Lando Norris' Sao Paulo Masterclass Ends in Podium Mishap

Lando Norris’ Sao Paulo masterclass ended with another podium mishap as dramatic as his drive to victory.

On a drenched and chaotic afternoon at Interlagos, Norris was untouchable. He controlled the race in the changing conditions, pulled clear of the field, and crossed the line 14.6 seconds ahead of Max Verstappen, with Isack Hadjar a further 9.8 seconds back. It was his third win of the season, his 14th career victory, and his first since his triumph in the Netherlands in August.

Race Highlights

The race was wild. The celebration, somehow, wilder.

After the British national anthem and the trophy presentation, Norris strode forward for his now-trademark podium ritual: smashing the base of the champagne bottle to pop it before spraying. It’s become part of his persona, a little bit of theatre on the rostrum.

This time, he overcooked it.

He slammed the bottle down with too much force, misjudged the angle, and watched it explode away from his grasp and crash to the podium floor. No champagne spray, just shards and an awkward pause as he gathered himself, glanced around, and tried to reset the moment.

For Norris, it was a familiar kind of trouble in a very different context.

The Sao Paulo slip was his second high-profile podium incident. After the 2023 Hungarian Grand Prix, his exuberant champagne smash sent liquid flying a little too close to Verstappen’s winner’s trophy. The impact knocked the delicate prize from its perch on the top step and sent it tumbling to the floor, shattering in front of the cameras.

This time, at least, only the bottle paid the price.

On track, Norris looked every bit the composed race winner, mastering the wet-and-dry chaos. Off it, his celebrations once again stole a slice of the spotlight, a reminder that even on a near-perfect day, he still finds a way to leave a mark on the podium – one way or another.