Kevin Magnussen takes the first pole position of his career, Haas end the longest wait for a maiden pole in F1 history and Ferrari reach 30 Q3 appearances at Interlagos. Here are the facts and statistics from the 2022 Sao Paulo Grand Prix!
MAGNUSSEN FASTEST ON FRIDAY
In a qualifying session held in mixed conditions, Kevin Magnussen secured the first pole position of his Formula 1 career. He became the 106th different driver to take pole position at a round of the World Championship.
This was the first time Magnussen has qualified inside the top three. His previous best qualifying result was fourth place, which he recorded at the 2014 Australian Grand Prix, the 2014 German Grand Prix and the 2022 Emilia Romagna Grand Prix.
Magnussen’s pole made Denmark the 24th different nation to have had a polesitter. Denmark becomes one of only four to have taken a single pole, after Poland (Robert Kubica, 2008 Bahrain Grand Prix), Venezuela (Pastor Maldonado, 2012 Spanish Grand Prix) and Mexico (Sergio Perez, 2022 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix).
Magnussen took pole position on his 141st attempt. Only two drivers have taken more attempts to record their first pole and, incidentally, both have done so this year: Sergio Perez (216) and Carlos Sainz (151).
Haas become the team to have made the most appearances before securing their first pole position. This was the team’s 142nd qualifying appearances, beating the previous record set by BAR of 87 races.
Magnussen is the fourth driver to take their maiden pole position during the 2022 season, after Sergio Perez, Carlos Sainz and George Russell. 2022 is the first season since 1979 in which four different drivers have taken their maiden pole positions.
2022 is the first season since 2012 to have had as many as six different polesitters in a single season.
Magnussen was unable to keep the lead in the Sprint and will start in eighth place. Nevertheless, Magnussen is one of only five drivers to have scored in all three sprint races in 2022, the others being the two Ferrari drivers and the two Red Bull drivers.
RUSSELL WINS THE SPRINT – MERCEDES LOCK-OUT THE FRONT ROW
George Russell took victory in Saturday’s F1 Sprint, meaning he starts the 2022 Sao Paulo Grand Prix from pole position. This will be the second time Russell has started from pole, after the 2022 Hungarian Grand Prix.
On Friday, George Russell qualified in third place, reaching Q3 for the first time at Interlagos having never previously made it out of Q1 at the circuit.
Lewis Hamilton qualified only eighth on Friday at Interlagos – his worst qualifying result in a traditional qualifying since setting the ninth fastest time in qualifying at the 2022 Austrian Grand Prix, where there was also a Sprint race. Hamilton improved to third in the Sprint and as a result of Carlos Sainz’s grid penalty, he will start on the front row. This is Mercedes’ first front row lock-out of the 2022 season.
Hamilton becomes the first driver to start from the front row on seven occasions at the Interlagos circuit.
IN THE TOP 10
On Friday, Lando Norris qualified in the top four for the fourth time this season. This was his first top four qualifying result since the Hungarian Grand Prix. Norris lost positions in the Sprint and starts the Grand Prix from seventh.
With both Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz reaching Q3, Ferrari became the first team to record 30 Q3 appearances at Interlagos. The team has reached Q3 with both cars at every Interlagos race since 2010.
Esteban Ocon reached Q3 at Interlagos for the first time in his career. However, after contact with his team-mate, he lost positions in the Sprint and will start only 18th. This is the third time Ocon has started 18th or lower at Interlagos.
Sergio Perez qualified in ninth place – the first time he has qualified outside of the top five since the 2022 Hungarian Grand Prix. He moved up to fifth place in the Sprint.
Taking tenth place in Friday qualifying, Charles Leclerc recorded his worst qualifying result since the Canadian Grand Prix, where he qualified 15th.
OUT IN Q2
For the first time in his career, Lance Stroll progressed to Q2 at Interlagos.
With 13th place, Sebastian Vettel failed qualified outside of the top ten at Interlagos for only the second time since the 2009 Brazilian Grand Prix, where he qualified 16th. However, he made up positions in the Sprint, making this the 12th consecutive Interlagos race at which he has started in the top ten
Alex Albon became the first Williams driver to reach Q2 at Interlagos since Sergey Sirotkin in 2018.
Pierre Gasly was eliminated in Q2, failing to reach Q3 in Brazil for the first time since 2017.
Daniel Ricciardo failed to reach Q3 for the fifth consecutive race, making this his longest streak without a Q3 appearance since failing to reach Q3 for 18 races between the 2012 Spanish Grand Prix and the 2013 Malaysian Grand Prix.
OUT IN Q1
Nicholas Latifi qualified in 16th place, marking the first time he did not qualify last since also qualifying 16th at the Italian Grand Prix.
With both Valtteri Bottas and Zhou Guanyu out in Q1, this was the first time both Alfa Romeo drivers were eliminated in Q1 since the 2021 Qatar Grand Prix.
This was Bottas’ first Q1 elimination at Interlagos. His previous worst qualifying position at the circuit was 13th place in 2013.
Yuki Tsunoda was eliminated in Q1, qualifying on the back row for the first time since the Belgian Grand Prix. It was his fourth back row qualification of the 2022 season.
