São Paulo: Norris wins in the wet but tempers the optimism
· BehindLines newsroom
Lando Norris won the São Paulo Grand Prix at Interlagos on Sunday 8 November, in a race that began on a wet track, dried gradually and was hit by fresh rain near the end. Starting from pole position, the McLaren driver finished a little under fifteen seconds ahead of Max Verstappen, according to the BBC and Sky Sports.
A race turned by pit stops and mistakes
Kimi Antonelli, already crowned world champion this season with Mercedes, took the lead at the start and built a gap of about eight seconds within thirteen laps. But the track was drying: McLaren called Norris in one lap before his rival to fit slick tyres. Back in the Italian's wake, the Briton put him under pressure, and Antonelli spun at Turn 1 three laps later. Norris never gave up the lead again. George Russell, meanwhile, spun in the pit lane, which widened the final gap further. Verstappen, who started from 21st on the grid, charged through to second place.
A lively podium
On the podium, Norris smashed his champagne bottle by hitting it on the ground, then caught the sparks from the platform's pyrotechnics on the side of his head. McLaren team principal Andrea Stella later confirmed he was unhurt. Mercedes, according to Sky Sports, also secured the constructors' title over the weekend.
A success, but not a promise
It is Norris's third victory of the season after starting from pole, and McLaren's first since the Dutch Grand Prix in August. The updates brought to Brazil, including new wings and floor components, worked straight away, he says. Even so, he refuses to see a return to the top: he admits he benefited from his rivals' errors and believes McLaren are not yet at the level needed to contend for the world title in 2027. Stella, for his part, feels the driver is at his best when conditions keep changing and that he knows how to adapt to a car that is never perfect.
Next on the calendar is the Las Vegas Grand Prix, from 20 to 22 November.