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The 2023 F1 Brazilian GP qualifying ended under covers as rain did just what it had done last season. After the first round of fast laps from the drivers, the track was drenched as rain ended the proceedings early. It was Max Verstappen once again in pole position as he secured his 11th pole of the season.
He will be joined on the front row by Charles Leclerc in his Ferrari followed by an all-Aston Martin second row. Lance Stroll will start the race in P3 while teammate Fernando Alonso will start in P4.
As the paddock gets drenched in the rain, who would be happy with how the 2023 F1 Brazilian GP qualifying turned and who would be a bit disappointed? Let's take a look.
2023 F1 Brazilian GP Qualifying
Winner
Max Verstappen
The 2023 F1 Brazilian GP qualifying was just another example of an instance where Max Verstappen could have easily not qualified on pole. The driver had not shown the pace to secure the pole.
On the contrary, he hadn't looked like the fastest on a single lap throughout the session. Having said that when push came to shove and a lap time was needed at the perfect time, the Dutchman got it done.
Loser
Lando Norris
This is the second week in a row where Lando Norris should have been able to fight for the front row. It was more or less the same situation in Mexico and it was a similar case of the team not being alert enough with the weather warnings in Brazil.
Such things cannot be taken lightly and that's just one area where McLaren might need to work if it wants to challenge at the front of the grid in the future.
Winner
Lance Stroll
There are a couple of races every season where Lance Stroll finds something and does a brilliant job. The 2023 F1 Brazilian GP qualifying was one such session.
Everything seemed to click. He was comfortably quicker than Fernando Alsonso and then in the end he secured a P3 start. This result is surely going to help his confidence especially as he goes up against Alonso the next time.
Loser
Alpine
Alpine has more or less regressed to be a midfield contender. The French team has done absolutely nothing of note this season and in all fairness, the downfall has been so disappointing.
With no team principal or a technical director in place, you just have to question the seriousness with which Alpine is operating. The 2023 F1 Brazilian GP was another race where the team was just making up numbers.
Neither driver making it into Q3 is not a surprise anymore as the team is at best the sixth-fastest car on the grid with no hope of improvement whatsoever.
Winner
Charles Leclerc
One of the few occasions where Charles Leclerc can happily claim that the Ferrari strategy worked to his advantage.
The car wasn't as competitive as he might have expected it to be over a lap in the 2023 F1 Brazilian GP but a decent front row is still a better place to start the race than the back of the grid.
Can he fight for the podium or even challenge Max ahead of him? Both of them seem to be a tough ask but at least he's placed himself in a strong position to aid that.
Loser
Daniel Ricciardo
Daniel Ricciardo had a strong weekend in Mexico but the race in Brazil was another example of what happens in such a compact field.
The Australian was out-qualified by his teammate by less than a tenth and that might not be the best result when he's vying for a seat at Red Bull.
