Stella says Verstappen’s early Brazil charge looked like a real threat to McLaren

Stella said no driver had managed to get the tyres sufficiently warm on the laps to the grid. Those who brought them up to temperature quickly in the opening phase, he said, had a clear advantage. He praised Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton for their tyre warm-up and first-lap progress through the field, saying their gains impressed him after he reviewed the footage.

Norris started from pole but fell behind Kimi Antonelli and Liam Lawson after a poor start. He retook the lead and won by almost 15 seconds.