Sao Paulo GP: Lando Norris wins thrilling race to extend championship lead as Oscar Piastri struggles to fifth

Lando Norris won a thrilling Sao Paulo Grand Prix to take command of the Formula 1 title battle as Oscar Piastri struggled to fifth.

Norris superbly controlled the race from pole position to complete a perfect weekend – in which he also won Saturday’s Sprint at Interlagos – to extend his title-race lead over his McLaren team-mate Piastri to 24 points with three rounds remaining.

Red Bull’s Max Verstappen produced a stunning comeback after a pit-lane start but was denied second place by Kimi Antonelli in a thrilling finale as the Mercedes driver claimed the best result of his rookie campaign.

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Last-lap drama as Norris wins in Sao Paulo and Kimi Antonelli holds off a charging Max Verstappen to claim second

Despite his superb performance, Verstappen dropped 49 points behind Norris to leave his hopes of claiming a fifth successive drivers’ title all but over.

Piastri, who crashed out of Saturday’s Sprint, continued the streak of errors that has resulted in his 34-point championship lead becoming a significant deficit as he made an over-ambitious attempt to pass Antonelli at the restart after an early Safety Car sending the Mercedes into Charles Leclerc’s Ferrari.

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Gabriel Bortoleto is forced out after an early collision with Lance Stroll and Lewis Hamilton loses his front wing

Piastri was given a 10-second time penalty for causing a collision, which left him having to fight his way back through the field.

The Australian was also denied an additional place in the closing stages as George Russell held onto fourth for Mercedes, with a strong weekend for the Silver Arrows taking them clear of Red Bull and Ferrari in the battle for second in the Constructors’ Championship behind McLaren, who have already sealed the title.

Leclerc was forced to retire after losing a wheel in the collision caused by Piastri, while Lewis Hamilton also failed to finish as damage suffered in a collision with Carlos Sainz at the start eventually resulted in his retirement.

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Hamilton was gutted after he suffered damage, an early pit stop, a penalty and early retirement in Brazil

British rookie Oliver Bearman backed up his career-best fourth-placed finish last time out in Mexico with another superb result as he claimed sixth for Haas.

Liam Lawson and Isack Hadjar finished seventh and eighth, respectively, for Racing Bulls, while Sauber’s Nico Hulkenberg and Alpine’s Pierre Gasly rounded out the points positions.

More to follow…

Sao Paulo GP Result: Top 10

1) Lando Norris, McLaren

2) Kimi Antonelli, Mercedes

3) Max Verstappen, Red Bull

4) George Russell, Mercedes

5) Oscar Piastri, McLaren

6) Oliver Bearman, Haas

7) Liam Lawson, Racing Bulls

8) Isack Hadjar, Racing Bulls

9) Nico Hulkenberg, Sauber

10) Pierre Gasly, Alpine

Formula 1’s thrilling title race continues with the Las Vegas Grand Prix on November 21-23, live on Sky Sports F1. Stream Sky Sports with NOW – no contract, cancel anytime