Sao Paulo, Nov 9: McLaren driver Lando Norris was so excited after winning Sunday’s rainy Sao Paulo Grand Prix at Interlagos that his traditional Champagne celebration went awry, while Mercedes had another weekend to remember after securing its ninth F1 constructors’ title.
Norris, the 2025 Formula 1 champion, won Sunday from pole position with the Red Bulls of Max Verstappen and Isack Hadjar completing the podium.
Norris had his second consecutive victory in Brazil after a race he led for 47 of 71 laps, with Brazil soccer great Neymar waving the checkered flag. The British driver briefly lost the lead to new F1 champion Kimi Antonelli, but got it back after the Italian spun.
“It was one of my best races in terms of execution,” Norris said. “It was a race where things could easily change.”
Antonelli, who clinched the drivers’ title last weekend, finished fifth, one position behind his teammate George Russell. Their results were more than enough to secure the constructors’ title for Mercedes — its first since 2021 — against the rival Ferraris of Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc.
Antonelli expressed disappointment in his own performance.
“I’m very disappointed for the race. I’m very angry to be fair, but I’m going to put all this aside for now because the team clinched the title,” Antonelli said.
Mercedes celebrates
Mercedes celebrated the constructors’ title on a separate podium. It now has 652 points against Ferrari’s 512 and can’t be caught.
Antonelli was summoned by stewards over an unsafe release. He kept his position after a 5-second punishment as he finished more than 20 seconds ahead of McLaren’s Oscar Piastri.
“It was a very strong beginning of the season that got us over the line,” Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff said. “I never thought this was ever possible.”
Keep it cool’
“The main thing today was to keep it cool,” a relaxed Norris said after his third win of the season.
That proved difficult on the podium after the national anthems had been played and Norris received his trophy. He celebrated his win with his trademark slamming down of the Champagne bottle on the podium, only for it to shatter in his hands.
The only Champagne that Norris drank during the podium celebrations came from his rivals. The race winner held the neck of the shattered bottle as he left.
In the race, Norris managed to stay ahead of a hungry Verstappen, who took his Red Bull from 21st place to second after the Dutchman received penalties for changes in his power unit.
“When you start that far back, you need to try to get by as quickly as you can,” said Verstappen, who two years ago won at Interlagos after starting from 17th place.
400 starts for Hamilton
Hamilton, who became the second F1 driver with 400 starts after Fernando Alonso, also started from the back due to changes in his car and finished ninth.
“We had a strong start and the team did a great job but overall it wasn’t the race I’d hoped for,” said Hamilton, who insisted he and Leclerc had overcome their race incident in Mexico last week after a conversation in Sao Paulo.
Disappointment in Brazil
The two home drivers had a disappointing race in front of Brazilian fans.
Audi’s Gabriel Bortoleto finished 16th, and Haas rookie Rafael Câmara — the replacement of Esteban Ocon — was 20th.
Changing weather conditions forced drivers to often rethink their strategies, as some parts of the track risked cars aquaplaning.
“Starting from the back didn’t make things easy for me, especially in the wet, where overtaking was challenging with the power limitations,” Bortoleto said. “Now, a week to recharge and we move on to the next one, still in the fight.”
The next GP will take place in Las Vegas on Nov. 21, with uncertainty over the two final races of the season in Qatar and Abu Dhabi due to tensions in the Middle East. (AP)
