer
    Former Renault driver on BBC Radio 5 Live

    It's a very short run to the first corner, Norris will have the inside and I am sure that McLaren will have in their head some more distinct rules of engagement between their two drivers.

    For them, it's all about getting Norris ahead of Verstappen with as many cars between them as possible.

  12. Formation lap

    A remainder that Fernando Alonso, Lance Stroll and Zhou Guanyu are starting from the pit lane.

    Oscar Piastri, Lando Norris and Charles Leclerc are the front three leading us off the line.

    And three-time world champion Max Verstappen is starting his sprint race in fourth place.

  13. Formation lap

    There are some fantastics banners and posters at Interlagos this weekend.

    The Pirelli tyres are a step softer than the ones used at last year's Sao Paulo Grand Prix and the whole grid has decided to start this 24-lap sprint on the C4 medium compound.

    fan holds up a sign reading Carlos you can leave ferrari but never my heartGetty Images
    fans hold up signs for Lewis HamiltonGoogle
    fans at InterlagosGetty Images

  14. Who is starting in the points?

    Max VerstappenGetty Images

    We've got two McLarens, both Ferraris, one Red Bull, a single Mercedes and an Alpine and RB starting in the points places for the sprint.

    Williams' Alex Albon and super sub Ollie Bearman in the Haas are the two drivers just outside the top eight in ninth and 10th respectively.

    1. Oscar Piastri (McLaren)

    2. Lando Norris (McLaren)

    3. Charles Leclerc (Ferrari)

    4. Max Verstappen (Red Bull)

    5. Carlos Ssainz (Ferrari)

    6. George Russell (Mercedes)

    7. Pierre Gasly (Alpine)

    8. Liam Lawson (RB)

  15. 'Not a lot of sleep but looking forward to racing' - Bearman

    Oliver Bearman at the Brazil GP.Getty Images

    Oliver Bearman is stepping in for Kevin Magnussen in the Haas, he starts the sprint in tenth. He told Sky Sports: "Not a lot of sleep but I'm looking forward to it. I really enjoy the track so I'm looking forward to racing here."

  16. What is the weather forecast in Sao Paulo?

    Ian Fergusson
    BBC weather forecaster

    Air temperature is 28C and the track 44.1C. Wind lighter than yesterday; gusts to 14mph in past hour, from the north.

    Dry; official risk of rain is 10%. This rises in latest FIA guidance to 40% for qualifying and 70-80% for tomorrow's race.

  17. Norris focused on his own job

    Lando NorrisGetty Images

    Lando Norris is starting two places higher than rival Max Verstappen in the sprint race today, however, the McLaren driver was unwilling to give his on what that P4 start could mean in the context of the title fight.

    "I don't care. I hate this question so much," Norris said. "I'm just going to race. I don't care about where he qualified.

    "For me, it's just focus on my own job. It's the same question every time. It doesn't matter. If he's first or last, I will do the best I can."

  18. Russell predicts he will be in 'no man's land' for sprint

    George Russell at Brazil GP.Getty Images

    George Russell starts in P6 for the sprint and he told Sky Sports: "Unfortunately, I think it’s going to be a little bit of no man's land between the front five and the guys behind, I hope that changes and we can give them that fight, looking after yesterday’s qualifying that’s where we lie at the moment."

    On any new upgrades, he added: "I’ve got all the new stuff on the car. I don’t think the floor is the reason for our fluctuation in performance, I think it’s more down to the ride and how the car is hopping around the track."

  19. Hamilton has 'no confidence' in car

    Lewis HamiltonGetty Images

    Lewis Hamilton and Sergio Perez were the shock knockouts in SQ2 on Friday, with the Mercedes driver starting P11 and Perez lining up his Red Bull in P13 for the sprint.

    Hamilton flagged his pain after driving the Mercedes for an hour on the new asphalt in first practice, and then his lack of pace in sprint qualifying left him downbeat in Sao Paulo.

    "Pretty bad, said the seven-time world champion. "But it’s the same as every qualifying for me, not that I’m happy about it.

    "I just don’t have any confidence in the car so a big struggle for me."

    For Perez, it was balance issues that hampered his performance in the second part of qualifying, plus some confusion on the run plan.

  20. Track 'extremely bumpy everywhere' - Verstappen

    Andrew Benson
    BBC F1 correspondent

    Max VerstappenGetty Images

    Max Verstappen was 0.320 seconds adrift of Oscar Piastri's pole position time and starts today's sprint race in fourth place.

    Verstappen said that bumps on the freshly resurfaced track at Interlagos had exposed one of the Red Bull's key flaws.

    "As soon as we went into qualifying, it looked like we were definitely off," he said.

    "A bit difficult on the bumps. They did the resurfacing but I think they made it worse to drive. It is extremely bumpy everywhere and that is not good for our car.

    "On all the bumpy areas the car is jumping around a lot and it is costing me quite a bit of lap time."

    On Sunday, championship Max Verstappen will have a five-place grid penalty at the Sao Paulo Grand Prix.

    Red Bull team have fitted a new internal combustion engine, and Verstappen had already exceeded his allocation for the year.