By: Lando Norris returned to winning ways at Interlagos, rounding off a weekend that saw him back at the front: a treacherous race featuring battles, difficulties and rain that once again stole the show.
A blistering start
Antonelli took the lead, while Norris slipped back to third. Lewis Hamilton was sensational, gaining no fewer than 10 places in a single lap to climb into ninth; the magic from the #44, however, was short-lived, as rapid tyre degradation sent him back through the field. That was not the case for Max Verstappen, who was already fourth by lap 15. Charles Leclerc also faced an uphill recovery, unable to break into the top 10 during the opening phase of the race. Lawson, Hulkenberg, Albon and Bearman all performed well as they looked to remain in the points.
Hamilton plays his joker, but it does not go to plan. Antonelli struggles
Given the wet track conditions, the drivers started on intermediate tyres. As well as Hamilton, many struggled with rapid tyre degradation; the Briton opted for an early stop, fitting soft tyres on lap 15. The Ferrari driver’s sector times were strong, and in the following laps the rest of the field followed him in switching from intermediates to slicks. However, the track never dried completely, with several damp sections proving particularly treacherous.
After the pit stop, Antonelli reported problems with his W17, allowing Lando Norris to quickly overtake him and retake the lead. The Italian repeatedly ran wide at Turn 1, dropping to fourth as Hadjar and Verstappen moved into second and third respectively. Leclerc, meanwhile, continued to struggle, remaining between 14th and 15th throughout; Hamilton found himself stuck in traffic and was rounding out the provisional top 10 on lap 28.
Controversial choices... but then the rain arrives
By lap 39, Hamilton made his second stop, a decision also taken by drivers including Verstappen, Antonelli and Norris. Others, however, opted for a one-stop strategy, including Leclerc, who was ninth behind Hamilton in eighth.
On lap 60, rain stole the show, with Russell the first to fit intermediates, soon followed by the rest of the field. Antonelli came under investigation for an unsafe release in the pit lane: the Bologna-born driver narrowly avoided contact with Franco Colapinto’s Alpine. There was also drama at Ferrari, with Hamilton refusing to pit alongside Leclerc; because of the rain, the Briton completed a 360-degree spin in the final sector before returning to the pit lane to fit intermediates. On lap 65, the top 10 was: Norris, Verstappen, Hadjar, Russell, Antonelli, Piastri, Lawson, Leclerc, Hamilton and Hulkenberg.
Cover photo by Finlay Williams / WHYOUT images
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