Lando Norris claimed victory at the Sao Paulo Grand Prix after Kimi Antonelli and George Russell both faltered in the wet conditions, handing the McLaren driver a win that ended a two-month drought. Norris started on pole but immediately lost the lead to Antonelli, who pulled away as the track remained damp. The race took a decisive turn when Norris pitted early for dry tyres, gaining ground on the Italian before Antonelli spun at Turn One, handing the lead back to Norris.
Antonelli, recently crowned world champion, had built an eight-second advantage by lap 13, but Norris’s earlier switch to slick tyres allowed him to close the gap rapidly. Antonelli’s complaints of strange handling under acceleration came moments before his spin on lap 20. Meanwhile, Russell, who had begun seventh, suffered a costly mistake when he spun exiting the pit lane during his stop on lap 16. That error dropped him from podium contention down to tenth, though he fought back to finish fourth.
Max Verstappen made an impressive recovery from 21st on the grid to finish second, showing strong pace in both dry and wet conditions. His progress was interrupted early by Lewis Hamilton, who initially moved ahead but eventually fell back to ninth despite pushing hard for early tyre changes. Verstappen passed several rivals, including Ferrari’s Oscar Piastri and Liam Lawson, to close in on the leading group.
Norris controlled the final stages of the race as rain intensified. After switching to intermediate tyres, he maintained a three-second lead over Verstappen, who chased him relentlessly but couldn’t find a way past. Red Bull instructed Hadjar, who ran third for much of the race, to let Verstappen through on lap 39 to mount a late challenge. Hadjar’s inconsistency cost him, and he eventually finished behind Verstappen.
Russell and Antonelli’s finishes secured the constructors’ championship for Mercedes for the first time since 2021. Despite their mistakes, the duo’s points haul was enough to clinch the title one week after Antonelli won the drivers’ championship. Both Antonelli and Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc received five-second penalties after the race for separate incidents. Antonelli’s penalty did not affect his fifth-place finish, but Leclerc dropped to eighth after causing a collision with Lawson, who moved up to seventh.
Norris described the race as “very, very tough,” especially with the tyre changes in mixed conditions. “Not the best of launches off the line, but a lot of challenges today with the conditions and going on slicks in the wet is always tough,” he said. “The main thing today was that I just kept it cool and I did not make any mistakes. I had the pace when I needed to so it was good. Nice to be back on the top step and what a place to do it as well.”
Oscar Piastri finished sixth, unable to match Norris’s pace but holding off Hamilton, who finished ninth after a strong start. Nico Hulkenberg took the final point in 10th place for Audi. The race exposed difficulties for Ferrari and Mercedes in tricky conditions, despite the silver arrows’ overall success in the constructors’ standings.
After his spin in the pit lane, Russell’s recovery drive put him back into contention, but his pace was insufficient to challenge Norris or Verstappen. Antonelli’s struggles with car balance and the subsequent spin cost him a likely win in his first race as world champion.
The Sao Paulo Grand Prix unfolded as a test of tyre strategy and driver composure in changing weather, with Norris’s calculated moves and steady pace proving decisive.
According to Yahoo Sports.