São Paulo Grand Prix

Verstappen from the PIT LANE to the PODIUM

Norris was absolutely flawless all weekend, pole for both sessions, won the sprint and the race. But the real story is Verstappen starting from the pit lane after Red Bull changed his entire power unit and still finishing on the podium. He even led the race during the pit stop windows. The man is a machine. Piastri locking up into Antonelli and taking out Leclerc was ugly though. Interlagos delivering as always.

Strategy chaos at its finest

A fascinating race from a strategic standpoint. Verstappen's offset strategy from the pit lane was the story of the afternoon. Starting on hards, picking up a puncture, switching to mediums under the VSC on lap 7 and then running the best tire for most of the race distance. He briefly led the race while the regular starters pitted. Norris was untouchable on pure pace but Verstappen maximised everything from the worst possible starting position. 33-point haul for Norris across the weekend.

Antonelli's star keeps rising

In a season where the rookies have been under constant scrutiny, Antonelli just keeps delivering. Second place at Interlagos is his best result yet and he earned it, fighting off Verstappen in the closing laps despite a wide moment on the final tour. Russell in fourth behind both Verstappen and his own rookie teammate tells you everything. The kid is special. Norris winning was expected but Antonelli stealing the spotlight felt right.

Another disaster for Ferrari

Leclerc retired on lap 6 after being collected by Antonelli, who had been hit by Piastri at the safety car restart. Hamilton retired with floor damage after contact with Colapinto on the opening lap. Constructors' title gone. The SF-25 was supposed to be the car that changed everything and instead it's been the most inconsistent Ferrari since 2020. Painful.

Interlagos never disappoints

You can always count on Interlagos for drama and this year was no different. Safety car on lap 1 after Bortoleto and Stroll tangled, VSC shortly after from the Piastri incident, and then varied strategies creating an unpredictable race from there. Norris was supreme at the front and Verstappen's charge from the pit lane was genuinely thrilling to follow. Not quite the chaos of 2012 or 2019, but comfortably one of the better races of what has been a pretty disappointing season overall.