Interlagos delivered again. Lando Norris conquered changing conditions, Max Verstappen charged from 21st to second, and Mercedes secured the constructors’ championship on an afternoon packed with spins, strategy calls and late rain.
Lando Norris won the São Paulo Grand Prix, but the finishing order only tells part of the story. Behind him, Max Verstappen turned 21st on the grid into second, while Mercedes emerged from a troubled afternoon as constructors’ champions.
Interlagos demanded decisions almost as quickly as the conditions changed. Norris handled them best, finishing 14.602 seconds ahead of Verstappen, with Isack Hadjar completing a double podium for Red Bull.
Norris loses the lead, then takes control
Starting from pole did not give Norris an easy afternoon. Kimi Antonelli jumped ahead at the start, and Liam Lawson followed him through, pushing the McLaren down to third.
Norris recovered second from Lawson, then closed on Antonelli as the field switched from intermediate tires to slicks. The Mercedes driver struggled after the change and spun, allowing Norris to take control.
From there, the McLaren driver built the margin he needed. When heavier rain returned late in the race, another switch to intermediates tested the pit walls and drivers again. Norris kept his advantage intact to claim his third Grand Prix victory of the season.
Verstappen makes 21st a starting point
Verstappen’s recovery gave the race another compelling storyline. Starting near the back after power-unit penalties, he worked through the field and brought himself into contention for the podium.
Red Bull later instructed Hadjar to let him through, giving Verstappen the chance to chase Norris. The McLaren remained out of reach, but second represented a remarkable return from his starting position.
Hadjar secured third, giving Red Bull both cars on the podium after an afternoon that demanded pace on dry and wet-weather tires.
Mercedes takes the title through the trouble
Mercedes had plenty to celebrate, even if its race was anything but straightforward.
Antonelli’s difficulties cost him the lead, while George Russell spun at the pit exit during the switch to slicks. Russell recovered to fourth, ahead of his teammate in fifth.
Those 22 points were enough to secure Mercedes’ ninth constructors’ championship and its first since 2021. Ferrari’s final six-point haul left Mercedes 142 points clear with three Grands Prix remaining.
Penalties change the final points order
Oscar Piastri finished sixth. Liam Lawson was promoted to seventh after Charles Leclerc received a five-second post-race penalty for contact with the Racing Bulls driver, dropping the Ferrari to eighth.
Lewis Hamilton finished ninth after a late spin as the rain intensified. Nico Hülkenberg completed the points scorers in tenth.
Antonelli also received five seconds for an unsafe release but retained fifth. Oliver Bearman received the same penalty for an unsafe release and remained 17th. The podium was unchanged.
Norris took the victory, Verstappen delivered the recovery, and Mercedes left with the championship. Interlagos gave all three stories an afternoon worthy of them.
