SAO PAULO.- The British Lando Norrisof McLarenwon this Saturday the sprint race of the Brazilian Grand Prix and reinforces its leadership in the drivers’ world championship.
With four races left until the end of the season, Norris leads the World Championship with 365 points, while his teammate, Oscar Piastriremains with 356 in second position in the general classification.
The Australian had to abandon the sprint after crashing in a corner in the seventh of the 24 laps and saw the four-time world champion Max Verstappenthird overall, closed the gap after the Dutchman finished in fourth place.
The leader was escorted by the Italian’s Mercedes Andrea Kimi Antonelli and the british George Russellin a bumpy race on the wet track of the Interlagos circuit, in Sao Paulo.
It rained in the early morning, but not in the competition, amid concerns about a weather alert issued on Friday by local authorities.
In addition to Piastri, the Argentine Franco Colapinto (Alpine) and the Brazilian Gabriel Bortoleto (Sauber) retired due to accidents.
Running complications
The British Oliver Bearman (Hass) spun after a touch from the New Zealander Liam Lawson (Racing Bulls) at the start, an incident under investigation. Both drivers continued on the track.
It was the first of the incidents in the legendary São Paulo test, the home of the legendary Ayrton Senna.
The seventh lap was chaotic: Piastri, the German Nico Hulkenberg (Sauber) and Colapinto went off the track in the same corner.
Piastri and Colapinto abandoned. Hülkenberg, on the other hand, stayed in the race.
The stewards raised the red flag and the sprint was paralyzed for 24 minutes.
The mini-race, the penultimate of the season under this format, resumed with Norris, Antonelli and Russell in the first three positions, followed by Verstappen.
Antonelli pushed until the end, but the leader of the drivers’ classification knew how to maintain his leading position.
In the last lap came the moment of retirement for Bortoleto, the first Brazilian in the Brazilian GP since Felipe Massa in 2017. He crashed after having problems with the steering wheel of his car before entering the so-called Senna S, the first corner of the road course.
