SÃO PAULO – Lando Norris delivered yet another performance that silenced his critics and proved his championship calibre, as he secured a stunning victory at Interlagos. However, for Oscar Piastri, two costly moments pushed him closer to what is now becoming an inevitable, yet painful, runner-up finish in the 2025 Formula 1 drivers’ championship.
Norris’ near-perfect weekend in Brazil has seen him open up a 24-point lead over Piastri with just three races remaining—one of which includes a sprint event. This scenario would have seemed unlikely only two months ago, when Norris’ late car failure at the Dutch Grand Prix allowed Piastri to win and extend his lead to 34 points, leaving the Australian seemingly on track for his first world championship. At that time, many doubted whether Norris had the mental fortitude to win a title. His inconsistent form prior to the summer break only added fuel to that scepticism. But Norris appeared to put those doubts to rest following his victory in Brazil.
“Just ignore everyone that talks crap about you,” Norris said with characteristic frankness after the race. “Just focus on yourself.”
It’s entirely fair for Norris to be so blunt. The British driver has faced a great deal of criticism over the past 18 months regarding his performance under pressure. There have been moments where he appeared to falter, but as the season has progressed, it’s become clear that Norris has risen to the occasion. On the other hand, Piastri, once viewed as a potential title contender, has struggled to replicate his early-season form.
A few months ago, if Norris had been posting the results Piastri has recently, social media would have erupted with negativity. But now, it is Piastri who is facing the scrutiny. The Australian’s form has plummeted since mid-September, with his Brazilian Grand Prix marking the fifth consecutive weekend without a podium finish, two of which involved sprint weekends. His race weekend in São Paulo was particularly dismal, as he crashed out of the Saturday sprint in dramatic fashion, spinning off into the wall after hitting a small puddle of water left by Norris’ car.
“Whether you call it an excuse or a reason for crashing, I don’t know,” Piastri said. “But there are very fine margins, and tough moments, that could easily go either way.”
Sunday’s race offered a glimmer of hope when Piastri briefly moved up to second during a thrilling restart battle. But a 10-second penalty for an incident with teammate Kimi Antonelli dashed his hopes of a strong result. The penalty, deemed harsh by many, including Charles Leclerc, who was collateral damage in the clash, further compounded Piastri’s woes. Had it not been for the penalty, Piastri’s pace suggested that he could have finished in the top five, if not higher.
In contrast, Norris has been in near-perfect form,