SÃO PAULO — Lando Norris secured a thrilling victory at the Brazilian GP sprint race, capitalizing on the misfortune of his title rival Oscar Piastri, who suffered a dramatic crash. As the race unfolded at Interlagos, Piastri lost control while maneuvering out of Turn 2, careening into the barriers due to a pool of water left on the curb by Norris’s earlier passage. The incident ended Piastri’s race prematurely and caused a setback in his championship aspirations.
Norris’s triumph in the sprint race not only awarded him the full eight points but also extended his championship lead over Piastri to nine points. This marks Norris’s most substantial lead since the Chinese Grand Prix, where he previously held an eight-point advantage over Max Verstappen. The Brazilian sprint underlined a notable shift in momentum, as Verstappen finished fourth, placing him 39 points adrift of Norris with only four races remaining in the season, starting with the main event on Sunday.
The contrasting performances of Norris and Piastri underscore a remarkable turnaround for McLaren drivers. Just two weeks prior, Norris had taken the lead in the championship standings by winning the Mexican Grand Prix, which ended Piastri’s six-month reign at the top. Piastri’s recent string of poor results, following his victory at the Dutch Grand Prix in August, has raised concerns about his form.
In addition to Piastri, the sprint race brought challenges for others, including Sauber’s Nico Hülkenberg and Alpine’s Franco Colapinto, who also spun out at the same corner shortly after the initial incident. Piastri expressed determination to recover from his crash, emphasizing that qualifying for the main race could still turn fortunes around: “There’s a lot more points on offer tomorrow, so the better job I can do in Qualifying to get a good starting spot, the better it will be.”
The race faced a red flag following Colapinto’s crash, which damaged part of the barriers. Nevertheless, once racing resumed, Norris effectively managed a safety car restart, maintaining his lead over Andrea Kimi Antonelli, who finished second, beating George Russell to the podium position. Antonelli’s performance offers Mercedes optimism for Sunday’s grand prix, where full points will be awarded.
As for the local favorite, Gabriele Bortoleto, his race concluded with a worrying crash on the last lap when he lost control of his car upon entering Turn 1. Fortunately, he emerged unscathed from the wreckage, although his team will face a substantial repair challenge ahead of the qualifying session for his debut home grand prix.
For Norris, the victory further positions him as a key contender as the season nears its conclusion with races in Las Vegas looming. Meanwhile, the grid remains highly charged, with both McLaren drivers and rival teams eager to capitalize on this high-stakes championship battle.