Lando Norris Extends F1 Lead With Sao Paulo Grand Prix Win; Max Verstappen Takes Podium From Pit

What Happened at the Brazil Race

Lando Norris was crowned the winner once more at the Sao Paulo Grand Prix and this way made his position in the championship even more secure. The McLaren pilot got pole position and the entire race went his way. That’s 390 points for Norris now while teammate Piastri is at 366 points, so the difference is 24 points between them. 

The entire race weekend was a dream come true for Norris. He enjoyed a massive 33-point scoring with the combination of pole position and winning the sprint race on Saturday. This was already his seventh race win of the 2025 season and second consecutive victory. 

How Norris Controlled the Race?

From the very start till the end, the McLaren driver had everything under control at Interlagos. He took the lead as soon as the lights turned green and he kept that position for all the laps. It was Kimi Antonelli from Mercedes who took the second spot while Verstappen rounded out the top three. 

A safety car was deployed at the beginning of the race following the collision of Gabriel Bortoleto with the barriers in his home race. But Norris managed the restart like a veteran and extended his lead over the others. 

The 25-year-old Brit commented that he was pleased with the win but also admitted that he thought Verstappen had shown extraordinary speed. With just three races remaining in the season, Norris is sitting pretty for the first championship win of his career.

Verstappen’s Amazing Recovery Drive

Max Verstappen put on an absolutely stunning performance despite starting the race from the pit lane. The Red Bull driver had to begin from the worst possible position after his team made major changes to his car overnight.​

Here’s what happened before the race:

• Verstappen struggled badly in qualifying and only managed 16th place​
• He complained about having no grip and having to drive way slower than he wanted​
• Red Bull decided to fit a completely new Honda power unit to his car​
• The team also made several setup adjustments under special rules​

The changes resulted in Verstappen being forced to start from the pit lane rather than his already miserable grid position. It was a general opinion that he would face a hard time even getting points from such a rear position. 

But the four-time world champion stunned everyone by delving into the middle of the pack like a hot knife through butter. He was fortunate when he got an early puncture but he was able to pit under a virtual safety car period. This gave him the opportunity to not only get rid of the difficult tires he was on but also put him on a better rubber. 

Verstappen even got to the front of the pack at one point before making his last pit stop. He then switched to soft tires and passed George Russell at Turn 1 before going flat out to catch Antonelli for second place during the final laps.

The Championship Battle Heats Up

The viewers of Khelo24race have not been disappointed this season as they have witnessed one of the most thrilling title races of the recent past. Currently, three rounds to go, Norris is already 24 points ahead of Piastri and an impressive 49 points above Verstappen.

The season has three regular races remaining and one sprint event, and that translates to the fact that there are still 83 points to be won. The title is still undecided, even though Norris has a secure lead, and he is not going to need any more victories to become the king. 

If Piastri were to miraculously finish first in all four remaining races, he would end up with 449 points. However, if Norris were to finish second in all those races, he would accumulate 61 more points and reach a total of 451 points, which would still make him the champion by two points.

What This Means for the Season

In Brazil, Piastri’s title aspirations suffered a big blow. The Australian racer crossed the line in the fifth spot after being penalized for a collision with another driver and getting a 10-second time added to his total. 

After the race he was clearly not pleased and mentioned that there were multiple things that went wrong for him during and over the weekend. Piastri’s championship hopes now faded significantly as Verstappen, who is currently second in the standings, would practically have to secure 1st place in all of the remaining races, assuming both McLaren drivers have disastrous finishes at the same time.

Why This Race Matters

The Brazilian Grand Prix which was held in Sao Paulo became a great blabbermouth of the 2025 racing calendar. Lando Norris used the opportunity to prove his right to lead the championship and he did it by giving a perfect performance with maximum pressure. No mistakes were committed and he drove intellectually from start to end.​

Max Verstappen brought back the memories of the past when he took the championship with his drive from the pit lane to the podium. Only a few drivers in the history of the sport have ever been able to make it to the top three after having such a bad start. His speed on new tires was simply unbelievable and he nearly got Antonelli for the second position.​

The followers of Khelo24race know that in the last races of the season, anything is possible. However, Lando Norris has positioned himself in the most favorable way to take the first championship crown. The McLaren team must already be feeling very optimistic about bringing home both the drivers’ and constructors’ titles.

Looking Ahead to the Final Races

It is now entirely up to Piastri and Verstappen to enhance their positions through the remaining races. Piastri will have to speed up the process of finding better pace and also avoid disqualifications if he intends to be part of the contest for the title. Verstappen, on the other hand, will keep on going hard but realizes his chances are almost zero. 

Norris just has to keep on doing the same as in the whole of the previous weekend in Brazil. He needs to remain collected, make no mistakes and score good points finishes. If he can do that, then his aspiration of being a world champion will eventually come true after many years of dedication and almost there moments. 

The last trio of races in 2025 are already foretelling the vast amount of excitement and drama that will unfold. The whole world will be very attentively watching to find out whether Norris can keep his composure or if Piastri and Verstappen’s incredible comebacks in the championship positions will actually happen.