SÃO PAULO — McLaren driver Lando Norris mastered treacherous, changing weather on Sunday to win the São Paulo Grand Prix for the second consecutive year, while Mercedes secured the Formula One constructors’ championship despite a turbulent afternoon at Interlagos.
Norris started from pole position, surrendered the lead early to Mercedes rookie Kimi Antonelli and Racing Bulls driver Liam Lawson, but recovered to claim victory by roughly 15 seconds. The win was McLaren’s first triumph since August, The Telegraph reported. Soccer star Neymar waved the checkered flag as Norris crossed the line ahead of Red Bull’s Max Verstappen, who staged a fierce charge from 21st on the grid to claim second place.
Verstappen’s teammate Isack Hadjar finished third to seal a double podium for Red Bull, holding off Mercedes drivers George Russell in fourth and Antonelli in fifth.
Mercedes secures team crown
Despite missing the podium for the first time all season, Mercedes accumulated enough points to clinch its ninth constructors’ championship, drawing level with Williams for third on the all-time list, according to dpa international. Ferrari, the only remaining title challenger entering the weekend, could not close the gap after Charles Leclerc finished seventh and Lewis Hamilton placed ninth.
The team triumph followed Antonelli’s clinching of his maiden drivers’ world championship one week earlier in Mexico. Mercedes had not won the constructors’ title since 2021.
“It is amazing. It was a very strong beginning of the season and that kind of got us over the line,” Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff said, according to The Telegraph. “Overall I am so proud for the organisation. We have taken a few years to be back at the top spot.”
The Silver Arrows encountered multiple mishaps throughout the race. Russell spun while exiting the pit lane halfway through the grand prix before mounting a recovery. Antonelli dealt with handling troubles, ran off the circuit, suffered a spin at turn one that handed the lead to Norris, and later faced a report to stewards regarding an unsafe release during late pit stops, dpa international reported.
Rain scrambles strategies
The race began on intermediate wet tires before drivers switched to dry soft slicks midway through the event. Verstappen and Hamilton, who both took massive grid penalties for engine changes and started on the final row, carved through the field in the opening laps. Red Bull used team orders to swap Hadjar and Verstappen, enabling the Dutch driver to pursue Norris.
When torrential rain struck the circuit during the final 10 laps, teams scrambled back into the pits for intermediate tires. Russell capitalized on the changing weather with a well-timed stop, eventually swapping positions with Antonelli after the Italian driver reported severe balance issues.
Norris kept his composure through the changing track conditions, though his post-race celebrations carried an unexpected jolt. While performing his trademark podium move of slamming down a champagne bottle to spray it, the glass broke in his hand. The British driver was uninjured and continued celebrating, The Telegraph reported.
“The main thing today was I kept it cool and did not make any mistakes and had the pace when I needed to,” Norris said, according to The Telegraph. “Nice to be back on the top step and what a place to do it as well.”
What comes next
Formula One next heads to the United States for the Las Vegas Grand Prix on Nov. 21. Although the season schedule officially concludes with rounds in Qatar and Abu Dhabi, ongoing Middle East tensions could prompt alterations, with Italy’s Imola circuit setting an impending deadline to step in as an alternative season finale, dpa international reported.
