Max Verstappen required just one lap to put his Red Bull on pole position for the Brazilian Grand Prix.
The triple world champion saw off Ferrari's Charles Leclerc as a huge storm brought a premature end to qualifying in Interlagos.
Verstappen finished three tenths clear of Leclerc as he chases his 17th win of a remarkable season, with Lance Stroll and Fernando Alonso third and fourth respectively for Aston Martin.
Lewis Hamilton took fifth, one place ahead of George Russell in the other Mercedes, with Lando Norris, who waited too long in the pit lane as the downpour approached, finishing a disappointing seventh.
Verstappen said the Red Bull machine – which has this year carried him to a third world title and a record 16 victories from the 19 rounds so far – was "bouncing around like a kangaroo" in the opening phase of qualifying.
But the Dutchman delivered at the pivotal moment after he wasted no time in putting in a lap with Q3 predicted to be hit by a huge storm.
"We did not know when the weather would hit but this is insane," said Verstappen. "It seems that it will be very close in the race. You can see that in qualifying and I expect the same on Sunday."
Leclerc said: "In my whole career I have never experienced anything like that.
"From turn four there was no rain but the car was very difficult to drive with no grip and I was thinking about coming in at the end of the lap, but we finished second which was a good surprise."
Verstappen was one of the first on track but Norris, who was the fastest man in Q2, elected to stay in his garage.
As the bad weather arrived, Norris could not get his McLaren up to speed and he finished 1.2 seconds back while his team-mate Oscar Piastri, who was one of the last to join the circuit, span off at the final corner.
Sergio Perez was following Piastri and he had to back out, leaving him only ninth.
Moments later, the running was abandoned as heavy rain and thunder and lightning arrived underneath black skies and heavy rain turned the 2.68-mile track into a swimming pool.
Amid the wild weather, a grandstand roof blew off at the the final corner but no serious injuries were reported.
"The car was amazing and easily quick enough to be on pole, so I am pretty gutted," said Norris.
"I don't know how to feel. I am disappointed. It is another disappointing qualifying. It is a shame."
Hamilton vowed not to leave Interlagos empty-handed after team-mate Russell took Mercedes’ sole victory of the season here a year ago.
However, the British driver, who is approaching two years without a win, faces an uphill task to end his losing streak after he finished seven tenths back.
Russell’s chances of following up his maiden win with another triumph on Brazilian soil also suffered a setback.
Russell, who is under investigation for impeding Alpine’s Pierre Gasly in the pit lane in Q1, was a tenth behind Hamilton. Hamilton now holds an 11-9 qualifying record over his younger team-mate.
Daniel Ricciardo put his name in the frame to bump Perez out of Red Bull next year following a display in Mexico hailed as "remarkable" by Christian Horner.
But after he qualified fourth in Mexico City, before finishing seventh, Ricciardo hit a stumbling block at Interlagos when he fell at the first hurdle.
The 34-year-old Australian will line up from only 17th place for Sunday’s race, one spot behind AlphaTauri team-mate Yuki Tsunoda.
Earlier, Verstappen said he understood the interest around the upcoming Las Vegas Grand Prix, but that doesn't mean the Red Bull star is excited about the newest track on the Formula 1 schedule.
Verstappen, who has already clinched his third world championship, is not thrilled with the layout of the 3.853-mile street circuit, which includes a straight away down the Las Vegas Strip.
"First of all, I think we are there more for the show than the racing itself if you look at the layout of the track," Verstappen said, per AutoSport.
"But you know, I'm actually not that into it. I'm more like, I'll go there and do my thing and be gone again."
The Las Vegas circuit has been compared to Monaco, an iconic event that weaves through the city streets and allows for very little passing on race day.
"But Monaco is also just history and the place itself," Verstappen said. "Everyone wants to have been to Monaco once. You can't really compare."
The Las Vegas Grand Prix will take place on 18 November and is the third F1 race in the United States, joining Austin and Miami. F1 has invested $240 million (€223.5m) into the event as it continues to expand its footprint in North America.
"In terms of racing spectacle, maybe not. But in terms of potential partners, for the whole thing around it maybe," Verstappen said when asked about the possible value Las Vegas adds to F1. "But of course, that's something I'm not very much into."
