Autobayng News Team
One driver swept all the big prizes during the Brazilian Grand Prix weekend but there were several great performances behind him – plus a few notable blunders.
Here’s RaceFans’ verdict on the full field.
Lando Norris
Sprint race start: 1st
Sprint race finish: 1st
Qualified: 1st (3 places ahead of team mate, -0.375s)
Grid: 1st (3 places ahead of team mate)
Start: Held position
Strategy: Two-stop (M-S-M)
Finished: 1st (4 places ahead of team mate)
▲ Consistently quick in sprint race qualifying to take pole position
▲ Withstood pressure from Antonelli as soft tyres faded to win sprint race
▶ Rebounded from error on first Q3 lap to claim another pole
▶ Kept lead from Antonelli despite starting on harder tyres
▶ Comfortably quicker than team mate during race and kept pursuers at bay
9/10: Q3 wobble would have undone him earlier in the year but he kept his cool
Oscar Piastri
Sprint race start: 3rd
Sprint race finish: Not classified
Qualified: 4th (3 places behind team mate, +0.375s)
Grid: 4th (3 places behind team mate)
Start: Held position
Strategy: Two-stop (M-S-M)
Finished: 5th (4 places behind team mate)
▼ Could have beaten Antonelli to second on grid for sprint race without small mistake
▼ Crashed on sixth lap of sprint race
▼ Quickest after first runs in Q3 but fell to fourth place
▶ Made a great restart and did not deserve penalty for Antonelli collision
▶ Caught Russell too late to attack the Mercedes
4/10: Victim of an incorrect penalty call but also slipped up on Saturday
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Charles Leclerc
Sprint race start: 8th
Sprint race finish: 5th
Qualified: 3rd (10 places ahead of team mate, -0.299s)
Grid: 3rd (10 places ahead of team mate)
Start: Held position
Finished: Not classified
▼ Spun in SQ2, inadvertently compromising drivers who could have beaten him
▶ Passed Alonso for fifth place in sprint race
▲ Qualified 10 places ahead of Hamilton for grand prix
▶ Was running third when he was taken out of the race by Piastri-Antonelli collision
7/10: Lucky on Friday, great on Saturday, blameless on Sunday
Lewis Hamilton
Sprint race start: 11th
Sprint race finish: 7th
Qualified: 13th (10 places behind team mate, +0.299s)
Grid: 13th (10 places behind team mate)
Start: -4 places
Strategy: Three-stop (S-H-M-M)
Finished: Not classified
▶ Fortunate to avoid a penalty for failing to slow in response to warning flags again in sprint race qualifying
▶ Leclerc’s spin probably cost him a chance to reach SQ3
▲ Excellent start in sprint race lifted him into points positions
▼ Blamed lack of rear grip after dropping out in Q2
▶ Knocked wide at turn one by Sainz
▼ Broke front wing trying to pass Colapinto, sustained floor damage and received five-second penalty
4/10: Made a bad situation worse with misjudged move on Colapinto
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Max Verstappen
Sprint race start: 6th
Sprint race finish: 4th
Qualified: 16th (3 places ahead of team mate, -0.308s)
Grid: 19th (2 places behind team mate)
Start: +1 place
Strategy: Three-stop (H-M-M-S)
Finished: 3rd (14 places ahead of team mate)
▶ Said car lacked grip and rode poorly after qualifying sixth for sprint race
▶ Used softer tyres to get ahead of Alonso at start of sprint race for fourth place
▼ Still unhappy with car in Q1, big moment at Pinheirinho put him on course for shock early exit
▶ Started from the pit lane with set-up changes and a fresh power unit
▶ Pitted under the VSC due to a puncture
▲ Much quicker than the leaders in clear air and passed midfielders with ease
▶ Left final pit stop call up to team who opted to switch to soft tyres
▶ Passed Russell but couldn’t repeat the move on Antonelli before the flag
8/10: Lost his way in qualifying but found it spectacularly in the grand prix
Yuki Tsunoda
Sprint race start: 19th
Sprint race finish: 13th
Qualified: 19th (3 places behind team mate, +0.308s)
Grid: 17th (2 places ahead of team mate)
Start: +3 places
Strategy: Three-stop (H-M-M-M)
Finished: 17th (14 places behind team mate)
▼ Crashed early on in only practice session, losing vital running
▼ Was mystified by lack of pace after qualifying 18th for sprint race
▶ Rose to 13th in the sprint race after starting from the pit lane
▶ Went out in Q1, but so did his team mate
▶ Handed a 10-second time penalty after diving past Colapinto and knocking Stroll into a spin
▶ Had to serve the penalty again after team’s mistake
▶ Finished last
3/10: A familiar story but clumsy lunge into Stroll was a notable low point
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Andrea Kimi Antonelli
Sprint race start: 2nd
Sprint race finish: 2nd
Qualified: 2nd (4 places ahead of team mate, -0.257s)
Grid: 2nd (4 places ahead of team mate)
Start: Held position
Strategy: Two-stop (S-M-M)
Finished: 2nd (2 places ahead of team mate)
