Post by : Meena Ariff

In a stunning comeback, Max Verstappen captured a decisive victory, slicing Lando Norris’ championship lead to just 12 points ahead of the season's climactic finale in Abu Dhabi next weekend.

The Red Bull racer clocked a time of 1:24:38.241, finishing nearly eight seconds ahead of Oscar Piastri, with Carlos Sainz placing third for Williams. Norris struggled to recover from an early strategic misstep, ultimately finishing in fourth.

A collision between Nico Hulkenberg and Pierre Gasly on the first turn led to a slowdown on lap seven, compelling most drivers to pit early. Only Piastri and Norris opted to stay out, forcing their team to make two pit stops when racing resumed on lap ten.

Verstappen surged ahead at the start, passing Norris at Turn 1 and maintaining proximity to Piastri before the incident. Piastri managed to secure second place, while Norris clinched important points by overtaking Kimi Antonelli late in the race. George Russell finished sixth for Mercedes.

“Everything is still possible now,” Verstappen stated. “We’ll see how it goes. I’m not overly concerned.”

Piastri, now trailing Norris by 16 points, acknowledged the need to reevaluate strategy. “I did my best, but the outcome wasn't what we hoped for tonight,” he remarked. “In hindsight, we clearly see what changes we could have made.”

Despite the setback, Norris remains in a strong position and requires a top-three finish in Abu Dhabi to secure his first title.

“Not our finest day,” Norris admitted. “However, I’ve achieved solid results to reach this point. I’ll take the lessons with me and see how we perform next weekend.”

#Global News #Sports News