Lando Norris has taken a significant step towards the world championship after winning Saturday’s sprint race in Sao Paulo, benefiting from Oscar Piastri’s dramatic crash. Starting from pole position, Norris maintained control throughout the lap, leading every lap and crossing the finish line 0.8 seconds ahead of Mercedes’ Kimi Antonelli.
George Russell claimed third place, just ahead of Red Bull’s Max Verstappen. With this win, Norris extended his championship lead over Piastri from one point to nine, while Verstappen now trails 40 points behind with 108 points still to play for.
Norris made a confident start, holding the lead into the first corner, with Antonelli close behind in second. Piastri, who began third, failed to overtake and struggled to keep pace. On the sixth lap, Piastri’s front-left tire clipped the kerb exiting the Senna Esses, causing him to spin and crash into the barrier, ending his race prematurely.
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The track conditions were challenging after an overnight storm, making the circuit damp and tricky to navigate. Drivers were advised to avoid white lines and excessive kerb use, but Piastri, along with Sauber’s Nico Hulkenberg and Alpine’s Franco Colapinto, suffered crashes in similar sections—each hitting the tyre barriers on the exit of turn three. The damage to the barrier caused a race suspension and a red flag.
Piastri had entered the weekend atop the standings with a 34-point lead following his August victory in the Netherlands. However, his form has declined with multiple incidents: crashes in qualifying and the race in Azerbaijan and a first-lap pile-up in Austin that took both him and Norris out.
After a 24-minute delay for barrier repairs, the race resumed behind a rolling start, allowing Norris to retain his lead. He kept Antonelli at bay before sealing a well-earned victory. Norris remarked, “It was tough. Kimi did not make my life easy. It was sketchy and not an easy race, but exactly the kind of challenging conditions you expect here in Brazil.”
Max Verstappen gained two places from sixth on the grid following Piastri’s retirement and an early pass on Fernando Alonso, engaging in a close battle with Aston Martin’s Alonso during the restart. Verstappen managed to hold position but lost valuable points, falling further behind Norris in the title race.
Lewis Hamilton made a strong recovery from his 11th place start, advancing to seventh after overtaking three competitors and benefiting from Piastri’s exit. Meanwhile, Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc finished fifth after mounting a late charge past Alonso.
Home crowd favorite Gabriel Bortoleto survived a terrifying crash late in the race after slipping on damp asphalt and hitting the barrier at high speed. The impact launched his car into the air and sent it crashing across the track. Though Bortoleto escaped serious injury, he is unlikely to take part in upcoming qualifying.
This sprint race delivered intense drama and reshuffled championship standings, setting the stage for a thrilling conclusion to the season.