Pole position in the Sprint qualifying, victory in the Sprint race, pole in main qualifying, and victory in the Sunday race: a clean sweep that capped off Lando Norris’ perfect weekend at Interlagos for the São Paulo Grand Prix. The McLaren driver collected crucial points to extend his advantage over his closest rivals in the championship battle, such as Oscar Piastri and Max Verstappen.
For Oscar Piastri and Max Verstappen, the weekend presented various challenges, making Norris’ performance even more significant. The world championship leader now extends his lead over his teammate to 24 points, with three races remaining before the checkered flag of this season. What appeared to be a flawless GP for McLaren’s #4 had a small caveat, which Norris pointed out while looking ahead to Las Vegas.
“It was a great race for me, I managed everything very well,” Norris explained to Sky Sport F1. “I’m a bit disappointed that the lead isn’t as big as in Mexico; I expected it to be slightly higher. Not that I’m disappointed with the victory itself, but I was pushing, and the advantage wasn’t as large as I thought it would be. I’m realistic and honest, and I believe the team will recognize, as I do, that we expected a little more. But it’s something we will review. Beyond that, it was an excellent weekend, so there’s nothing to take away from a perfect weekend. We were ahead in every session, took both poles, and won both races, so I’m very happy.”
With this result, Lando Norris solidifies his position as the main contender for his first world championship. His approach and focus for the remaining races will follow the same style he displayed in Brazil. “No, nothing needs to change, absolutely nothing,” he added. “Nothing needs to change, and nothing will. The only thing is to continue working as we have done so far.”
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