Lando Norris expressed heartfelt gratitude towards his former mentor, Gil de Ferran, following his triumph at the Sao Paulo Grand Prix. Securing a victory from pole position at Interlagos has solidified his position as the leading contender for the Formula 1 championship.
With a 24-point lead over his teammate Oscar Piastri in the standings and only three rounds remaining, Norris’s focus was on honoring the memory of the late Brazilian former IndyCar racer, De Ferran, who tragically passed away in December 2023.
De Ferran, who suffered a fatal heart attack while participating in a private motorsport event in Florida, had a significant impact on the motorsport community, especially at McLaren, where he served as a sporting director and advisor in two separate periods.
Reflecting on his victory in Brazil, Norris dedicated his win to De Ferran, acknowledging him as a mentor during his formative years. He expressed, “This one was for Gil, one of my mentors growing up [who died] a couple of years ago. This one was for him, I’m sure he’d be very proud of it all. I was thinking about that while I was driving. A perfect weekend.”
Despite the importance of the victory in his title pursuit, Norris acknowledged the outstanding performance of Max Verstappen, who started from the pit lane, climbed to third place, and finished less than 11 seconds behind Norris. While pleased with his win, Norris acknowledged the need to address Verstappen’s impressive pace and emphasized the team’s quest for improvement.
Piastri secured a fifth-place finish, earning 10 points compared to Norris’s 25. British rookie Oliver Bearman continued his strong performance, finishing sixth and contributing valuable points for Haas in their battle with Aston Martin for seventh place in the constructors’ championship.
In other news, Sky has enhanced its Ultimate TV and Sky Sports bundle by adding HBO Max, Netflix, Disney+, discovery+, and Hayu, alongside 135 channels and comprehensive coverage of Formula 1. With live broadcasts of every practice, qualifying session, and race, Sky also provides exclusive coverage of the Premier League, EFL, darts, and golf.