Norris: McLaren is not yet at championship level

Lando Norris won the Sao Paulo Grand Prix, held in rainy conditions, by around 15 seconds. Starting from pole position, Norris claimed victory for the third time this season. It was McLaren's first win since the Dutch Grand Prix in August. The team also came close to winning the Spanish Grand Prix in Madrid in September, but an untimely Virtual Safety Car deployment prevented them from doing so.

The new wings and floor parts McLaren brought to Brazil gave the team an immediate performance boost. Norris said the updates worked as expected but were not yet enough. According to Norris, the team is not yet at a level where it can say it is always the fastest.

Norris admitted that mistakes by others also helped him win. Kimi Antonelli spinning while leading and George Russell spinning in the pit lane increased the gap over Red Bull driver Max Verstappen.

Norris stressed that on a day like this, car performance alone is not everything. In his view, good strategy, fast pit stops, good driving and avoiding mistakes are also decisive. Norris said, "I had a car that gave me a chance to win, and that is very important."