Norris keeps his head as the weather turns
Lando Norris lost the lead on the opening lap, fell to third, and still won the Sao Paulo Grand Prix by almost 15 seconds. The McLaren driver started from pole, dropped behind Kimi Antonelli at the start, and waited for the damp track to give him a way back.
Antonelli led by six seconds before the stops. Then he pitted a lap late, struggled to bring his tyres up to temperature and spun, handing the lead back to Norris. Both Red Bulls went past him as well. Norris had already gambled on slicks as the circuit dried, and when the rain came back late on and the whole field dived for intermediates, he never put a wheel wrong.
no renewal
Free for 2 weeks.
Verstappen charges, Mercedes celebrate
Max Verstappen started 21st and finished second, 14.602s behind the winner. Isack Hadjar completed a double podium for Red Bull in third. Further back, George Russell took fourth and Antonelli fifth, with Oscar Piastri sixth and Charles Leclerc seventh for Ferrari.
Those two Mercedes finishes ended the constructors’ fight with three rounds still to run. It is the team’s ninth title, their first since a run of eight straight from 2014 to 2021, and it draws them level with Williams in third place on the all-time list. Antonelli, already crowned drivers’ champion, will not mind the missed win too much.
Lewis Hamilton was ninth for Ferrari, a lap down. Lance Stroll and Valtteri Bottas were the only retirements.
What comes next
The grid heads to the Las Vegas Grand Prix from November 20 to 22 with the constructors’ trophy already settled.
Discover the rest of our F1 news on MathODDS!
in your pocket.
Real-time notifications & alerts
Leave a Reply