Overview
- Lando Norris completed a sprint–grand prix double in São Paulo to extend his lead to 49 points over Max Verstappen and 24 over Oscar Piastri with three races and one sprint remaining.
- Red Bull rebuilt Verstappen’s car overnight, reverting to an older underbody, raising and softening the setup, and fitting a fifth power unit that forced a pit-lane start under parc fermé rules.
- An early slow puncture on lap seven triggered Verstappen’s first stop under Virtual Safety Car, and a three-stop plan followed; team chief Laurent Mekies said the late third stop was necessary and that a win was unrealistic.
- Ferrari suffered a double retirement after collisions as Lewis Hamilton lamented a “nightmare” season, with Mercedes stretching its advantage for second and Red Bull moving ahead of Ferrari in the constructors’ standings.
- Nico Hülkenberg scored ninth for Sauber with an effective one-stop run, while international press lauded Verstappen’s comeback and framed Norris as the championship favorite.