McLaren’s Lando Norris won the Sao Paulo Grand Prix to surge 24 points clear in the Formula One championship on Sunday while teammate and title rival Oscar Piastri finished fifth after being penalised for causing a collision.
Mercedes’ teenage rookie Kimi Antonelli hung on for a career-best second place with Max Verstappen an astonishing third for Red Bull after starting from the pitlane.
Verstappen’s performance was all the more impressive after the four-times world champion, who won from 17th at Interlagos last year, suffered an early slow puncture and had to fight back from 18th.
“Crazy race,” said Norris of his second successive win and seventh of the season after snatching the championship lead from Piastri in Mexico last month .
“To be honest, I don’t think we were the quickest today but I’m glad to take home the win.
“It’s a great win. But seeing how quick Max was, it’s disappointing we were not quicker.”
Piastri given penalty for causing collision
Piastri, who started fourth with Norris on pole, served a 10-second penalty for an early clash with Antonelli that put Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc out of the race after they went three-abreast.
It was another massive blow for the Australian, who crashed out of the Saturday sprint that Norris won on a perfect weekend for the Briton who has moved up a gear and is the clear title favourite.
George Russell was fourth for Mercedes, who consolidated second place overall in a constructors’ championship already won by McLaren.
With three races and a Saturday sprint remaining, Norris has 390 points to Piastri’s 366 with Verstappen falling further behind on 341 and his hopes looking slim despite all the superlatives of his drive.
Oliver Bearman was sixth for Haas, another fine performance from the British rookie after his fourth in Mexico, with Liam Lawson seventh for Racing Bulls ahead of teammate Isack Hadjar.
Nico Hulkenberg finished ninth for Sauber and Pierre Gasly completed the points positions for Renault-owned Alpine, a year on from the team’s double podium in Brazil.
Sauber’s Gabriel Bortoleto completed a miserable weekend for Brazil’s only driver, spinning into the wall on the opening lap after being squeezed by Aston Martin’s Lance Stroll as Norris led cleanly away.
The crash brought out the safety car, with Ferrari’s Lewis Hamilton pitting for a new front wing after he collided with Williams’ Carlos Sainz and Alpine’s Franco Colapinto.
The seven-times world champion and honorary Brazilian continued with a damaged floor but was given a five-second penalty for causing a collision and then retired.
The double driver retirement was Ferrari’s third of the season and dropped them down to fourth, behind Red Bull in third.
Not all Piastri’s fault
The safety car came in at the end of lap five and Piastri locked up and made contact with Antonelli, who was pushed into Leclerc, at the restart.
The Ferrari lost a tyre and stopped, triggering a virtual safety car.
“He (Antonelli) left me no space,” the Australian said over the team radio but stewards disagreed in what some pundits and even rivals felt was a harsh
decision.
“I wouldn’t go as far as saying that it’s all Oscar’s fault. I don’t think it is,” said Leclerc.
Verstappen, who had a new engine and plenty of other changed parts after qualifying 16th, suffered a slow front-right puncture on lap eight after climbing to 13th.
He was up to fourth after 24 of the 71 laps, setting fastest laps and on lap 51 took the lead when Norris made his second and final stop.
Verstappen pitted again on lap 54, dropping to fourth and lighting the touch paper on a thrilling chase for the podium.
He passed Russell around the outside at turn one on lap 63 and Antonelli was in his sights four laps later, but the tyres then dropped off and the Italian made no mistakes.
“To be on the podium, I did not expect that at all,” said Verstappen. “To finish only 10 seconds from the lead is incredible.”
His teammate Yuki Tsunoda was the final driver classified after two 10-second penalties, the second for not serving the first correctly.
The next race is Las Vegas on November 22, the first of a final triple header ending in Abu Dhabi on December 7.