▶ Felt he could have got more out of his soft tyre run but still took second ahead of Russell
▶ Chased Norris all the way for second in the sprint race
▲ Consistently the quickest Mercedes in qualifying for the grand prix and took another front row spot
▼ Poor restart left him under attack, should have given Piastri more space
▲ Showed a cool head when Verstappen caught him late in the race
8/10: His strongest weekend yet in terms of pace but benefited from a crash he did most to cause
George Russell
Sprint race start: 4th
Sprint race finish: 3rd
Qualified: 6th (4 places behind team mate, +0.257s)
Grid: 6th (4 places behind team mate)
Start: -1 place
Strategy: Two-stop (M-S-M)
Finished: 4th (2 places behind team mate)
▼ Slight error at Ferradura cost him chance to qualify higher up the grid for sprint race
▶ Collected third in sprint race after Piastri crashed ahead of him
▼ Mystified by lack of pace on soft tyres and resorted to mediums but could only manage sixth
▶ Quick enough to capitalise on Piastri’s penalty but not to out-run Verstappen
7/10: His usual pace was nowhere to be seen, even when the track cooled
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Lance Stroll
Sprint race start: 7th
Sprint race finish: 9th
Qualified: 14th (3 places behind team mate, +0.16s)
Grid: 14th (3 places behind team mate)
Start: -1 place
Strategy: Two-stop (H-M-M)
Finished: 16th (2 places behind team mate)
▶ Joined Alonso in SQ3 and took seventh on sprint race grid
▼ Made it too easy for Hamilton in turn one then lost final sprint race point to Gasly
▶ Not far off Alonso in qualifying for grand prix
▶ Blameless in incident which caused Bortoleto’s crash
▶ Knocked into a spin by Tsunoda which left him last with little opportunity to recover
▶ Tried to extend his middle stint but succumbed to pressure from behind
6/10: A better weekend in terms of pace but rotten luck in the grand prix
Fernando Alonso
Sprint race start: 5th
Sprint race finish: 6th
Qualified: 11th (3 places ahead of team mate, -0.16s)
Grid: 11th (3 places ahead of team mate)
Start: +1 place
Strategy: Two-stop (H-M-M)
Finished: 14th (2 places ahead of team mate)
▲ Beat Verstappen to fifth on grid for sprint race
▶ Clung on as long as he could against Leclerc but out-ran Hamilton for sixth in sprint race
▶ Missed the cut for Q3 by a hundredth of a second
▲ Gained a place at the start despite being on hard tyres
▶ Williams drivers passed him in the first stint
▼ Second stint went awry after Hulkenberg passed him
7/10: Did well to salvage a point on Saturday
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Franco Colapinto
Sprint race start: 16th
Sprint race finish: Not classified
Qualified: 18th (9 places behind team mate, +0.747s)
Grid: 16th (7 places behind team mate)
Start: Held position
Strategy: Two-stop (M-S-M)
Finished: 15th (5 places behind team mate)
▼ Three-tenths of a second off Gasly as he dropped out in first stage of sprint race qualifying
▼ Crashed out of sprint race under yellow flags, though stewards took no action
▶ Said his car didn’t feel the same after it was rebuilt on Saturday
▼ Seven-tenths of a second slower than Gasly in Q1
▶ Dropped off the rear of the ‘Lawson queue’ over the final laps
4/10: Couldn’t make fresher rubber count in midfield slog
Pierre Gasly
Sprint race start: 13th
Sprint race finish: 8th
Qualified: 9th (9 places ahead of team mate, -0.747s)
Grid: 9th (7 places ahead of team mate)
Start: +1 place
Strategy: Two-stop (S-M-M)
Finished: 10th (5 places ahead of team mate)
▲ Unlucky to miss chance to qualify in top 10 for sprint race qualifying due to yellow flags
▲ Great start in sprint race gained him two places, then passed Stroll despite fading softs for final point
▲ Delivered on Alpine’s potential by qualifying ninth
▶ Ran a conventional strategy to collect final point after dropping behind Hulkenberg
9/10: Taking points in both races in an Alpine was a fine achievement
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Esteban Ocon
Sprint race start: 18th
Sprint race finish: 11th
Qualified: 17th (9 places behind team mate, +0.547s)
Grid: 20th (12 places behind team mate)
Start: +1 place
Strategy: Two-stop (H-M-M)
Finished: 12th (6 places behind team mate)
▼ Scruffy first run and lots of traffic on second meant he was nowhere near reaching SQ2
▶ Stayed out of trouble and climbed to 11th in sprint race
▼ Eliminated in the first round of qualifying again for the grand prix
▶ Like Verstappen, had to pit due to a puncture under VSC
▲ Ran a long middle stint on mediums which got him ahead of Alonso
▲ Passed Sainz then got stuck in a DRS train
6/10: Race pace was good but qualifying performances remain a concern
Oliver Bearman
Sprint race start: 15th
Sprint race finish: 12th
Qualified: 8th (9 places ahead of team mate, -0.547s)
Grid: 8th (12 places ahead of team mate)
Start: -1 place
