British McLaren driver Lando Norris tightened his grip at the São Paulo Grand Prix weekend with a performance that underlined his growing status as a top contender for the 2025 Formula 1 world title. The McLaren driver turned his pole position into a commanding victory, expanding his championship lead over teammate Oscar Piastri to 24 points. However, the race will also be remembered for Max Verstappen’s remarkable comeback and the emotional commitment Norris displayed after crossing the finish line.
Norris delivered what he later called a “perfect weekend”, sweeping both qualifying and the sprint before controlling Sunday’s main event. From the moment the lights went out, the British driver managed the chaos behind him with composure, keeping a strong pace and executing a clean two-stop strategy. His victory, his seventh of the season, becomes another milestone in what is increasingly looking like a title-clinching campaign. Norris admitted the race pace wasn’t quite where he expected it to be, especially after seeing the sheer speed of Verstappen’s comeback, but his advantage remained unthreatened throughout.
The early laps were anything but calm. A first-lap crash eliminated hometown rookie Gabriel Bortoleto, whose Kick Sauber was sent into the barriers after contact with Lance Stroll. Moments after the Safety Car restart, another incident reshaped the race order: Piastri locked up while attempting to overtake Kimi Antonelli at Turn One, causing Antonelli’s Mercedes to collide with Charles Leclerc and forcing the Ferrari driver into retirement. The collision earned Piastri a 10-second time penalty and created a disadvantage he never fully overcame by the end of the race.
Behind Norris, the battle of the day unfolded between Antonelli and Max Verstappen. The Red Bull driver had started from the pit lane after setup changes and appeared out of contention after suffering an early puncture. What followed, however, was one of the most dramatic drives of his career. Verstappen sliced through the midfield, overtook with conviction, and climbed into podium contention as the race entered its closing stages.
His charge on Antonelli proved to be quite an impressive duel, with the 18-year-old Mercedes rookie holding his own under intense pressure to claim a career-best P2. Verstappen settled for P3, a remarkable result considering his start from the pit lane. His result leaves him 49 points behind Norris in the overall standings.
Despite facing pressure from McLaren driver Oscar Piastri, George Russell delivered a strong performance for Mercedes, securing fourth place. The Australian managed to recover to P5, but his penalty and early mistake ultimately cost him the chance to make progress in the title fight. His deficit to Norris is now nearly a full race victory, and with only three races remaining, the momentum appears to have shifted decisively away from him.
Further down the order, Haas enjoyed one of their strongest weekends of the season, with Ollie Bearman finishing an impressive sixth. The Racing Bulls duo of Liam Lawson and Isack Hadjar added valuable points by securing seventh and eighth, respectively, despite a last-lap tussle that briefly caught the stewards’ attention. Nico Hulkenberg guided the second Sauber to ninth, while Pierre Gasly completed the points in tenth, giving Alpine something to smile about after struggles earlier this year.
Williams narrowly missed out, with Alex Albon finishing 11th ahead of Esteban Ocon’s Haas and Carlos Sainz’s Williams. The Aston Martins of Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll endured a difficult day, finishing well outside the points, while Red Bull’s Yuki Tsunoda ended a frustrating afternoon with two separate 10-second penalties.
Ferrari suffered the worst fate of the frontrunners, leaving empty-handed after Lewis Hamilton spent much of the race battling severe floor damage before retiring. Leclerc’s early exit compounded what has become a painful stretch for the Italian team as the season winds down.
As Norris celebrated under the Sao Paulo sun, he dedicated the win to Gil de Ferran, the late McLaren adviser whose influence played a significant role in the team’s revival. With three races remaining, the British driver stands on the possibility of leading McLaren back to a world championship
