F1 news: Winners and losers from the 2025 Brazilian Grand Prix as Norris takes control of title race

Lando Norris triumphed at the Brazilian Grand Prix over the weekend, winning both the Sprint and main race to extend his lead in the Drivers’ Championship to 24 points.

Elsewhere, Max Verstappen delivered a remarkable recovery drive, narrowly missing out on second place after starting from the pit lane, while Oscar Piastri once again lost out to his rivals.

With everything still to play for, Sports News Blitz writer Eloise Stevens breaks down the biggest winners and losers from São Paulo.

Winner – Lando Norris

Norris executed the weekend to perfection, topping every session and securing back-to-back poles for the first time in his career.

With a 24-point lead, Norris now has the chance to set up a championship-clinching opportunity in Qatar, provided he delivers another strong result in Las Vegas.

Despite his dominant form, the Briton remains cautious, acknowledging that Verstappen would have been more of a threat if he had qualified higher. 

Loser – Oscar Piastri

The Brazilian GP was another race in which Piastri’s championship hopes took a hit as he lost 23 points to his McLaren team-mate.

After crashing out in Saturday’s Sprint race, the Australian’s weekend went from bad to worse when he was handed a 10-second time penalty for causing a collision with Kimi Antonelli in an incident which also eliminated Charles Leclerc from the race.

Despite the setback, Piastri managed to salvage fifth place at the chequered flag.

However, the gap between Piastri and Norris means that the former must average an eight-point gain per race to overtake the leader in the championship race.

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Winner – Max Verstappen

Verstappen’s title hopes appeared all but over after he failed to escape Q1 in Saturday’s qualifying and was forced to start from the pit lane after Red Bull fitted a new power unit.

A puncture which forced him to pit twice before lap 7 furthered his troubles and seemingly ended any chances of a strong result.

The fresh power unit paid off, though, as Verstappen charged through the field – even taking the lead at one stage – to ultimately settle for third after falling short of catching Antonelli in the closing laps.

Now 49 points adrift of Norris, a fifth championship looks increasingly unlikely, but with renewed pace in the car igniting the potential for more wins, the Dutchman is very much still in the fight.

Loser – Ferrari

Ferrari’s weekend in Brazil was nothing short of a nightmare after both drivers failed to complete the Grand Prix.

Leclerc was an unlucky bystander in the clash between Piastri and Antonelli, while Lewis Hamilton’s race unraveled after contact with Carlos Sainz and Franco Colapinto left him with floor damage and a five-second time penalty.

The Scuderia thus departed Interlagos P4 in the Constructors’ Championship standings after coming to Brazil in second.

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Winner – Andrea Kimi Antonelli

Antonelli delivered the best result of his career as he finished the race in second, holding off Verstappen to repeat his success in the Sprint.

The Italian was admittedly fortunate to escape unscathed from a collision with Piastri’s McLaren, but his strong drive helped lift Mercedes back up to second in the constructors’ standings, aided by George Russell’s fourth-place finish.

The rookie has now scored 56 points since Baku – a tally only bettered by Norris and Verstappen.

Loser – Gabriel Bortoleto

Gabriel Bortoleto endured a disastrous first home race in Sao Paulo, crashing out of both the Sprint and the Grand Prix.

The incident in the Sprint left Sauber unable to repair his car in time for qualifying, forcing him to start the main race from the back of the grid, where he then made contact with Lance Stroll on the opening lap.

Nico Hülkenberg managed to salvage two points for the team at least, but Sauber are now starting to struggle against the teams around them in the constructors’ table. 

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