SO PAULO -- Lando Norris took a step towards a maiden Formula 1 championship with a controlled victory at a chaotic Sao Paulo Grand Prix at Interlagos.
Norris won from pole position, while teammate Oscar Piastri could only manage fifth position in a race which saw him given a debatable ten-second penalty for a collision with Andrea Kimi Antonelli early on which put Ferrari's Charles Leclerc out of the race.
Without the penalty, Piastri would have finished second, meaning it was another costly moment for the Australian, who had also crashed out of Saturday's sprint race.
Sunday's result gave Norris a 15-point swing on Piastri, meaning he is 24 ahead going to the Las Vegas Grand Prix in two weeks' time.
Norris also put further distance between himself and Red Bull's Max Verstappen, despite the four-time world champion's superb drive to third position after starting in the pit-lane.
Verstappen's drive included an early puncture and briefly the lead of the race as he pitted out of sequence to Norris and the rest. The Dutchman overtook George Russell in the final stint and almost caught Mercedes rookie Antonelli in a drag race to the line, but the teenager hung on for second position.
It was the second podium finish of Antonelli's rookie season and the best result of his F1 career so far. Despite Verstappen's superb drive, he goes to Las Vegas 49 points down on Norris, with three races to run.
Norris' win capped a near-perfect weekend, which saw him win the sprint race from pole position, something he replicated in the grand prix itself.
The Englishman held the lead off the line and was able to avoid the drama which unfolded behind him in the opening laps.
On the opening lap local hero Gabriele Bortoleto had his second crash in two days when he tangled with Aston Martin's Lance Stroll, while Lewis Hamilton lost his front wing in a clumsy attempt to overtake Franco Colapinto down the main straight.
Bortoleto's crash into the wall triggered a safety car and a major championship moment occurred at the restart. With Norris managing the restart perfectly, Mercedes rookie Antonelli appeared to be caught out. Leclerc went to his right and Piastri sized up a move on the inside and went for it, sensing a big moment to move up to second.
Piastri locked up as Antonelli drifted into the corner and they made contact -- Antonelli's Mercedes car then spun into Leclerc's Ferrari, which immediately lost a tyre and retired down the road.
Briefly it had appeared as though Norris and Piastri would duke it out for victory, with the move promoting the Australian to second position.
However, Piastri was dealt a hammer blow when the stewards handed him a 10-second penalty for "causing a collision," which knocked him down the order. He was unable to catch Russell in the closing laps.
Although Ferrari had been optimistic of a podium challenge, Leclerc's retirement was the beginning of a miserable day for the team.
Hamilton had already pitted for a new front wing by then but was not happy how his fixed car was handling when he returned to the race track. "Mate, I'm going to crash out here," he said a couple of laps later. "We'll keep trying. The car is crazy unstable."
Hamilton was called into the pit lane to retire on lap 37.
Haas rookie Oliver Bearman continued his impressive recent form in sixth position ahead of Racing Bull's Liam Lawson, who scored a superb seventh position at the head of a train of cars all separated by a handful of seconds.
Lawson was ahead of Racing Bulls teammate Isak Hadjar, Sauber's Nico Hlkenberg and Alpine's Pierre Gasly, who rounded out the points-paying positions.
There was just five seconds between seventh-placed Lawson and Aston Martin's Lance Stroll in 16th when they crossed the line.
Yuki Tsunoda endured another miserable weekend, finishing a distance 17th in what looks certain to be a season where he is dropped by Red Bull's main team.
