Lando Norris stretches lead after Piastri crashes in Sao Paulo sprint
Lando Norris stretched his Formula One championship lead to nine points after winning Saturday’s Sao Paulo sprint while McLaren teammate Oscar Piastri crashed out in a big blow to his bid to get back on top.
The pair had started the day at Brazil’s Interlagos circuit separated by a single point, with Norris on pole position and closest rival Piastri third on the grid.
The Australian’s hopes disappeared on lap six of 24 when he lost control on the wet kerb at turn three and spun into the barriers.
The race was then halted on lap eight, resuming with a rolling start after barrier repairs and Norris leading the field with Mercedes’ Kimi Antonelli and George Russell in his slipstream.
The race ended with double yellow flags waved after Sauber’s home hero Gabriel Bortoleto crashed heavily, with Antonelli having to settle for second and 0.845 behind Norris. Russell took third place.
Red Bull’s reigning world champion Max Verstappen finished fourth and is now 39 points behind Norris in third place overall.
Qualifying for Sunday’s main grand prix followed on Saturday.
Published on Nov 08, 2025