Lando Norris took victory in a dramatic Brazilian F1 Sprint at Interlagos, extending his championship lead after teammate Oscar Piastri crashed out on Lap 6. Mercedes drivers Kimi Antonelli and George Russell completed the podium in a 24-lap race.
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Lap 1
Norris started from pole and kept the lead through Turn 1. Antonelli followed in P2, with Piastri close behind. The track was damp, forcing drivers to be cautious.
Laps 3-5
Norris built a small gap, but Antonelli and Piastri stayed close. They were all careful on the wet kerbs. Verstappen in P6 struggled to keep up with them.
Laps 6-7
Disaster for McLaren – Piastri hit the slippery Turn 3 kerb, spun, and slammed into the barriers. Hulkenberg and Colapinto also crashed the same lap, same turn. The Australian’s sprint ended, triggering a red flag to repair the barrier and allowing marshals to clear debris. The Argentine retired, the German managed to make it back to the pits.
Lap 9
At the restart, Norris retained the lead. Antonelli defended P2 from Russell. Verstappen held fourth, unable to attack the Mercedes pair.
Laps 10-20
Norris managed pace and tires, keeping Antonelli just out of DRS range. Russell followed his teammate closely, both Mercedes running solidly. There were fights between Ferrari and Aston Martin in midfield, with a few off-track moments on the still-damp track.
Laps 23-24
Gabriel Bortoleto had a huge crash, bringing out double yellows. As it was already the last lap for the leaders, it did not influence the fight for the win. Norris won the sprint ahead of Antonelli and Russell. Verstappen settled for fourth, Leclerc fifth, Alonso sixth, while Hamilton and Gasly rounded out the points.
Attention now turns to Sunday’s Grand Prix, with questions over whether Bortoleto will be cleared to race following his late crash.
The full results of the Sprint race according to FIA.com:
