Lando Norris’s red-hot type continued with a decisive efficiency on the Sao Paulo Grand Prix as he made a transparent F1 title assertion.
Listed here are 5 massive issues we realized from a pulsating weekend in Brazil.
F1 title is Norris’s to lose
Norris made it two consecutive victories to silence his critics with a efficiency worthy of a world champion in Brazil.
The Briton took two pole positions and received each the dash and Sunday’s predominant grand prix to gather a most 33 factors on supply at Interlagos and additional prolong his grip on the summit of the world championship.
It was just about the proper weekend from Norris, who has now pulled 24 factors – almost a full victory – away from Oscar Piastri with three races remaining, leaving him seemingly answerable for the title race.
Norris has cemented his place because the 2025 title favorite and batted away his doubters in fashion in latest weeks with shows which have underlined his championship calibre and the hype that surrounded him at first of the season.
Piastri’s championship dream in tatters
Piastri crashed out of the dash
In distinction, every part that might go flawed for Piastri has gone flawed. Piastri’s stuttering type in latest months has seen his championship hopes fade. Issues went from dangerous to worse in Brazil as he squandered 23 factors to Norris over the course of the weekend.
Piastri was as soon as once more behind Norris in Sao Paulo and made crucial errors at key moments. First, by crashing out in damp situations within the dash, earlier than an arguably determined lunge on Kimi Antonelli noticed him choose up a expensive penalty that ruined his race and left him solely fifth.
The Australian has provided little to recommend that he can turnaround his present struggles, and he’s quick operating out of time to take action. Barring a monumental collapse from Norris, Piastri seems to be destined for runner-up spot.
Verstappen concedes title defeat
Max Verstappen produced one of many performances of his profession with one other exemplary comeback drive in Brazil. The four-time world champion charged from the pit lane to the ultimate spot on the rostrum with one of many nice drives, regardless of choosing up a puncture within the early levels.
Verstappen’s headline-grabbing show was deserving of the plaudits however it most likely isn’t sufficient to maintain alive his championship hopes in actuality. Even together with his seventh consecutive podium, Verstappen’s deficit has grown to 49 factors with simply three rounds remaining this season.
And the Dutchman has successfully dominated himself out of the title race, conscious that he wants an enormous slice of luck to go his approach.
”We misplaced already approach too many factors at first of the season to the center of the season,” Verstappen instructed Sky Sports activities F1. “That we have been in that up till now already was fairly a shock, however we now have to be life like, over the entire season we’ve not been adequate.
“However we are going to nonetheless strive every part we are able to till the tip of the season to attain some highlights and attempt to win races – that is what we’re right here for.”
Verstappen has conceded defeat within the title race
Antonelli’s coming of age
After a difficult summer season and brutal European leg of his rookie F1 season, Antonelli has loved a lot improved type of late.
Brazil was a coming of age efficiency from Antonelli, who claimed front-row begins for each the dash and predominant race in Interlagos, earlier than changing these into P2 finishes in every occasion.
This was by far Antonelli’s strongest efficiency of his maiden marketing campaign with Mercedes. The 19-year-old Italian was sooner than teammate George Russell all weekend and impressively fended off Verstappen within the closing levels on Sunday to seal his greatest lead to F1 to this point.
Mercedes all the time knew this is able to be a studying 12 months for Antonelli, however this weekend was the most recent encouraging signal that their prodigy has dug himself out of a troublesome spot and is on the precise trajectory.
Antonelli claimed his greatest lead to F1
No finish to Hamilton’s Ferrari ‘nightmare’
It was one other rotten weekend for Ferrari and Lewis Hamilton, who retired from the Sao Paulo Grand Prix after sustaining important flooring harm to his SF25.
The seven-time world champion struggled for tempo in qualifying, which left him out of place and thirteenth on the grid. Hamilton’s race was ruined on the primary lap, having been hit by Carlos Sainz’s Williams earlier than he clipped the Alpine of Franco Colapinto whereas making an attempt to overhaul.
Hamilton broke his entrance wing, broken his flooring, and picked up a five-second penalty in a race he’ll wish to overlook in a rush. Ferrari ended his distress on Lap 39, by calling him in to retire from final place.
This was meant to be a dream transfer for the 40-year-old Briton, however it has descended right into a nightmare. With the remainder of 2025 successfully a write off, Hamilton is pinning all of his hopes of a Ferrari resurgence on 2026.
Hamilton had a nightmare race in Brazil
