Nov.9 (GMM) Lando Norris declared his Brazilian GP victory mistake-free – although the McLaren driver suffered two embarrassing mishaps during the podium celebrations.
The Briton converted pole into victory at a wet Interlagos, giving McLaren’s latest upgrade package an encouraging result after a difficult second half of 2026.
“The main thing today was I just kept it cool, I didn’t make any mistakes, and I had the pace when I needed to,” the outgoing world champion said.
His celebrations, however, were rather less controlled.
Norris smashed his champagne bottle while performing his customary podium celebration, as he banged it against the ground.
He then walked straight into a blast of podium fireworks, with sparks spraying across his face. Fortunately, he escaped without injury.
Even Formula 1’s organisers made a mistake, with the digital podium backdrop initially displaying the Mexican GP rather than Brazil.
Meanwhile, Mercedes secured the constructors’ championship despite difficult races for newly crowned drivers’ champion Kimi Antonelli and teammate George Russell.
“It was difficult because every year you have to fight and figure out what isn’t working,” team boss Toto Wolff told Viaplay.
“You have to keep the team motivated and keep pushing, even when you’re down.”
Wolff said the team’s determination had finally paid off.
“It’s not like we were complete losers,” he added. “We finished second and third and won races time and time again. But it was simply never good enough.
“The fact that we’ve managed to do it again now is thanks to all the people who work in this team.”
Meanwhile, Max Verstappen produced another remarkable Interlagos recovery, charging from 21st on the grid to finish second after a power unit change.
The Dutchman has repeatedly delivered spectacular comeback drives in Brazil, but joked that he would prefer a less dramatic approach next season.
“I like races like this, but next year, let’s try and just start a bit further up front, please,” he smiled.
“That would be great to start with.”