Oscar Piastri gifts Lando Norris F1 Sprint win to help in Max Verstappen title fight

Oscar Piastri started on pole with Lando Norris on the front row with him - both tasked with keeping Charles Leclerc and Max Verstappen behind over 24 laps of the Interlagos track

Oscar Piastri dutifully moved aside for Lando Norris to allow the Brit to win the Brazilian Grand Prix Sprint race to help him in his title battle against Max Verstappen.

Norris gained two extra points on the Dutchman on Saturday with the help of some team orders. Piastri started on pole and led the entire race but eventually complied and allowed the other McLaren to move by at the end of the short-form race.

Charles Leclerc had started third but looked in trouble from the moment he was dropped by the McLarens. Verstappen got by the Ferrari but ran out of time to catch his championship challenger and had to settle for third place.

With the threat of a safety car three laps from the end, as Nico Hulkenberg stopped at the side of the track, came the order. Piastri was told to let Norris by and did so, gifting victory to the Brit and assisting his title challenge.

Norris may have been thankful for the Leclerc-shaped buffer between himself and title rival Verstappen heading into the first corner. The Dutchman tried to get up the inside of the Ferrari but did not manage to get the move done.

From there, it was a frustrating mini-DRS train of McLaren's design. It became quickly clear that Piastri had been instructed to keep Norris within one second so that he could open his rear wing so that, even though both Leclerc and Verstappen could also do so, the Brit had enough pace to defend.

But on lap seven that plan threatened to unravel. Norris made a mistake in the dirty air of the McLaren ahead which saw him lose ground and drop out of DRS range, leaving him exposed to those behind.

He complained repeatedly over the radio about the situation and eventually got his wish. Piastri was instructed to take his foot off the accelerator pedal and allow his team-mate back to within one second, to give McLaren what they felt was their best chance to protect the one-two finish.

With seven laps to go, the key radio message came which gave away McLaren's plan. Both drivers were told to hold their current positions with a view to swapping the order on the final lap. And that became more necessary to Norris' title bid as, shortly after, Verstappen got the move on Leclerc done.

It was when Hulkenberg had a problem in his Haas and parked it at the side of the track that McLaren accelerated their plans. And moments after Piastri complied with the order to let Norris by, the virtual safety car was ordered and ended at exactly the wrong time for Verstappen, as he and Piastri approach turn four, which forced him to back off to avoid overtaking under yellow.

This article contains affiliate links, we will receive a commission on any sales we generate from it. Learn more

Watch F1 live

Watch Formula One on Sky Sports
£22 a month

Catch all the action from Formula One on Sky Sports and get exclusive access to races, qualifying and much more for every Grand Prix. From Max Verstappen to Lewis Hamilton, you won't miss a lap on Sky Sports.

Sky
Watch it here