Jacques Villeneuve hails Lando Norris after Brazil GP sweep: "Not a wrong foot put"
1997 Formula 1 champion Jacques Villeneuve praised McLaren’s Lando Norris after a commanding weekend in Brazil.
The Briton enjoyed a perfect campaign after securing pole position for both the sprint race and grand prix, and successfully converted both pole positions into victories.
“No rain in Sao Paulo, but still an exciting start of the race, exciting until the end actually,” Villeneuve said of the race on his Instagram Story. “Some chaos, like is always the case here. Lando, really above the rest. He drove for his championship this weekend, scored all the points he could, not a wrong foot put, really, really good.”
Another impressive drive came from Mercedes rookie Andrea Kimi Antonelli, who qualified for both the sprint and grand prix in second. He finished both races in the same position, marking his best career finish.
“Antonelli, super impressive as well,” the Canadian driver added. “Didn’t crack under pressure, ahead of his team-mate.”
Antonelli defended hard with the threat of four-time champion Max Verstappen behind him. The Dutchman turned a pitlane start into a staggering P3 finish.
“And what about Verstappen? Coming back, starting from the pits, an early puncture, and on the podium, and almost getting P2 as well. Very impressive, keeping his hope of a championship alive, super impressive.”
Lando Norris, McLaren
Photo by: Hector Vivas / Getty Images
Norris now leads the drivers’ standings by 24 points over his McLaren team-mate Oscar Piastri, who is in second. Verstappen closed the gap to Piastri to 25 points.
“Crazy race! Nice to win here in Brazil. It’s an amazing track, amazing fans. This was for one of my mentors Gil [de Ferran]. A perfect weekend,” Norris said.
While he made gains in the championship fight at Interlagos, Norris insisted he is not thinking about the possibility of winning his first title yet.
“It’s a great win. But seeing how quick Max was, it’s disappointing we were not quicker,” he added.
“That’s where my mind is at the minute. I will see the team, congratulate them, and see why we were not quick enough.
“There’s a long way to go. It can change so quickly. I will focus on myself, keep my head down, ignore everyone and keep pushing.”
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