Lando Norris clinched victory in the Sao Paulo Grand Prix sprint race, seizing the lead from his McLaren teammate, Oscar Piastri, in the final stages. Piastri, who led from the pole for nearly the entire sprint, was instructed by McLaren to let Norris through on lap 22 of the 24-lap race, a strategy influenced by a late yellow flag. The team acted swiftly after Nico Hulkenberg's car stopped on track, signalling potential trouble.
With a Virtual Safety Car (VSC) moments away, McLaren’s call for Piastri to yield to Norris paid off, securing the Briton his first sprint race victory of the season. Max Verstappen, the current championship leader, took the last spot on the podium after a challenging race.
Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris have swapped positions!
The VSC came just as he was closing in on Piastri, interrupting his chance to make a further push. Nonetheless, Verstappen’s podium finish helped him limit the impact on his points lead, though it wasn’t without controversy. He was flagged for a potential VSC infringement, specifically related to his restart position near Piastri. The stewards have since called him in for review, hinting that a penalty might be on the horizon, which could shake up his race weekend.
Ferrari struggled with race pace!
The sprint ended with Charles Leclerc taking fourth and Carlos Sainz finishing fifth, ensuring Ferrari stayed in the top half of the grid. George Russell placed sixth, followed by Pierre Gasly in seventh, and Sergio Pérez in eighth. The late VSC intervention ignited discussions in the paddock, as Verstappen’s interrupted momentum highlighted how critical timing is in these short sprint formats.
Here are the final results of the Sao Paulo sprint race:
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