F1 – Lando Norris cut Max Verstappen’s Formula One lead to 44 points after his McLaren team mate Oscar Piastri obeyed orders and gifted the Briton a sprint-race victory in Sao Paulo yesterday.
Piastri had started on pole position and led until handing over two laps from the end after Red Bull’s Verstappen had passed Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc for third and became an increasing threat.
The switch came just before a virtual safety car (VSC) period left a tense final lap with Australian Piastri crossing the line 0.593 behind Norris in a one-two finish.
Verstappen finished third, 0.904 further adrift, but was handed a five-second penalty for a VSC infringement that dropped him back behind Leclerc. The triple champion was also given a penalty point.
Piastri’s race engineer thanked the Australian, who is out of title contention, over the radio for his “massive support to the team”.
McLaren are now 34 points clear of Ferrari in the constructors’ standings after a gain of five.
Verstappen and Leclerc had a lively battle for third before the Red Bull overtook on the 18th of 24 laps and Nico Hulkenberg then triggered the virtual safety car by stopping by the side of the track in a smouldering Haas on lap 21.
It was the first time this season that Verstappen has been beaten in a sprint and he will also have a five-place grid penalty for today’s race due to exceeding his engine allocation.
Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz was fifth, with George Russell sixth for Mercedes and Pierre Gasly seventh for Renault-owned Alpine while Mexican Sergio Perez secured the final point in eighth for Red Bull ahead of RB’s Liam Lawson.
- Qualifying for Brazil’s Sao Paulo Formula One Grand Prix was postponed until today after heavy rain over the Interlagos circuit yesterday. After being delayed for two hours with no improvement in conditions, amid fading daylight, officials decided the hour-long session could not proceed and moved it to the morning of the race. An earlier sprint race was held in dry conditions as was Friday practice and sprint qualifying. More rain is forecast for today.
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