McLaren’s Lando Norris prolonged his championship result in 9 factors as he gained the Sao Paulo Grand Prix dash race whereas team-mate and title rival Oscar Piastri crashed out.
Piastri misplaced management by way of Flip Three on lap six of the race and spun into the limitations, the newest in a collection of blows to the Australian’s title possibilities.
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The race was stopped after each Sauber’s Nico Hulkenberg and Alpine’s Franco Colapinto crashed in the identical place, thankfully neither hitting Piastri’s automobile or one another.
When the race restarted, Norris held off a problem from Mercedes’ Kimi Antonelli to take the win, whereas the second Mercedes of George Russell took third from Pink Bull’s Max Verstappen.
Norris mentioned: “It was robust, it makes the win a bit bit extra rewarding when you have got a race like this, particularly with Kimi Antonelli, he was definitely not making my life straightforward.
“It was positively not a straightforward race however most likely the race you count on in Brazil, it is all the time a troublesome one.”
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The race ended simply after Gabriel Bortoleto had a high-speed crash in his Sauber on the finish of the pit straight.
Bortoleto was attempting to go Williams’ Alex Albon however appeared to hit a moist patch on the observe as he braked. He smashed into the within wall after which spun wildly throughout the observe into the limitations on the skin. Sauber confirmed that following medical checks, he was “OK and unhurt”.
Behind Verstappen, who’s now 39 factors behind Norris within the championship, Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc lastly managed to go Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso with two laps to go after stalwart defence from the veteran Spaniard.
However Alonso managed to carry off Leclerc’s team-mate Lewis Hamilton to take sixth, as Hamilton and Alpine’s Pierre Gasly took the ultimate factors.
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Qualifying for Sunday’s most important grand prix is at 18:00 GMT.
Piastri left to rue one other mistake
The aftermath of the crashes for Oscar Piastri and Franco Colapinto [Getty Images]
Regardless of in a single day rain, the observe, although damp, was dry sufficient for slick tyres firstly and Norris led Antonelli and Piastri away in grid order, whereas Verstappen moved as much as fifth forward of Alonso and behind Russell.
Piastri’s crash got here as he hooked his inside wheel over the kerb at Flip Three, which instantly pitched his automobile right into a spin and into the limitations.
He sat within the automobile along with his fingers inside his visor as he rued the doubtless injury to his title hopes.
“Simply attempting to place this behind (me),” Piastri mentioned. “There may be much more factors on supply tomorrow, so the higher job I can do to get myself a great beginning spot, the higher it is going to be.”
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It was his fifth main mistake in as many races after a crash-strewn outing in Baku in September, and a collision firstly of the dash race in Austin three weeks in the past.
Since Piastri gained the Dutch Grand Prix on the finish of August, Norris has made up 43 factors on his team-mate in 5 weekends and a dash race and has robust momentum within the championship.
Though there have been yellow flags waving, each Hulkenberg and Colapinto made the identical mistake, every hitting the barrier a bit sooner than the automobile earlier than had executed.
For the restart, Norris and Alonso switched to comfortable tyres whereas the Mercedes and Ferrari drivers and Verstappen went for mediums.
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The mediums have been the higher alternative – Norris got here below strain from Antonelli within the closing laps however was in a position to fend him off.
Alonso had even stiffer strain from the Ferraris, however his defence lastly cracked when he locked a wheel into Flip One and Leclerc was in a position to get a run on him into Flip 4 and go on the within.
Piastri walks away from his accident [Getty Images]
Particles litters the observe and smoke rises from the wreckage of Gabriel Bortoleto’s Sauber after he crashed as he began the ultimate lap of the dash [Getty Images]
