Lando Norris has taken a significant step towards his first Formula 1 world championship after a commanding victory at the Sao Paulo Grand Prix, while teammate Oscar Piastri's title hopes suffered a major blow following a costly penalty.
Dominant Display in Interlagos
The British driver delivered a flawless performance at the Interlagos circuit, crossing the finish line 10.3 seconds clear of Mercedes rookie Kimi Antonelli. Red Bull's Max Verstappen completed the podium after an extraordinary recovery drive from near the back of the grid.
Norris's victory becomes even more crucial when examining the championship picture. The McLaren driver now holds a 24-point advantage over teammate Piastri, while Verstappen sits 49 points behind with only 83 points remaining across the final three rounds in Las Vegas, Qatar and Abu Dhabi.
Piastri's Costly Collision
The race took a dramatic turn for Piastri when the Australian received a 10-second penalty for a collision with Antonelli during the safety car restart. The incident saw Antonelli make contact with Charles Leclerc's Ferrari, ending the Monegasque driver's race with suspension damage.
"He left me with no space," protested Piastri, who had been running in second position before the penalty. The time penalty, served during his pit stop, dropped him to eighth position. Despite recovering to fifth, the damage to his championship challenge was significant.
Verstappen's Remarkable Recovery
Meanwhile, Max Verstappen produced one of the drives of the season after starting from the pit lane. The Red Bull team had completely overhauled his car overnight, including fitting a new engine, in a final attempt to keep his title defence alive.
Despite an early pit stop on lap seven for a suspected puncture, Verstappen carved through the field in characteristic style. He even led the race briefly on lap 51 before making a final pit stop for soft tyres that secured him third position ahead of the battling Mercedes cars.
Norris's championship prospects have transformed dramatically since late August when he retired from the Dutch Grand Prix. At that point, he trailed Piastri by 34 points, but six consecutive strong performances have created a 58-point swing in his favour.
The mathematics now favour the British driver significantly. Norris could afford to finish second to Piastri in all three remaining races, plus the final sprint event in Qatar, and still claim his maiden world championship.
This victory in Brazil follows another dominant display in Mexico City and reinforces Norris's growing reputation as a championship contender. After securing pole position in Saturday's sprint race and winning both that event and Sunday's grand prix from first on the grid, Norris has answered questions about his ability to perform under pressure.
Elsewhere in the field, Lewis Hamilton's difficult weekend continued as the seven-time world champion retired on the opening lap following a collision with Williams driver Franco Colapinto.
With only three races remaining in the 2025 season, the stage is set for a thrilling conclusion to the championship battle, though Norris now holds all the cards in his quest for Formula 1 glory.
