Lando Norris claimed victory in the Sprint race of the Formula 1 São Paulo Grand Prix. The McLaren driver was slower than his teammate Oscar Piastri, but the Australian conceded the lead and the win to support Norris in the title fight.
Piastri started from pole position and defended well against Norris at the start. The two McLaren drivers pulled away slightly from the rest of the pack in the opening laps, with Charles Leclerc (Ferrari) close behind. However, the Monegasque driver had a scare on lap 13, forcing him to defend against Max Verstappen.
Leclerc’s pace eventually dropped, and five laps later, Verstappen completed an overtake at Interlagos’ Turn 4. By then, the McLaren drivers had over a two-second lead, but Verstappen managed to close in.
On lap 22, McLaren instructed Piastri to let Norris pass, prioritizing the team’s focus on the title fight. Verstappen was right behind, putting pressure on both McLarens. However, when Nico Hülkenberg retired due to engine issues in his Haas, a virtual safety car was triggered, effectively “freezing” the top-three battle.
The green flag was waved for the final lap, and Norris held on to secure the win, though he later admitted it was not a victory he felt proud of. Piastri defended against Verstappen’s final attempts and finished second.
The three-time world champion Verstappen committed an infraction during the virtual safety car period, which dropped him from third place at the finish line to fourth, handing the spot to Leclerc. Carlos Sainz (Ferrari) finished fifth, followed by George Russell (Mercedes) and Pierre Gasly (Alpine). The final point went to Sergio Pérez (Red Bull), who won a close battle with Liam Lawson (VCARB) for eighth place.
