Just a few hours earlier, before the race began, Lando Norris’s expectations were much different from the actual result of the Brazilian GP. After taking pole position in the rain in the morning, with Max Verstappen starting from 17th on the grid due to an engine change penalty, Norris’s focus was on pushing hard to close the gap in the drivers’ standings.
It was probably the best chance to keep the championship alive, to bring home points that could add a boost of enthusiasm for the crucial final part of the season. Instead, the Interlagos round left the British driver 62 points behind in the standings, with the awareness that the next race in Las Vegas could already mark the end of his championship dream.
The difficulties began even before the start, due to an incident now under review by the stewards. When race control aborted the start due to Lance Stroll’s spin at Turn 4 after he lined up on the grid, Norris decided to go for a second formation lap, despite a clear warning from the stewards displayed on the panel beside the lights.
During the interviews, Lando Norris explained that he wasn’t sure what had happened: “I’m not sure what happened, I need to talk to the team.” Although the incident is still under investigation, another issue complicated his race further, as he got off to a slow start and slipped into second place behind George Russell.
Despite the McLaren driver’s attempts to show himself in his compatriot’s mirrors, he was never truly able to challenge him. The decisive moment came around lap 25, when the rain began to intensify. McLaren decided to pit Norris for a new set of intermediate tires—a decision that didn’t pay off, as the subsequent red flag for Franco Colapinto’s crash allowed those who hadn’t pitted to change tires, though Norris defended the choice.
“It was the right time to stop… It was the right call, so no regrets, just a bit of bad luck. Others were able to change tires under the red flag. It’s a stupid rule that no one agrees with, but you always agree with it when it benefits you, you know. All drivers said they didn’t agree and wanted it changed. So, it’s unlucky, but it’s the rule. Sometimes you win, sometimes you lose, but today it was an advantage for them. So, well done to them,” Lando Norris said at the end of the race.
“Unfortunately, things don’t always go as hoped. We didn’t do anything wrong; I don’t care what people will say. Staying out wasn’t the right thing to do. They should have red-flagged it, but then an incident caused the red flag. Sometimes it’s just luck—they took a gamble, and it paid off for them. It’s not skill, it’s just luck. We were unlucky.” – he pointed out at the end of the Brazilian Grand Prix.
Initially, the Safety Car gave an advantage in track position to the drivers who hadn’t pitted, but it allowed those who did, like Norris, to close the gap with fresher tires. However, Franco Colapinto’s accident completely changed the scenario, allowing the leaders, Max Verstappen and the two Alpine drivers, to change tires without losing position.
This meant that Lando Norris fell back in the standings, which was further worsened by a mistake on the restart when he locked up trying to defend against Charles Leclerc, slipping behind his teammate. The team then issued a team order to help Norris, but it wasn’t enough to achieve better than a disappointing sixth place.
“I did everything I could today. That’s it. Max won the race. Good for him, but it doesn’t change anything for me. Max was faster than us, and I think if he’d started at the front, he would have lapped us. The pace was good, I think similar to George’s, but Red Bull was very fast today.” To give a reference, since taking the lead, Max Verstappen put over twenty seconds on the Alpines in less than thirty laps.
“It was an up-and-down weekend, for sure. I couldn’t have done much more. I’m sure George feels like he won the race today; he deserved it more than anyone. I probably would have realistically finished third, because Max would have come through and beaten us, but yeah, we were unlucky. Nothing more. I made a couple of mistakes, which I acknowledge, and they cost me a couple of positions in the end, but that’s it,” Lando Norris concluded.
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