Lando Norris Wins F1 Sprint in Brazil, Gains 2 Points on Max Verstappen

Lando Norris spent the balance of Saturday’s (Nov. 2) Formula 1 Sprint in Brazil right behind race leader and teammate Oscar Piastri.

But on lap 22, with points leader Max Verstappen breathing down the McLaren duo’s necks, Piastri let Norris by to take the lead.

Just a few seconds later, a Virtual Safety Car came out, slowing the top three down and denying further racing until midway through the last lap. Verstappen made one final stab at Piastri almost the second the VSC came out, but couldn’t get by him and had to take third.

“It’s tough,” Norris said in the podium interviews. “It was kind of like a yo-yo, I’d catch up [to Piastri] and drop back, catch up and drop back. Dirty air just costs you a lot of lap times.

“I fought a bit quicker but couldn’t pass at the time, but it felt good. We were maybe quicker than the guys behind, it’s just difficult in a sprint race like this to manage and push and that kind of thing, but we executed it well.

Norris is now 45 points back of Verstappen with four races and another Sprint in Qatar left on the schedule.

The VSC in question was for Nico Hulkenberg, who had an issue with his Haas’ exhaust and had to park right off the racing surface in sector 2.

The Ferrari pair of Carlos Sainz and Charles Leclerc challenged early but fell off, finishing fourth and fifth respectively and losing some ground in the constructor’s championship. George Russell finished sixth.

Pierre Gasly brought Alpine two more crucial points in their Constructors’ Championship battle for eighth by finishing in seventh. Sergio Perez made five overtakes in just 24 laps to take the last point in eighth place.

Just four more F1 races remain in the season. Lights out for the Brazilian Grand Prix will come at 12 p.m. ET on Sunday (Nov. 3). Coverage will be on ABC.