Norris wins São Paulo Grand Prix as Mercedes clinch constructors' title

McLaren's Lando Norris won the São Paulo Grand Prix at Interlagos. Red Bull's Max Verstappen finished second and Isack Hadjar third. Mercedes clinched the Formula One constructors' championship, with George Russell fourth and Kimi Antonelli fifth.

It is Mercedes' ninth constructors' title and its first since 2021. Antonelli had clinched the drivers' title one week earlier. According to The Guardian, Mercedes needed to outscore second-placed Ferrari by three points to secure the title.

How the race unfolded

Norris started from pole position. Antonelli, alongside him on the front row, took the lead at the start. He built a lead of about eight seconds before drivers switched to dry-weather tyres. Norris pitted first, closed up and took the lead when Antonelli spun at Turn 1. BBC Sport puts that spin on lap 20.

Antonelli had grip or handling problems after his first pit stop. He later ran off again and lost third place to Verstappen. Mercedes ordered him to let Russell through in the closing laps. Russell had qualified second but started seventh because of an engine penalty. He spun at the pit lane exit during his stop for dry tyres, which cost him podium contention.

Rain returned in the final 10 laps, forcing a switch back to wet-weather tyres. Norris finished about 14 seconds ahead of Verstappen. ESPN gives the margin as 14.6 seconds. It was Norris's third win of the season and his first since the Dutch Grand Prix.

Verstappen started 21st after an engine-related grid penalty. According to BBC Sport, Red Bull ordered Hadjar to let him past on lap 39.

Ferrari's Lewis Hamilton, in his 400th grand prix, started 20th after an engine-related penalty and finished ninth. His teammate Charles Leclerc received a five-second penalty for a collision with Liam Lawson of Racing Bulls. According to ESPN, Antonelli received a five-second penalty after the race for an unsafe pit release. ESPN reports that his finishing position did not change.

What is disputed

• Leclerc and Lawson: BBC Sport's driver ratings and ESPN report Leclerc finished eighth, behind Lawson, after his penalty. The Guardian lists Leclerc eighth but does not mention the penalty or Lawson. One BBC Sport race report lists Leclerc seventh and Lawson eighth.
• Russell after his spin: BBC Sport says he rejoined in 10th. ESPN says he slipped to eighth.
• Hamilton and Leclerc: ESPN says Leclerc passed Hamilton around lap 10. BBC Sport says Hamilton led Leclerc for much of the race.

The reports reviewed by Vocemundi do not include official FIA classification or stewards' documents.

What each side says

According to BBC Sport, Antonelli complained over the radio that his car felt strange under acceleration. ESPN reported that he told Mercedes "something weird" was wrong with his car. According to ESPN, Mercedes told him the problem was tyre temperature.

BBC Sport quoted Norris as saying: "It was a very tough race - very, very tough." He added: "The main thing today was that I just kept it cool and I did not make any mistakes."

Analysis

The constructors' title confirms Mercedes' strength this season, but the Brazil race also showed vulnerabilities. Both Mercedes drivers lost time to spins, and Antonelli's handling problem is attributed to tyre temperature both by Mercedes, according to ESPN, and by The Guardian. For McLaren, the win came in the same weekend the team brought upgrades; The Guardian assesses that the final set, notably the front wing, appears to have paid off. Verstappen's recovery from 21st shows Red Bull's race pace in mixed conditions. Unresolved questions over the final classification may be settled by official documents. The remaining races could test whether these patterns persist.

Produced by the Vocemundi newsroom with AI assistance.