The 2025 Formula 1 season took another exciting turn in Brazil, with Saturday’s events at Interlagos bringing joy to some and frustration to others, particularly among the top contenders for the World Championship.
Lando Norris enjoyed a near-perfect day. He started by winning the sprint race, holding off Kimi Antonelli, who was close behind. This victory earned Norris valuable points and extended his lead in the championship standings.
However, Norris’s McLaren teammate, Oscar Piastri, had a difficult time. After feeling good about his car on Friday, Piastri’s sprint race ended early. While running in third place, he went slightly wide and hit a damp curb, which caused him to lose control and crash into the barrier. This cost Piastri valuable points and allowed Norris to increase his championship lead.
Adding to Piastri’s challenges, he qualified fourth for Sunday’s Grand Prix. This means he’ll start behind not only Norris, but also drivers from Mercedes and Ferrari, making it harder for him to challenge his rival at the start.
The third driver in the championship battle, Max Verstappen, also faced difficulties on Saturday. He finished only fourth in the sprint race and wasn’t happy with his Red Bull car. The team made significant changes to the car’s setup for qualifying, but these changes didn’t work out. Verstappen struggled to find a good lap time in the first qualifying session and will start the Grand Prix from 16th place.
Verstappen expressed his frustration, suggesting that his chances of winning the title are now slim due to his starting position and the car’s performance. He admitted that the team is struggling to understand and fix the issues they are facing.
For Piastri, the recent races haven’t been easy. The Brazilian Grand Prix marked the fourth time in five race weekends that he has damaged his car. In the past, he has run into his teammate on the first lap of the sprint race in Austin.
Piastri explained that he had used the curb without problems on the previous lap. However, other drivers ahead of him may have splashed water onto the curb, making it more slippery. Despite this, he acknowledged that he probably shouldn’t have been on the curb in the first place.
After the crash, Piastri had to work with his team to analyze what went wrong and mentally prepare for the qualifying session.
F1 in 2025 appears complex. For example, Pierre Gasly in Alpine was second-fastest in Q1, while Verstappen was 16th. Adding to the strange happenings, Oliver Bearman was second-fastest in a Haas in Q2.
Piastri admitted that he didn’t get the most out of his tires during qualifying.
He described the qualifying session as “bizarre” and noted that the soft tires didn’t seem to be working correctly. He struggled to improve his lap times throughout the different qualifying sessions, which he found unusual.
Piastri acknowledged that he hasn’t been feeling as comfortable in the car lately and is working to understand what he needs to do to improve.
Despite the recent challenges, Piastri remains positive and focused on learning from his experiences. He believes that he can still win races and compete for the championship. He’s trying to identify what he’s been lacking in different sessions so he can improve and achieve better results.
Piastri believes that understanding these issues will not only help him this year but also throughout his career. He’s committed to learning as much as he can from every situation.
McLaren team boss Andrea Stella pointed out that Piastri’s struggles are partly due to the low-grip conditions. Stella noted that Norris is naturally better at handling these conditions.
Stella remains confident that Piastri will adapt and improve. He praised Piastri’s speed and competitiveness and believes that he learns quickly. Stella expects Piastri to have a strong race.
Brazil is known for its unpredictable races, and last year saw significant changes in fortune for the main contenders. With Verstappen starting far back, Sunday’s race promises to be exciting.
