James Allen: Norris Conquers the Unconquerable, with Two F1 Rookies Shining
A Surprising Weekend at Sao Paolo
Sao Paolo is one of the most unpredictable tracks on the Formula 1 calendar, often marked with a note that says “anything could happen.” Over the years, Interlagos has been known for its chaotic races, driven by unpredictable weather and the nature of the track. It's always difficult to predict what will happen before the weekend starts.
However, Lando Norris arrived in Sao Paolo with a lot of confidence after his dominant win in Mexico. He managed to stamp his authority over the weekend, aided by the underperformance of his main title rivals on Friday and Saturday. This meant he didn’t have to face Oscar Piastri or Max Verstappen head-to-head.
In Verstappen’s case, it was fortunate because Red Bull finally unlocked the potential of their car on race day. They made significant changes to the setup and fitted a new power unit, allowing Verstappen to deliver a remarkable drive from the pitlane start to third place at the finish line, despite a puncture along the way.
Championship Implications
The rain in Sao Paolo wasn't as heavy as expected, which removed another major variable for Norris. The championship leader maintained his composure and achieved a perfect result. He extended his lead over Piastri by 24 points and now leads Verstappen by 49 points with three grands prix, plus a sprint race, remaining in the season.
It's fascinating to see how Piastri's situation has changed. After the Dutch GP in late August, he had a 34-point lead over his teammate. Now, the gap has flipped to 24 points in Norris' favor. Since Monza, Piastri has averaged just 9.5 points per race, while Norris averages just over 19 points.
Upcoming Challenges
The next event is the gambling capital of the world, Las Vegas. The cold weather and improvements to the Mercedes car make them strong contenders. George Russell won there last year, and Andrea Kimi Antonelli is showing signs of being a frontrunner. Red Bull is also expected to be competitive in Vegas.
Among the three remaining races, it's likely that McLaren will struggle the most. These factors make it hard to imagine Piastri making a significant impact on Norris’ points lead unless the Englishman faces a retirement.
Qatar and Abu Dhabi are both strong races for McLaren, with Qatar featuring a sprint race. However, if Norris maintains his composure in Vegas, Piastri would need to be perfect in the final two race weekends and score the maximum 58 points to have any chance of closing the gap.
A Great Weekend for Two Rookies
If you were voting for "Rookie of the Year" a month ago, you might have considered Isack Hadjar and Gabriel Bortoleto. However, former Formula 2 teammates Andrea Kimi Antonelli and Oliver Bearman have truly stepped up in recent weeks.
Antonelli secured his second podium and his best F1 result with a second-place finish. More importantly, this was the first weekend where he outperformed his teammate, George Russell, who is in his peak years and enjoying his best season in F1. Toto Wolff must be quietly satisfied that his gamble in promoting Antonelli is paying off. It's exciting to think about next year, as Antonelli could potentially finish ahead of Lewis Hamilton in the standings. He's now only 26 points behind Hamilton.
Meanwhile, Bearman gave many frontrunners a scare with his pace in qualifying at Interlagos and delivered a solid performance in the race to finish sixth. This backed up his fourth-place result in Mexico and showed that he is now fully capable of competing against experienced driver Esteban Ocon. His result put Haas right behind Aston Martin in the fight for seventh in the constructors' championship.
Hadjar continued to perform well, bringing home more points for Racing Bulls in eighth place, just behind his teammate Liam Lawson. It looks increasingly likely that Hadjar will move to Red Bull next season, with Arvid Lindblad taking one of the Racing Bulls seats. This means Lawson needs to give his all in the remaining races.
