Lando Norris extended his lead in the championship thanks to a new victory in the São Paulo Grand Prix. The Brit is now 24 points ahead of Oscar Piastri and 49 points ahead of Max Verstappen. The latter, due to his start from the pit lane, could have suffered a much larger loss, but impressively worked his way forward in the race. Therefore, Norris is grateful that Verstappen did not finish higher in the qualification – the Dutchman might have won in Brazil.
For the first time in his Formula 1 career, Max Verstappen did not make it past Q1 on his own merit on Saturday. In the past, he had dropped out due to technical problems or crashes, but in São Paulo, he simply lacked the speed to join the fastest fifteen. Red Bull thoroughly overhauled the RB21 for the main race, which meant the Dutchman had to start from the pit lane. Despite this setback, he eventually finished third at Interlagos. Winner and title rival Lando Norris is grateful that Verstappen did not start further ahead.
‘Everyone Makes Mistakes’
During the press conference after the race, Norris was asked about Verstappen’s title chances. Should he still fear the reigning champion? “In the races, he will always pose a threat,” responded the McLaren driver. “And in the championship, you never know. Given how fast he was today, he probably would have won if he had started from a higher position. But that’s racing – everyone makes mistakes,” he referred to his rival’s qualification drama.
“So again, we just want to get the most out of every weekend,” he continued. “We can’t do more than that. And with that, Verstappen will always pose a danger,” Norris added. “He always does – he keeps fighting, in every race. I’m sure he will continue to do so until the end, and honestly, I’m just looking forward to it.”
