Sportsupdated 21m ago2 min read
Archive photo · 25 August 2024Lando Norris Wins Sao Paulo Grand Prix as Mercedes Clinches Ninth F1 Constructors' Title
“appeared to be struck by sparks on the right side of his head.”
“leaving Norris defenceless as Verstappen and Hadjar soaked the race-winner with French bubbles.”
Photo: Original: Steffen Prößdorf; Derivative work: Mb2437, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Cropped for layout
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Lando Norris won the Sao Paulo Grand Prix at Interlagos, overcoming a wet-to-dry race. Mercedes clinched the Constructors' Championship for 2026 thanks to Russell and Antonelli's top-five finishes.
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Wet to dry Interlagos
Lando Norris won the wet-to-dry Sao Paulo Grand Prix at Interlagos after recovering from a poor start from pole where he dropped to third. Max Verstappen finished second after starting from 21st on the grid, and Isack Hadjar completed the podium in third. Kimi Antonelli led early and held the lead for 19 laps before spinning on soft tyres and handing the race lead to Norris.
George Russell and Kimi Antonelli finished fourth and fifth respectively as Mercedes clinched their ninth Formula 1 constructors' championship. Norris said, "It was a very tough race, obviously not the best of launches off the line," as the 71-lap race went from wet to dry and back to wet.
Champagne and sparks
Norris celebrated his win by jumping from the top step and slamming a champagne bottle on the ground, but the bottle exploded into shards of glass. BBC described Norris stepping backwards and "inadvertently put the side of his head into the sparkles" blowing up from the fireworks on the front of the platform. Speedcafe said Norris appeared to be struck by sparks on the right side of his head, and McLaren team principal Andrea Stella told reporters, "I understand he is all right."
Norris then held up the shattered top to the crowd below before Red Bull drivers Max Verstappen and Isack Hadjar drench him with champagne. Norris said, "A lot of challenges today … going onto slicks in the wet is tough," while confirming he was fine after the podium mishap.
Mercedes title and next races
Mercedes clinched the constructors' title with George Russell's fourth-place finish and Kimi Antonelli's fifth-place finish, ending a five-year wait since their previous triumph in 2021. El Imparcial said Mercedes reached nine World Constructors' Championships and tied Williams for third place in the historical list of constructors' titles. Bernama reported that Mercedes' result completed a championship double in 2026 after Antonelli had already clinched the drivers' world title at the Mexican Grand Prix.
Norris' victory came with a margin of 14.602 seconds over Verstappen, and Hadjar finished third as the podium order matched the top three from the race. Minuto60 said that after the Brazilian GP, F1 would move to Las Vegas and end the season with the Qatar and Abu Dhabi Grands Prix.