Lawson ninth in Brazilian Grand Prix Sprint, Piastri gives Norris victory
Lawson ninth in Brazilian Grand Prix Sprint
Liam Lawson finished ninth in the Brazilian Grand Prix Sprint, with Oscar Piastri taking victory ahead of Lando Norris. The Carlin driver made a good start from 10th on the grid, but was unable to make further progress in the early stages of the race. He eventually pitted for fresh tyres on lap 15, and was able to make up some ground in the closing stages. However, he was unable to catch the leaders, and had to settle for ninth place.Lawson said afterwards that he was "happy enough" with his performance. "It was a tough race, but I think we did the best we could with the car we had," he said. "We made some good progress in the second half of the race, so I'm pleased with that. We'll try to come back stronger tomorrow in the main race."
Piastri took a dominant victory in the Sprint, leading from start to finish. The Prema driver made a good start from pole position, and was able to build up a lead of over two seconds in the early stages of the race. He eventually pitted for fresh tyres on lap 14, and was able to maintain his lead until the finish. Norris finished second, with Jehan Daruvala completing the podium.
The Sprint race was introduced to Formula 2 this season as a way to add an extra element of excitement to the weekend. The race is held over a shorter distance than the main race, and the starting grid is determined by the results of a qualifying session held earlier in the weekend.
The top eight finishers in the Sprint race score points towards the drivers' and teams' championships. Piastri's victory in the Sprint race means that he now leads the drivers' championship by 13 points from Norris. Prema also leads the teams' championship by 19 points from Carlin.
