Lando Norris mastered tricky conditions to win a chaotic Sao Paulo Sprint, as Oscar Piastri’s title hopes took another hit with a costly crash.

The McLaren driver controlled proceedings from pole to hold off Mercedes rookie Kimi Antonelli, extending his championship lead to nine points over teammate Piastri, who spun into the barriers on Lap 7 while running third.

Piastri appeared to catch standing water on the damp Interlagos kerb at Turn 3, with Nico Hulkenberg and Franco Colapinto sliding off in quick succession. The trio’s crashes triggered a red flag and lengthy delay to repair the tyre barriers.

Norris remained composed after the restart to secure his second consecutive Sao Paulo Sprint victory, with Antonelli and George Russell completing the podium for Mercedes.

Max Verstappen climbed to fourth after passing Fernando Alonso early and benefiting from Piastri’s exit, while Charles Leclerc took fifth ahead of Alonso, Lewis Hamilton and Pierre Gasly.

The race ended under double-waved yellows when home favourite Gabriel Bortoleto crashed heavily on the main straight but walked away unharmed.

With his second consecutive Sprint retirement, Piastri admitted frustration but said he was already turning his focus to qualifying later in the day.

Qualifying for the Sao Paulo Grand Prix begins at 3 pm local time (5 am AEDT).