Lando Norris produced an extraordinary display of race pace at the Brazilian Grand Prix, leaving former Formula 1 driver Ivan Capelli impressed by McLaren’s superiority in both wet and dry conditions. Speaking to Sky Sport Italia, Ivan Capelli highlighted how the British driver was sometimes as much as a second per lap faster than his rivals, despite losing ground to Andrea Kimi Antonelli at the start.
The Italian analyst offered a detailed assessment of the race at Interlagos, praising both the impressive speed demonstrated by Lando Norris and the exceptional opening moments from Andrea Kimi Antonelli. While the Mercedes driver made the most of the run towards Turn 1, the McLaren driver subsequently established a pace that his competitors struggled to match.
Ivan Capelli praises Lando Norris’ remarkable McLaren race pace in Brazil
Analysing the opening stages of the Brazilian Grand Prix, Ivan Capelli pointed to a mistake from Lando Norris at the start, drawing a comparison with the driver’s experience in damp conditions during the 2024 race. He also praised Andrea Kimi Antonelli for taking full advantage of the opportunity, while Liam Lawson adopted an aggressive approach in the opening corners.
“Norris made a mistake at the start, just as he did in the damp in 2024. Kimi beat him off the line here, and Lawson attacked him because he had nothing to lose. He went for the inside. Kimi did very well, making a perfect start to gain those few metres before Turn 1.”
However, it was the subsequent pace of Lando Norris that particularly impressed Ivan Capelli. The former F1 driver explained that the McLaren competitor managed to establish an extraordinary rhythm regardless of the track conditions, leaving his opponents unable to reproduce the same level of performance.
“Then Norris drove a race with incredible pace. Nobody could match that pace, either in the wet or in the dry. At times, he was even lapping a second faster than the others.”
Kimi Antonelli’s perfect start contrasts with Lando Norris’ superior pace
The assessment captured the contrasting phases of the Brazilian Grand Prix, beginning with the chaotic and challenging opening corners. Andrea Kimi Antonelli made an excellent getaway, taking advantage of the short run to the first corner to get ahead of pole-sitter Lando Norris.
The early exchanges also featured an aggressive challenge from Liam Lawson, adding to the pressure in the opening stages. Nevertheless, the most striking aspect of the race was the extraordinary speed subsequently demonstrated by the McLaren driver.
Once Lando Norris established his rhythm, his pace allowed him to pull clear of the opposition and dominate across varying track conditions. According to Ivan Capelli’s analysis, the advantage was not limited to a particular tyre or track surface, with the McLaren driver proving exceptionally competitive in both wet and dry conditions.
The performance highlighted the impressive race pace that McLaren could produce, particularly when compared with its rivals. It also provided a sharp contrast with the pace difficulties previously described by Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri after the United States Grand Prix.
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