The F1 São Paulo Grand Prix on November 9 was nothing less than the ‘Lando Norris Show,’ as he won another race while Max Verstappen overcame an improbable obstacle to finish third.
Intense Build-Up and Pre-Race Adjustments
Lando Norris started from pole, fending off early challenges to win his seventh race of the year, while Kimi Antonelli earned a career-best second for Mercedes, and Max Verstappen staged a stunning recovery drive from the pit lane to complete the podium.
Red Bull responded with sweeping overnight changes to Verstappen’s car, including a new power unit that forced him to start from the pit lane.
Esteban Ocon also began there after fitting a new engine. Light drizzle teased the grid before the start, though conditions ultimately stayed dry as a mix of tyre strategies emerged with seven drivers, including Norris, starting on mediums, eight on softs, and five on hards.
Chaotic Start and Early Safety Car
When the lights went out, Norris launched cleanly to hold the lead from Antonelli, while Oscar Piastri in the second McLaren fought to keep position from Isack Hadjar.
Further back, chaos struck as Lewis Hamilton and Carlos Sainz tangled, leaving the Ferrari with floor damage and forcing the Briton into an early pit stop. Meanwhile, home favorite Gabriel Bortoleto’s race ended on the opening lap after contact with Lance Stroll sent his Kick Sauber into the barriers, triggering a Safety Car.
Five laps later, the race resumed, but the drama continued. Piastri locked up in Turn 1 and hit Antonelli, who in turn collided with Charles Leclerc’s Ferrari. The Monegasque suffered terminal damage and was forced to retire, prompting a Virtual Safety Car.
Piastri was handed a ten-second penalty for the collision. Verstappen, who had already climbed into the midfield, pitted under the VSC due to a puncture, rejoining last.
Mid-Race Strategy Shifts and Recovery Drives
When the race went green again, Norris maintained control at the front while Antonelli and Piastri battled behind. George Russell overtook Hadjar for fourth, and further down, Verstappen began slicing through the field with impressive pace on medium tyres, steadily climbing to ninth by Lap 18.
McLaren strategists discussed “Plan B or D” with Norris as he led by nearly five seconds.
Antonelli pitted for mediums on Lap 22, while Verstappen was the fastest man on track. Hamilton’s day worsened as he was penalized for causing a collision with Franco Colapinto, while Yuki Tsunoda received an additional ten-second penalty for failing to serve his first correctly. By Lap 30, Norris led by 6.7 seconds over Piastri, with Russell, Verstappen, and Antonelli behind. Norris pitted a lap later, returning to fourth behind Verstappen, whose worn tyres offered little resistance when the McLaren breezed past him on the main straight.
As pit strategies unfolded, Piastri delayed his stop until Lap 39, serving his penalty before rejoining ninth. Ferrari’s nightmare continued when Hamilton retired in the garage, marking a double DNF for the Scuderia after Leclerc’s earlier exit.
Final Stints and Verstappen’s Late Charge
With 25 laps remaining, Norris led Antonelli by almost eight seconds, trailed by Russell and a fast-charging Verstappen.
Mercedes then brought both Antonelli and Russell in for fresh medium tyres, briefly promoting Verstappen into second. Norris pitted on Lap 51 for used mediums, momentarily giving Verstappen the lead, a situation he described over the radio as “not bad,” considering his pit-lane start.
Red Bull opted for a bold final call, bringing Verstappen in on Lap 55 for a new set of softs. The Dutchman immediately set about chasing the leaders, carving through the gap to Russell and Antonelli.
“I was just trying to pass as fast as possible,” he said afterward.
“Some cars were also in a DRS train so it’s not always straightforward. With all that, to finish only 10 seconds from the lead, I think for us is incredible.”
Norris stayed comfortably ahead, managing the gap at the front while Antonelli fended off pressure from Verstappen in the closing laps. Russell, dealing with brake issues, was caught by both Verstappen and Piastri but managed to hang on. With two laps to go, Verstappen finally passed Russell to take third and set his sights on Antonelli, but the Mercedes driver held firm.
Norris crossed the line ten seconds clear to secure his second straight victory from pole and his seventh of the season.
“I was pushing! It was an amazing race and it’s nice to win here in Brazil. It’s an amazing track, amazing fans,” Norris said.
“This one was for Gil [de Ferran]… I was thinking of that while driving. A perfect weekend.”
Antonelli’s second place marked his best-ever F1 finish, while Verstappen’s podium from a pit-lane start was hailed by the Dutchman as “incredible.”
“We are all in this together and we never give up. We take risks, yes, but I like that… because we don’t want to settle for second,” he added.
The Never-Ending Battle of Norris, Piastri, and Verstappen
Russell finished fourth ahead of Piastri, who took fifth but remained 24 points behind Norris in the standings.
For Red Bull, Verstappen’s 341 points kept him third in the Drivers’ standings, though he admitted a title challenge was unrealistic.
“It’s too many points to really have a proper chance at that,” he said.
“If you look at the whole season, we gave away too many points… For us now, it’s about having these highlights and strong weekends.”
What the Win Means for Norris
Norris’ victory in São Paulo further solidified his position as the championship favorite, marking not only his growing dominance but also McLaren’s continued resurgence as a front-running team.
With confidence at an all-time high and momentum clearly on his side, the British head into the final stretch of the season looking to convert consistency into his first world title.
As the series moves next to Las Vegas, all eyes will be on whether Norris can maintain this remarkable form against a resurgent Verstappen and a rapidly improving Mercedes outfit.
