Opportunities that could have been seized by Norris’s rivals to reignite their championship hopes instead turned into chances for the McLaren driver to extend his lead convincingly. Lando Norris combined precision and composure at the most critical moment of his career, flying toward his maiden world title. While the arithmetic still matters with three races remaining—and all the uncertainties that come with them—Norris, arriving in Brazil with just a single point advantage, leaves São Paulo with a much more comfortable 24-point cushion.
But it’s not just about the points. Lando Norris’s main championship rival, Oscar Piastri, continues to accumulate mistakes in the sprint race and controversial maneuvers, such as the contact in turn 1 on lap six, which inevitably affected his results. History has seen miraculous comebacks in Formula 1, but it’s hard to imagine Oscar Piastri overturning the current situation. Doubts are mounting in his mind, and a discouraging scenario has emerged: to win the 2025 title, he can no longer rely solely on his own results. Even if he wins the remaining three races and sprint events, Norris would only need to finish behind him to snatch the championship by two points.
In a flawless Sunday performance—including a perfect start, two restarts, and consistent pace on soft and medium tires—Norris surprised with his post-race comments, expressing “concern” over the narrow margin by which he won his seventh race of the season. Mind games? Perhaps. Yet everything fell in his favor: Red Bull’s technical missteps, redeemed by a spectacular recovery, and Antonelli’s incident, which cost Kimi precious time and a position, allowed Norris to manage the race seemingly effortlessly.
The two most formidable rivals of Norris battled for the runner-up spot in an intense finale. Verstappen’s pace in the final stint on soft tires was impressive, enabling him to catch and overtake George Russell on lap 64.
With seven laps remaining before the checkered flag, passing Kimi Antonelli seemed straightforward, but Kimi delivered a flawless defense. He was highly precise in sector two, skillfully utilized the hybrid system through the DRS zones, and above all, made no mistakes. It was a mature performance at the end of a weekend where his speed had already shone in qualifying and the sprint race.
As soon as Kimi Antonelli exited his car, he received multiple pats on the shoulder from Max Verstappen, a gesture mixing respect and affection from someone who, like him, grew up in motorsport. Verstappen had no regrets over the three points lost; the 49-point gap to Norris is simply too large, even for someone who never stopped believing.
Max Verstappen and Red Bull will aim for more memorable days like their Sunday in São Paulo. Finishing third starting from the pit lane is incredible, especially considering the initial puncture. But Verstappen has become accustomed to these exploits—it is his extraordinary normality.
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