- Lando Norris is only 45 points behind Max Verstappen with 132 at stake
- Oscar Piastri gave up the lead on lap 22 of lap 24, guaranteeing Norris the victory.
- Verstappen overtook Charles Leclerc but couldn’t find a way past Piastri
Lando Norris was helped in a crucial sprint victory in Brazil to reduce his world championship lead to Max Verstappen.
The McLaren driver received the lead thanks to polesitter Oscar Piastri, who conceded on lap 22 of 24 before Turn 4. The victory was Norris’ first in a sprint, with Verstappen third behind the two cars. papaya.
This means that Norris’ deficit is 45, with 132 points left for tomorrow’s Grand Prix.
Both McLarens started cleanly. Piastri didn’t give an inch at this point and crossed Norris safely but firmly. The top eight maintained their position, as Verstappen braked hard into the first corner.
The order at the front was to remain practically the same among the first, although Verstappen eventually took third place against Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc, who finished fourth.
Lando Norris won the Brazilian Grand Prix sprint race after Oscar Piastri gave up the lead
Piastri started on pole but allowed Norris to pass him with just two laps remaining.
The result meant Norris reduced Max Verstappen’s title lead to just 45 points.
That meant Verstappen took six points to Norris’ eight.
Norris was expressing his views on team orders over the radio while taking second place behind Piastri, who started 70 points behind his garage mate. “I’m close,” Norris intoned, then said, “I’m not sure what we’re doing here.” We talked about this.’
Piastri was told to catch up to Norris’ DRS. At this halfway point nothing happened. Leclerc was perhaps too close to them.
With seven laps remaining, racing engineer Will Joseph told Norris: “Suggest red A4”, presumably referring to the required mode. “Yes, I’ll pass it on,” Norris said.
Moments later he was told that the team was happy to stay as it was for now and that the change would be made in the final lap.
But the fundamental change came a little earlier, and fortunately, because Nico Hulkenberg’s Haas gave up and a virtual safety car (VSC) was deployed.
Verstappen overtook Charles Leclerc to finish third in a display of damage limitation.
The world champion accumulated six points in total, two less than his challenger Norris.
Lewis Hamilton (right) qualified 11th and finished there on a strangely poor day for the veteran.
A final lap of action materialized and Verstappen pushed Piastri hard but couldn’t find a way past.
‘There was always the plan to hand over the place, but it wasn’t easy to do so because we didn’t have space.
“I would have preferred to win, but we’ve been talking about this for months. We knew it was something that could happen and would happen at some point.”
Norris, who gratefully shook Piastri’s hand after getting out of his car, agreed that moving positions earlier would not have been easy, saying: “We did the best job we could.”
It was another strangely poor day for Lewis Hamilton. Having qualified 11th, he finished 11th. His Mercedes teammate George Russell started and finished sixth.
British teenager Ollie Bearman, recruited by Haas after Kevin Magnussen fell ill, finished 14th, having started 10th.