With just three races remaining, Norris is now closing in on his first world title. The McLaren driver took two pole positions over the Brazilian weekend, won the Sprint race, and added the main Grand Prix victory — his seventh success of the 2025 season, matching the total of teammate Piastri. The road to the title seems clear for Lando, as Oscar continues to make small but costly mistakes. Piastri’s fifth-place finish came after a difficult moment on lap 6, during the restart following a Safety Car triggered by Gabriel Bortoleto’s crash, caused by a collision with Lance Stroll and Yuki Tsunoda.
At that restart, Piastri attempted an ambitious move on Kimi Antonelli at Turn 1. The Australian locked up under braking, went long into the corner, and, despite holding the inside line, made contact with the Mercedes. Antonelli went wide and hit the innocent Charles Leclerc’s Ferrari, forcing the Monegasque driver to retire due to a broken suspension. The race stewards handed Piastri a 10-second penalty, which ended his hopes of fighting for the podium. After also retiring from the Sprint, Piastri’s confidence has taken a hit as Norris continues to show maturity and consistency, learning from his earlier mistakes and performing flawlessly under pressure.
Interlagos, however, also crowned a new star: Kimi Antonelli. The 19-year-old Italian delivered a phenomenal drive, finishing second with Mercedes after a commanding performance that underlined his talent. Antonelli has quickly taken charge of the Brackley-based team, even putting pressure on George Russell, who finished fourth. The young driver showed remarkable composure, keeping Verstappen behind in the final laps and maintaining a ten-second gap to Norris. Despite being a rookie, Antonelli’s defensive skills and racecraft earned him respect across the paddock — his breakthrough moment at the top level of Formula 1.
Antonelli’s result also strengthens Mercedes’ position in the Constructors’ Championship. Thanks to Russell’s fourth place, the team from Brackley now sits 32 points ahead of Red Bull and 36 clear of Ferrari, who suffered a disastrous weekend with both cars retiring. Russell complained about brake issues throughout the event but was unable to match Antonelli’s pace, with the young Italian clearly emerging as the team’s new benchmark.
Interlagos once again delivered a race filled with drama and history: Lando Norris’s dominance, Kimi Antonelli’s breakout performance, and Max Verstappen’s stunning comeback. The Dutch driver, starting from the pitlane after a poor qualifying session that left him 16th and out in Q1, made drastic setup changes overnight, breaking parc fermé to fit the older floor and a new Honda power unit. That decision paid off. Verstappen’s Red Bull came alive as he charged through the field with a three-stop strategy.
After an early slow puncture, Verstappen benefited from the initial Safety Car, pitting to switch from hard to medium tyres before beginning an impressive climb through the pack. By the final laps, he was fighting for second place, completing one of the most remarkable comebacks ever seen at Interlagos — even better than his wet-weather charge from 17th last year. Red Bull found a setup that perfectly suited Max’s aggressive driving, allowing him to maximize every stint.
Although Verstappen couldn’t catch Norris, he once again proved his resilience and racecraft. The four-time world champion has no mathematical chance left in the title fight, but his mental strength and ability to turn difficult situations into podium finishes remain unmatched. Many wondered what might have happened had he not suffered that puncture early in the race — a question that only adds to the legend of Max Verstappen’s Brazilian Grand Prix performance.
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