Verstappen is P4, Lawson is P8 in the São Paulo GP Sprint Qualifying from

New F1 Report: Verstappen P4, Lawson P8 in São Paulo GP Sprint Qualifying

Red Bull's Max Verstappen defied a five-place grid penalty to qualify fourth for Sunday's Sao Paulo Grand Prix after an intriguing sprint race at Interlagos.

The Dutchman gained two spots on the opening lap and ran third until Mercedes' George Russell, who started on pole, pitted for fresh tires on lap 17 of 24. Verstappen assumed the lead, but Red Bull pitted him two laps later and he had to settle for fourth place.

Russell won the sprint ahead of Ferrari's Carlos Sainz, with Lewis Hamilton taking third in the other Mercedes.

Verstappen's grid penalty for an unscheduled engine change means he will start the grand prix in ninth place. That gives Sainz a clear run to pole position, with Hamilton lining up alongside him on the front row.

Verstappen was happy with his performance in the sprint, saying he "extracted everything" from the car.

"It was a good race," he said. "We had a good start and we had the pace. We were just lacking a little bit of straight-line speed, so we couldn't really challenge the Mercedes."

He added: "I think we can be happy with fourth place. The gap to the front is still a bit too big, but we'll work on it tonight and see what we can do in the race."

Lawson, who is standing in for the injured Yuki Tsunoda at AlphaTauri, qualified eighth for the sprint and finished in the same position.

The New Zealander made a good start and held his own against the more experienced drivers around him.

He said: "I'm really happy with my performance today. I think I extracted everything I could from the car. The car felt really good and I was able to push hard."

He added: "I'm looking forward to the race tomorrow. I think we have a good chance of getting some points."

The São Paulo GP Sprint Qualifying was an exciting race that set the grid for Sunday's grand prix.

Verstappen and Sainz will start on the front row, with Hamilton and Russell behind them.

Verstappen will be hoping to make up ground in the race and challenge for the win, while Sainz will be looking to hold on to his lead and take his second victory of the season.