Mastering the most treacherous of conditions at Interlagos, Lando Norris had the edge to take pole position for McLaren at the São Paulo Grand Prix, having bested a downpour that tested every driver. But with more rain predicted for the race on Sunday, it remains wide open from the front to the very back of the grid.

After a qualifying session that took two and a half hours to complete because of delays caused by the heavy rain, Norris came out on top but the grid will be marked by a very mixed-up formation, as a host of drivers took penalties.

“We could just have an exciting race with a little bit of everything, honestly,” he said. “I was certainly more confident in the wet and inter [intermediate] than I was in the dry.…