The Sprint race at the Brazilian Grand Prix delivered no shortage of surprises and drama. Relive all the key moments from the 24-lap showdown at Interlagos and check out the full classification below.
Lights out at Interlagos
The Sprint race of the Brazilian Grand Prix ended under the checkered flag after an intense and unpredictable battle. Just before lights out, the grid order changed unexpectedly as Carlos Sainz Jr. and Yuki Tsunoda were forced to start from the pit lane. Despite the slightly damp track following heavy overnight and morning rain, all drivers opted for slick tyres. Andrea Kimi Antonelli took an aggressive approach, choosing the soft (red) tyres, unlike Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri who both went for the mediums.
At the start, Max Verstappen immediately managed to take the position from Fernando Alonso, while both Ferrari drivers made excellent getaways, quickly gaining ground. The opening lap saw contact between Oliver Bearman and Liam Lawson, triggering a brief yellow flag period.
Chaos on lap 6
On lap 6 came a major twist: Oscar Piastri lost control of his McLaren after touching a wet kerb and crashed heavily into the barriers, ending his race early. Moments later, Nico Hulkenberg and Franco Colapinto made similar mistakes at the same corner. The Argentine driver sustained too much damage to continue, while the Kick Sauber driver managed to limp back to the pits.
Race control was forced to deploy the red flag to allow marshals to repair the damaged barriers and remove the stricken cars. After a lengthy pause, the Sprint resumed at 3:45 PM local time (Italian time) behind the safety car. Some drivers chose to switch tyre compounds – those on softs moved to used mediums, and vice versa – in an attempt to find better balance for the final part of the race.
The restart and midfield battles
Once the green flag returned, Max Verstappen found himself in a fierce duel with Fernando Alonso. Despite the Spaniard’s strong defense, Verstappen managed to hold onto fourth place. Meanwhile, Andrea Kimi Antonelli showcased impressive defensive skills against George Russell, keeping the Mercedes driver at bay for several laps.
The Ferrari pair struggled to find pace after the restart, with both Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton stuck behind Alonso’s Aston Martin, unable to progress further up the order.
The closing laps
In the final stages, Antonelli began closing the gap to race leader Lando Norris. Lap after lap, the young Italian in the Mercedes worked his way into DRS range. With four laps remaining, he was right on Norris’s tail, but despite the pressure and significant tyre wear on his medium compound, the McLaren driver managed to hold firm at the front. Behind them, Charles Leclerc eventually overtook Alonso to move into fifth position.
Lando Norris crossed the finish line to claim victory in the Sprint race at the Brazilian Grand Prix, followed by Andrea Kimi Antonelli in second and George Russell completing the podium. The race ended under yellow flag conditions due to an incident involving Bortoleto, sealing a chaotic but thrilling Sprint session in São Paulo.
The outcome reshuffles the balance in the world championship fight, setting up an even more intense Grand Prix ahead for Sunday’s main race.
Sprint race results
Lando Norris (McLaren)
Kimi Antonelli (Mercedes)
George Russell (Mercedes)
Max Verstappen (Red Bull)
Charles Leclerc (Ferrari)
Fernando Alonso (Aston Martin)
Lewis Hamilton (Ferrari)
Pierre Gasly (Alpine)
Lance Stroll (Aston Martin)
Isack Hadjar (Racing Bulls)
Esteban Ocon (Haas)
Ollie Bearman (Haas)
Liam Lawson (Racing Bulls)
Yuki Tsunoda (Red Bull)
Carlos Sainz (Williams)
Nico Hulkenberg (Sauber)
Alex Albon (Williams)
Leave a Reply