Norris Wins São Paulo From Pole as Verstappen Charges From 21st
Lando Norris won the São Paulo Grand Prix for McLaren on Sunday, finishing ahead of Max Verstappen. It was Norris's first win since the Dutch Grand Prix at the end of August, and it came from the front of the grid.
Norris started from pole position, the fastest spot on the grid, after beating George Russell in qualifying. That session was run in the rain, and it was his third pole in a row. He completed 71 laps, and his winning time was 1:35:23.504 according to the official Formula 1 results.
Verstappen had a much harder start. He began at the back of the 22-car grid, in 21st, because of an engine penalty, which drops a driver down the grid after a change of power unit. He had been quickest in the third practice session, and he worked his way up to finish second. The BBC reported the result as the main story of the afternoon.
Mercedes had the other big result. George Russell finished fourth and Kimi Antonelli was fifth. Those two places were enough to clinch the constructors' championship, the team title, which goes to the manufacturer whose two drivers score the most points between them. Antonelli arrived in Brazil as the new drivers' world champion, having secured the title a week earlier.
The circuit is 4.309 kilometres long, and the race has a long history with the sport's record books. Michael Schumacher holds the most wins here, with four. McLaren is the most successful team at the event, and Norris's victory adds to that tally of 13 wins for the team.
For Norris, the result keeps his season alive in a different way. He finished first in the 2025 drivers' standings, and this win gave him a welcome return to the top step after a gap of more than two months. For Verstappen, second from 21st is a strong recovery that will be read as a sign of the car's pace on race day.
The race also settled the team battle. Mercedes wrapped up its title on the strength of Russell and Antonelli finishing fourth and fifth, behind a McLaren one-two at the front.
