Lando Norris extended his lead with victory in Brazil but it was Max Verstappen that stole the show with a masterclass of a drive.

Norris produced one of his best Formula One weekends of the season as he extended his championship lead over struggling teammate Oscar Piastri to 24 points.

The Brit claimed pole for both the Sprint and the Grand Prix, converting each into commanding victories, firmly asserting his place as the championship favourite with three Grands Prix remaining in the 2025 season.

Norris has been criticised previously for lacking the mental fortitude of teammate Piastri; however, his change in mindset has been crucial to his recent success.

“I care a lot about people’s perspectives and how I’m portrayed and things in the media,” said Norris.

“I probably cared too much, and it was affecting me in not the best ways. I’ve just learned to deal with those things better.”

His ‘unflappable’ teammate Piastri now appears to be struggling, with two costly mistakes helping boost Norris’s championship aspirations.

A spin on a wet kerb sent him into the barriers during the Sprint, putting him on the back foot for qualifying, where he would start fourth, behind the likes of Kimi Antonelli and Charles Leclerc.

A three-wide move in the early stages of the race after the safety car restart saw the Australian go side by side with the duo, forcing Antonelli into Leclerc as he locked up into Turn 1.

This move was deemed unsafe by the FIA, handing Piastri a 10-second time penalty that eventually relegated him to fifth in the race, despite a late charge to try and overtake the Mercedes of George Russell.

Piastri said: “There’s clearly some things we need to sort out. Just a tough weekend on a number of fronts.

LI think in terms of the championship there’s no point thinking about it very much… a tough afternoon.”

The standout driver of the race, however, had to be Max Verstappen, who once again produced a Brazilian masterclass. Starting from the pitlane after a surprising Q1 exit, Verstappen carved his way through the field.

He displayed all the qualities that have delivered him four world titles.

In one of his best performances this season, the Dutchman battled his way through the pack, matching the speed of race leader Norris throughout, passing Russell in the dying laps to earn his place on the podium.

Red Bull team boss Laurent Mekies described his performance as “sensational”, while Verstappen himself said over the radio: “Not bad!”

Behind the top five came the Haas driver Oliver Bearman, who once again extracted the maximum from his Haas, finishing 25 seconds ahead of experienced teammate Esteban Ocon.

“Very happy,” said Bearman. “I think we executed honestly a perfect race and that was the best possible result we could have achieved.”

This result moves Haas to within two points of Aston Martin in the constructors’ championship, as both drivers failed to score this weekend, with Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll finishing 14th and 16th respectively.

Bearman’s upturn in form comes at a time when Lewis Hamilton’s Ferrari future is already being questioned, with the Brit retiring from the race after a series of collisions in the opening laps. The Haas driver is rumoured to be in line for his seat in 2027.

Hamilton said: “It’s a nightmare. I’ve been living it for a while. The flip between driving for this amazing team and the nightmare of the results that we’ve had. The ups and downs. It’s challenging.”

The seven-time champion finds himself a distant sixth in the championship, 66 points behind teammate Leclerc, who retired after damage from his collision with Piastri and Antonelli.

The top 10 was rounded out by the Racing Bulls duo of Liam Lawson and Isack Hadjar, Nico Hülkenberg, and Pierre Gasly, who claimed a precious point for the Alpine team one year on from their unlikely double podium finish.

It was a disappointing weekend for Williams, Aston Martin, and home hero Gabriel Bortoleto. A high-speed crash on the last lap of the Sprint, which reached 57G on impact, meant he missed qualifying for the Grand Prix. His heartbreak was compounded the next day, as contact on lap one with Stroll forced him into the barriers and out of the race before it had even begun.

All attention now turns to the lights of Las Vegas, where gambling on an exciting race would be a safe bet. With its near two-kilometre straight, the track should suit Red Bull’s speed — but with several drivers looking to bounce back after a poor weekend in Brazil, excitement is all but guaranteed.

BRAZILIAN GP RACE RESULTS:

1. Lando Norris (McLaren) 1:32:01.596

2. Andrea Kimi Antonelli (Mercedes) +10.388s

3. Max Verstappen (Red Bull) +10.750s

4. George Russell (Mercedes) +15.267s

5. Oscar Piastri (McLaren) +15.749s

6. Oliver Bearman (Haas) +29.630s

7. Liam Lawson (Racing Bulls) +52.642s

8. Isack Hadjar (Racing Bulls) +52.873s

9. Nico Hülkenberg (Kick Sauber) +53.324s

10. Pierre Gasly (Alpine) +53.914s

11. Alexander Albon (Williams) +54.184s

12. Esteban Ocon (Haas) +54.696s

13. Carlos Sainz Jr (Williams) +55.420s

14. Fernando Alonso (Aston Martin) +55.766s

15. Franco Colapinto (Alpine) +57.777s

16. Lance Stroll (Aston Martin) +58.247s

17. Yuki Tsunoda (Red Bull) +69.176s

18. Lewis Hamilton (Ferrari) DNF

19. Charles Leclerc (Ferrari) DNF

20. Gabriel Bortoleto (Kick Sauber) DNF