Outgoing World Champion Lando Norris claimed pole position for Formula 1's São Paulo Grand Prix at a rain-lashed Interlagos.
Heavy and intense rainfall swept through Interlagos just as the session started, causing it to be suspended and delayed for almost 90 minutes, before conditions were deemed safe enough to resume running.
Further rainfall at various intensities influenced proceedings throughout the course of the three-part session, though drivers were able to switch from Wets to Intermediates midway through Q2.
Norris posted a time of 1:27.470 seconds to go fastest just before rain worsened halfway through the 12-minute Q3 session, denying his rivals the chance to beat his benchmark.
It marked Norris' third successive pole position at Interlagos, and the 20thof his Formula 1 career.
George Russell was second, two-tenths of a second behind his compatriot, but he will drop to seventh on the grid due to a power unit penalty.
New World Champion Kimi Antonelli will join Norris on the front row of the grid due to Russell's penalty.
Kimi Antonelli will join Norris on the front row of the grid due to Russell's penalty.Clive Rose - Getty Images
Charles Leclerc was fourth-best but is another of the regular front-runners to cop a demotion due to an engine change, this time a 10-place penalty, meaning he will start from 14thplace.
Both Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen will be relegated to the very back of the grid, because of engine changes, and they briefly took part in the session before calling it a day.
It means that two of the standout midfield drivers in the tricky conditions, Racing Bulls' Liam Lawson and Audi's Nico Hulkenberg, will line up from third and fourth on the grid respectively.
Red Bull's Isack Hadjar will start from fifth, ahead of Haas' Ollie Bearman, with the sanctioned Russell seventh.
Aston Martin's Fernando Alonso and Williams' Alex Albon both secured their first Q3 appearances of a troubled season but were duly slowest in the final shootout.
It was a difficult day for the home representatives as both Gabriel Bortoleto and debutant Rafael Camara crashed out.
Audi's Bortoleto slid off track at Juncao in the opening stages of the drenched Q1, condemning him to a lowly spot.
Camara also went off in Q1, spinning out of Turn 3, but was miraculously able to continue despite a heavy impact against the barriers. However he was less fortunate in the closing moments of Q2 when he slid wide at Juncao, skated across the soaked grass, and hit the barriers head-on.
