British driver Lando Norris capped a perfect weekend with his seventh victory of the 2025 Formula 1 season at the São Paulo Grand Prix on Sunday, November 9. He now has a 24-point lead in the Drivers' Championship.
The mega win came after the McLaren driver topped the Sprint race a day earlier. Only hours later on Saturday, he took pole position in São Paulo, laying the foundation for what would be a perfectly executed race.
Mercedes' Kimi Antonelli successfully defended his second place against an aggressively approaching Max Verstappen in the last couple of laps. Fourth was the other Silver Arrow, driven by George Russell.
Lando's closest title rival and teammate Piastri finished 5th after receiving a 10-second penalty for a Lap 1 collision with Antonelli and Charles Leclerc, which saw the latter retire due to the first corner crash.
With just three rounds remaining, the in-form British driver is in a formidable position to clinch his maiden driver's title. However, a total of 83 points are still up for grabs, so any suggestion of the season being already over is far from the truth.
Here's How Norris Can Clinch His Maiden F1 Title
The 2025 Drivers Championship is now down to just three drivers after Russell was eliminated from the title race after his fourth-place finish in the Brazilian GP.
The title will now be won by either Norris, Piastri, or Verstappen, but the chances of Max winning seem to have faded despite his 3rd-place finish in Sao Paolo.
Norris holds a 24-point lead over Piastri and a 49-point lead over Verstappen. For Norris to clinch the F1 title, all he has to do is ensure he finishes above Piastri and Verstappen in the remaining three races.
Norris can still win the driver's championship even if Piastri wins the remaining three races (including Qatar Sprint), considering Norris finishes second in those races. This will mean Norris will end up with 451 points, while Piastri will finish with 449 points.
A DNF for Piastri in any of the next couple of races would put Norris in the driver's seat to secure the 2025 F1 Drivers Championship.
How The Sao Paulo GP Unfolded?
Piastri made an aggressive move during the start and ended up hitting Antonelli, who contacted Charles Leclerc. The Ferrari driver's race came undone as a result of the move, and Piastri was handed a ten-second penalty, ending his chances of being on the podium and closing the gap between the top two.
Elated over his flawless outing, Norris said, "I was pushing and it was an amazing race." He dedicated his victory to the late Gil de Feran, a former driver who played an instrumental role in his career. "It’s so nice to win in Brazil at this amazing track and amazing fans. This is for Gil…. My mentor a few years ago. A perfect weekend," he mentioned.
When asked about the title race, Norris steered clear of thinking beyond the present and reiterated, "I’m not thinking about it, not yet, not at all. It’s a great win, but to see Max and how quick he was today. That’s where my mind is at. And there is a long way to go."
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