Sao Paulo GP Sprint: Lando Norris wins as Oscar Piastri crashes out in big F1 2025 title race moment | F1 News

Lando Norris has extended his world title lead over Oscar Piastri to nine points after he won the Sao Paulo GP Sprint while his McLaren team-mate crashed out.

In a fresh major setback to the Australian driver’s fading title hopes, two weeks after losing the leadership of the standings to Norris, Piastri spun into the barriers in damp conditions at Turn Three when running in third place on lap six.

Piastri touched his left front wheel on the inside kerb, with water splashing up and sending the McLaren around into the tyre barriers.

He was followed in crashing at the same corner in quick succession by Sauber’s Nico Hulkenberg and, in the heaviest contact of the three, Alpine’s Franco Colapinto after both also went over the kerb.

While Hulkenberg was able to drag his damaged car back to the pit lane for rear-wing repairs under the subsequent red flag, Piastri and Colapinto were out on the spot. A 22-minute delay to the Sprint followed while the two standard cars were cleared away and the Turn Three barriers repaired.

“That was so unlucky for all three of them because you can’t actually say they were doing anything wrong,” said Sky Sports F1’s Martin Brundle.

With the field having started on slicks on a still-damp but drying track after morning rain, Norris had led the early laps from pole from Mercedes’ Kimi Antonelli and then stayed ahead of the young Italian again when the Sprint resumed with a rolling start.

But Antonelli did not make life easy for Norris, his challenge aided by the fact that Mercedes restarted on the more durable medium tyres compared to the softs of the McLaren.

But Norris withstood the late pressure to win by 0.845s to ensure he took full advantage of Piastri’s crash and claim his second Sprint win of the year heading into main qualifying for Sunday’s Grand Prix at 6pm, live on Sky Sports F1.

And, in a further boost to his title hopes, Norris also extended his lead over Max Verstappen to 39 points after the Dutchman finished fourth behind the other Mercedes of George Russell, who was third.

Charles Leclerc overtook Fernando Alonso’s Aston Martin late on for fifth after some typically resolute defending from the veteran Spaniard, with Lewis Hamilton finishing just behind the latter in seventh having made up three places from his grid spot of 11th on lap one.

Pierre Gasly took the final point for Alpine, a rare one for the struggling Enstone team this season.

Brazil’s own Gabriel Bortoleto had a huge high-speed accident at the start of the final lap when he lost control of his Sauber under braking for the first turn trying to overtake Alex Albon’s Williams.

Losing control of the car on the outside line, the Sauber slewed left, smashed into the pit wall, and then briefly went airborne as it was catapulted back across to the right, making a heavy impact with the barriers in the run-off area.

Bortoleto reported he was ok over team radio and was taken to the circuit medical centre for mandatory precautionary checks before returning to the pit lane. Sauber mechanics now face a race against time to repair his heavily-damaged car for him to take part in qualifying at his maiden home race.

Norris tames ‘sketchy’ conditions as Sprint costs Piastri again

While they carry limited points compared to the full grands prix on a Sunday, the last two Sprints have had significant repercussions on the state of the three-way title race into the season’s closing weeks – and particularly costly ones for Piastri.

His lap-six mistake in Sao Paulo on Saturday comes three weeks after he ultimately took responsibility for the accident at the start of the Sprint in Austin which took both McLarens out and left the road clear for Verstappen to win there.

This time Piastri’s early exit was to his team-mate’s complete gain, with the fine margins of such an incident emphasised by the fact that Norris also went over the wet Turn Three kerb two cars ahead of him on the same lap, kicking up spray, but without apparent problem.

Reflecting on his narrow win over Antonelli, Norris said: “It was tough. It makes the win more rewarding when you have a race like this!

“With Kimi here, he was certainly not making my life easy. It’s one of those ones where you have to push, because you know the guy behind will push behind a bit more.

“It was sketchy! Even with the wind and the degradation on the tyres, it was difficult.”

While his McLaren mechanics work to repair his car for main qualifying, Piastri has just hours to regroup to ensure he claims a strong grid position for Sunday’s main event.

“I will try to put this behind [me],” said Piastri.

“There’s a lot more points on offer tomorrow, so the better job I can do in Qualifying to get a good starting spot, the better it will be.”

Given his far-larger points deficit to Norris with just three race weekends to go after Sunday, Verstappen’s urgency for a strong second half to event at Interlagos is even more acute.

But the Dutchman played down his prospects of finding an answer to challenge McLaren, saying: “Like this, you’re in no man’s land. I can’t really stay with the guys ahead. I want to.

“If we can find a bit more, maybe I can fight with Mercedes.”

Sky Sports F1’s Sao Paulo GP Schedule

Saturday November 8
5pm: Sao Paulo GP Qualifying build-up
6pm: SAO PAULO GP QUALIFYING
8pm: Ted’s Qualifying Notebook

Sunday November 9
3.30pm: Grand Prix Sunday: Sao Paulo GP build-up
5pm: THE SAO PAULO GRAND PRIX
7pm: Chequered Flag: Sao Paulo GP reaction
8pm: Ted’s Notebook

Formula 1’s thrilling title race continues in Brazil with the Sao Paulo Grand Prix on Sunday at 5pm, with build-up from 3.30pm live on Sky Sports F1. Stream Sky Sports with NOW – no contract, cancel anytime