Oscar Piastri took pole position on Friday for the Brazilian Grand Prix sprint race and said he will race to win, but admitted teammate Lando Norris is in greater need of points.

The McLaren duo, boosted by an updated rear wing, blocked off the front row of the grid to increase the possibility that the team’s orders to help Norris in his title fight will come into use.

Speaking after Friday’s sprint qualifying session at Interlagos, the modest Australian driver said he wanted to win Saturday’s race and added that anything could happen.

“I think first and second is the first objective and then we will see what order it is. “I know I’m not competing for the drivers’ classification, for the team it doesn’t matter which direction we are going in, so I know that’s the case and we’ll see,” Piastri said.

“I have said that (I would give up a win) since we first had these discussions.

“Lando needs the points in the drivers’ standings much more than I do, but of course I still want to win. If I try hard and show good pace, I’m sure it won’t go unnoticed, but we’ll see.”

It was not a clear indication of the likelihood of team orders, but rather a realization that if the McLaren duo, who took advantage of the performance boost given them by a new “spoon” rear wing, run first and second on the final lap , that can happen. .

What a duo. #BrazilGP pic.twitter.com/4AJrGly8ks

—McLaren (@McLarenF1) November 1, 2024

Noris is 47 points behind Red Bull’s three-time world champion Max Verstappen in the title race with four race weekends left this season.

Piastri also said the newly repaved track was so bumpy that it created problems for drivers.

“It was a difficult session,” he said. “I felt quite comfortable at the beginning and the grip improved a lot during the session.

“But with the track this year being so bumpy, it’s hard enough to see where you’re going, let alone try to do a fast lap. It is a challenge, but I am very happy to qualify on pole for the sprint.”

‘Fed up with questions’

It was Piastri’s second career pole, but he has yet to take a pole for a Grand Prix.

Norris said he was surprised by the speed of his car.

“I was surprised how fast we went today, but it was nice, of course,” he said.

“I made some mistakes on my last lap so I just boxed out, but it was a good team job.

“Like I said, I wasn’t expecting it, so it’s a nice surprise. I just made too many mistakes on my last lap to get pole.”

He turned down opportunities to discuss his prospects of closing in on Verstappen in the title race with sprint success.

“I really hate these questions,” he said. “I don’t care where I qualify.

“For me it’s just about concentrating on my own work and that’s it. It’s the same questions every time, but I don’t care if it starts first or if it comes last. I will do the best I can.”

Verstappen, who will face a five-place grid penalty for Sunday’s Grand Prix following an engine change, his sixth this year, qualified fourth behind the McLaren duo and Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc.

That put him ahead of Carlos Sainz in the second Ferrari, Mercedes’ George Russell, Alpine’s Pierre Gasly and RB’s Liam Lawson.

“Our car is a bit difficult on the bumps,” said the Dutchman. “They repaved it, but they have made it worse for driving. There are a lot of potholes everywhere.

“And that’s not good for our car. In the bumpy areas, the car jumps a lot and, unfortunately, that is costing me a lot of lap time.”

Alex Albon was ninth for Williams, ahead of the impressive Oliver Bearman, the British teenager driving for Haas in place of the ill Kevin Magnussen.