With only four races left in the season, Lando Norris has made his intentions clear: he aims to win every remaining event. The McLaren driver arrives at the São Paulo Grand Prix holding a slender one-point lead in the drivers’ standings over teammate Oscar Piastri.
Norris has overturned a significant deficit in recent rounds. After trailing by 34 points following the Dutch Grand Prix, a string of strong performances—including a commanding victory in Mexico—has propelled him to the top of the table for the first time in months.
However, the challenge is far from over. Red Bull’s Max Verstappen has mounted a remarkable late-season resurgence, closing a once-massive gap to now sit within 36 points of the lead. With 116 points still in play, including those on offer in two sprint races, the title fight remains wide open.
“Nothing is decided,” Norris stated. “There are over a hundred points available, so this lead means very little. My goal is straightforward: to win this weekend, next weekend, and every final race. That’s the target.”
The British driver drew confidence from his dominant display in Mexico, viewing it as proof of both his and his car’s potential at the front of the grid. “A weekend like that shows I can control a race from the front,” he said. “It’s a good feeling to demonstrate what’s possible. It was one piece of a much larger puzzle.”
Meanwhile, Verstappen, who had seemingly fallen out of contention mid-season, has been revitalized by recent upgrades to his Red Bull. The three-time champion has won three of the last five races, a turnaround he describes as extraordinary.
“To even be in this conversation after the points gap we faced is remarkable in itself,” Verstappen commented. “It speaks to the team’s character—they never stopped pushing. Being an outsider at this stage is a position I’m comfortable with; there’s no pressure on me.”
As the series heads to Brazil, the stage is set for a tense and direct showdown between the two McLaren drivers, with Verstappen poised to capitalize on any slip-up. The battle for the championship will be decided by the smallest of margins in the closing weeks.