The Brazilian Grand Prix had a chaotic and eventful start. As soon as the lights went out, local driver Gabriel Bortoleto was once again involved in a crash, just as he was in yesterday's sprint race, which forced the safety car to come out early. This neutralization benefited Lando Norris, who was able to preserve the wear on his medium tires in the opening laps.
Nevertheless, the restart did not bring calm. In turn 1, Oscar Piastri tried to overtake Andrea Kimi Antonelli on the inside, while Charles Leclerc attempted to do so on the outside, creating a three-car collision in parallel. The contact between the Australian's McLaren and the young Italian's Mercedes unleashed chaos: Antonelli lost control and spun, but was involuntarily straightened by the Monegasque's Ferrari. However, the impact destroyed Leclerc's left front tire, who had to retire shortly after. Race control penalized Piastri with 10 seconds for his responsibility in the incident.
Amid so much disorder, Max Verstappen also suffered a setback. After a touch that caused a puncture, he had to pit earlier than planned. Despite dropping to 13th place, the Dutchman switched to medium tires and began a relentless comeback, reaching fourth place in just 22 laps.
At the front, Norris set the pace with authority, followed by Piastri, hampered by the penalty, while the Mercedes cars of Antonelli and George Russell remained in podium positions. At mid-race, McLaren and Mercedes opted for soft tires, while Verstappen stuck with mediums, a strategy that would prove crucial in the final stretch.
With the penalty, Piastri dropped to seventh place, and Verstappen moved up to fourth, behind the two Silver Arrows. Ten laps from the end, the four-time world champion launched his attack: first overtaking Russell and then attempting to catch Antonelli, in a thrilling battle that lasted until the checkered flag.
However, victory was never in doubt. Lando Norris crossed the line first with more than a 10-second lead, sealing a resounding triumph at Interlagos. Antonelli withstood Verstappen's pressure to secure second place, his best finish in his rookie F1 season after his third place in Canada, completing a stellar podium alongside the Dutchman.
