Lawson holds on for gritty seventh at Sao Paulo Grand Prix as Norris extends F1 lead

Kiwi Formula 1 driver Liam Lawson put in a resilient drive to claim seventh place at the Sao Paulo Grand Prix this morning (NZ time), delivering one of his most composed performances of the season for Racing Bulls.

The race was won by McLaren’s Lando Norris, who extended his championship lead to 24 points after a controlled drive from pole position. His teammate and title rival Oscar Piastri’s hopes took a hit when he was handed a 10-second penalty for an early collision that ended Charles Leclerc’s race. The Australian recovered to finish fifth.

Mercedes youngster Kimi Antonelli impressed with a career-best second place, while Max Verstappen surged from the pitlane to finish third for Red Bull – another standout comeback from the four-time world champion. George Russell brought home fourth for Mercedes, cementing the team’s hold on second in the constructors’ standings behind runaway leaders McLaren.

Both Ferraris failed to finish after separate incidents, marking a weekend to forget for the Italian squad.

For Lawson, the Brazilian race turned on clever tyre management and a well-timed call from the Racing Bulls pit wall. Starting seventh on soft tyres, the Kiwi struggled early and pitted sooner than planned, switching to mediums. While his teammate Isack Hadjar stopped twice, Lawson stuck to a single-stop strategy — nursing his worn mediums for a remarkable 50 laps to the flag.

The gutsy run secured Lawson his third-best finish of the 2025 season and lifted the 23-year-old to 14th in the drivers’ standings.

With three rounds remaining — in Las Vegas, Qatar, and Abu Dhabi — Lawson continues to show why he’s earning plaudits for his racecraft and consistency in his first full F1 campaign.