Lando Norris was hit in the eye by a firework and left momentarily stunned after his victory champagne bottle shattered on the Sao Paulo Grand Prix podium. The incident came after the British driver secured his first win since the Dutch Grand Prix in August, capitalising on a Kimi Antonelli spin to triumph in Brazil.
Norris returned to the top step of the podium just seven days after it was confirmed he had surrendered his Formula One world title. The British national anthem rang out across Sao Paulo as Norris and McLaren celebrated their return to form, but the rest of the podium ceremony went off-script.
Champagne Celebration Goes Wrong
The drivers grabbed their champagne bottles ready to spray them in traditional motorsport fashion. Norris, however, has a distinctive method of popping his bottles, having developed a habit of smashing them against the ground to dislodge the cork. Until Sunday, this had never caused an issue, but this time the bottle exploded on contact with the ground.
Norris then found himself in the wrong place as a sparkler at the front of the stage went off and struck him in the eye. For several seconds he remained motionless, his hand raised to his face.
Verstappen Checks on Norris
Once second-placed Max Verstappen clocked what had happened, he immediately ceased spraying his own champagne and stepped forward to check on his fellow competitor. TV cameras zoomed in for a close-up of Norris's face, revealing no visible cuts to his skin, with his eyes wide open.
The shattered glass did not prove too much of a safety concern either, as Mercedes staff swiftly took over the podium, celebrating their newly-clinched constructors' championship.
