Max Verstappen once again proved his F1 world championship winning credentials with a stunning recovery from the pit lane to third at the Brazilian Grand Prix.
The Dutchman did all he could to take the battle to the McLarens, but in the end had to settle for third place behind Kimi Antonelli while Lando Norris achieved his seventh race victory of the year.
Norris also strengthened his lead at the top of the standings to team-mate Oscar Piastri by 24 points, after the Aussie finished the race a lowly fifth.
In a dramatic sequence of events, Piastri was awarded a 10-second time penalty for causing a collision with Antonelli who then made contact with Charles Leclerc, and the Ferrari star was forced to retire from the race.
| Position | Team | Points |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | McLaren | 756 |
| 2 | Mercedes | 398 |
| 3 | Red Bull | 366 |
| 4 | Ferrari | 362 |
| 5 | Williams | 111 |
| 6 | Racing Bulls | 82 |
| 7 | Aston Martin | 72 |
| 8 | Haas | 70 |
| 9 | Kick Sauber | 62 |
| 10 | Alpine | 22 |
2025 rule change removes fastest lap point
The fastest lap point has been removed for the 2025 season. Since 2019, drivers have picked up an extra point if they finish in the top 10 and achieve the fastest lap.
However, in the past, this led to some drivers abandoning their races to pit and fit a new set of tyres in the final stages of the race in order to claim the fastest lap point or prevent a rival from getting the extra point, playing the tactical long game in the championship standings.
The most famous example of this last season came during Daniel Ricciardo’s final F1 race, when the Australian finished last but claimed the fastest lap on the final lap of the Singapore GP, taking the extra point away from Norris and helping Verstappen’s 2024 title bid.
