Norris wins gripping race after Antonelli and Russell errors
Norris beats Max Verstappen in changeable conditions; Kimi Antonelli and George Russell make critical errors
Quick Look
- Lando Norris won the Sao Paulo Grand Prix from pole, beating Max Verstappen who started 21st, while Kimi Antonelli and George Russell made critical mistakes in difficult conditions.
- Mercedes clinched the constructors' championship despite Russell and Antonelli finishing fourth and fifth, a week after Antonelli secured the drivers' title.
AI-generated summary
Why It Matters
The Sao Paulo Grand Prix took place in difficult, changeable weather conditions at Interlagos. Kimi Antonelli had already secured the drivers' championship the previous week, and Mercedes needed a strong result to clinch the constructors' title.
McLaren's Lando Norris beat Max Verstappen to win a gripping Sao Paulo Grand Prix in which new world champion Kimi Antonelli and Mercedes team-mate George Russell both made critical mistakes in difficult conditions.
Norris, who started from pole, lost the lead to Antonelli at the start and dropped back when the track was wet.
But an earlier pit stop for dry-weather tyres put Norris on Antonelli's tail and the Italian spun away the lead at the first corner.
After reclaiming the lead, Norris dominated through a late shower of rain which required a switch back to wet-weather tyres to take his first win since the Dutch Grand Prix at the end of August.
A few laps before Antonelli lost the lead, Russell, who started seventh, spun exiting the pits and lost 15 to 20 seconds after working his way back into podium contention.
Despite their travails, Russell and Antonelli finished fourth and fifth to clinch the constructors' championship for Mercedes a week after the Italian had tied up the drivers' title.
Norris had too much pace for Verstappen whether the track was dry or wet and stamped his authority on the race.
But the Dutchman put in another supreme drive in changeable conditions in Interlagos to take second after starting in 21st place.
The key stories of the race were:
Open Questions
- What was the final race classification beyond the top five mentioned?
- What specific mistakes did Antonelli and Russell make beyond spinning?
- How many points did Mercedes need to secure the constructors' championship?