Strategy: Two-stop (S-M-M)
Finished: 6th (6 places ahead of team mate)
▼ Mistakes on both his runs in SQ2 left him 15th on the sprint race grid
▼ Deserved a harsher penalty than he got for forcing Lawson off, then knocked into a spin by the Racing Bulls
▲ Qualified far higher than Ocon but looked on course for an even better result before Q3
▶ Passed Gasly at the start of lap two
▲ Put a vital pass on Lawson which ensured he came home sixth ahead of the train behind him
8/10: Strong in qualifying and the grand prix but sprint race move on Lawson was careless
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Isack Hadjar
Sprint race start: 9th
Sprint race finish: 10th
Qualified: 5th (2 places ahead of team mate, -0.031s)
Grid: 5th (2 places ahead of team mate)
Start: Held position
Strategy: Two-stop (S-M-M)
Finished: 8th (1 place behind team mate)
▲ Said there was little left in the car after reaching SQ3
▼ Lost four places at the start of the sprint race
▶ Regained two places as Bortoleto crashed on final lap
▲ Excellent qualifying performance netted fifth on grid
▶ Pitted once more than his team mate
▲ Passed one-stopping Hulkenberg for eighth
▼ Fortunate not to take himself and Lawson out on the last lap
8/10: Plenty to like about his performance until the final lap of the grand prix
Liam Lawson
Sprint race start: 17th
Sprint race finish: 16th
Qualified: 7th (2 places behind team mate, +0.031s)
Grid: 7th (2 places behind team mate)
Start: +1 place
Strategy: One-stop (S-M)
Finished: 7th (1 place ahead of team mate)
▶ In a repeat of Austin, he was unable to start his final sprint race qualifying lap in time
▶ Forced off by Bearman on the first lap, then questionably penalised for knocking him into a spin
▲ Qualified just three hundredths off Hadjar but pair were separated by Russell
▲ Came home first of the drivers who one-stopped despite sustained pressure
8/10: Pulled off an unorthodox strategy with aplomb
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Alexander Albon
Sprint race start: 12th
Sprint race finish: 17th
Qualified: 12th (3 places ahead of team mate, -0.419s)
Grid: 12th (3 places ahead of team mate)
Start: +1 place
Strategy: Two-stop (M-S-M)
Finished: 11th (2 places ahead of team mate)
▶ Uneventful weekend until Bortoleto’s crash showered him with debris and he fell seven places on final lap of sprint race
▶ Repeated his 12th on the grid in qualifying for the grand prix
▶ Long opening stint left him with too much catching up to do later on
▶ Easily passed Colapinto and Alonso, then was waved by Sainz
▲ Passed Ocon for 11th but narrowly missed the final point
7/10: Needed a different strategy to get a point in the Williams
Carlos Sainz Jnr
Sprint race start: 20th
Sprint race finish: 14th
Qualified: 15th (3 places behind team mate, +0.419s)
Grid: 15th (3 places behind team mate)
Start: +2 places
Strategy: Two-stop (S-M-M)
Finished: 13th (2 places behind team mate)
▼ Poor tyre preparation and lock-up at turn one saw him qualify last for sprint race
▼ Qualifying for the grand prix went little better: he was four tenths off Albon
▶ First-corner contact with Hamilton was a racing incident
▶ Spent second stint stuck in queue after switching from softs to mediums
▶ Let Albon through when requested
5/10: Williams were less competitive at Interlagos but Albon did more with the car
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Nico Hulkenberg
Sprint race start: 10th
Sprint race finish: 15th
Qualified: 10th (10 places ahead of team mate)
Grid: 10th (8 places ahead of team mate)
Start: -2 places
Strategy: One-stop (M-S)
Finished: 9th
▶ Reached SQ3 but was one of several drivers to lap slower on the unfamiliar soft tyres
▼ Fortunate to continue in sprint race after crashing at Curva do Sol
▲ Made it two top 10 starts in qualifying for grand prix
▲ Eked out a set of used soft tyres for half the race to take an excellent ninth
8/10: Made up for sprint race error with excellent grand prix performance
Gabriel Bortoleto
Sprint race start: 14th
Sprint race finish: 18th
Qualified: 20th (10 places behind team mate)
Grid: 18th (8 places behind team mate)
Finished: Not classified
▶ Respectably close to Hulkenberg in SQ2
▼ Suffered enormous crash while trying to pass Albon which resulted in him missing qualifying
▼ Ran too wide at Bico de Pato on lap one and crashed out
2/10: Crashing out of both races made for an uncharacteristically poor weekend at home
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Over to you
Vote for the driver who impressed you most last weekend and find out whether other RaceFans share your view here:
2025 Brazilian Grand Prix
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- Piastri defends move on Antonelli after penalty: “I was clearly alongside”
- Antonelli thought “I might be in trouble” when Verstappen caught him
