Oscar Piastri, Franco Colapinto and Nico Hulkenberg were involved in accidents at Curva do Sol during lap 11 of the São Paulo Formula 1 GP sprint race, this Saturday (8), in Interlagos. The race management raised a red flag for repairs to the protective barriers. The interruption occurred at 11:35 am (Brasília time), with the race resuming after maintenance on the track.
The sprint is part of the 21st stage of the 2025 F1 season. Lando Norris started in pole position, followed by other competitors. Gabriel Bortoleto was in 12th place at the time of the stoppage.
- Drivers involved: Piastri (McLaren), Colapinto (Williams) and Hulkenberg (Haas).
- Exact location: Curva do Sol, initial sector of the Interlagos circuit.
- Immediate consequence: Abandonment of Piastri and damage to other people’s cars.
Collision details
The raids happened almost simultaneously. Piastri lost control at the entrance of the curve and collided with the barriers.
Colapinto and Hulkenberg soon touched at the same point. Rescue teams quickly removed the cars.
Resumption of the test
The race direction authorized a moving start after a 20-minute interruption. Norris maintained the lead with more than 1 second advantage over Antonelli.
Russell put pressure on second place. Only five drivers opted for soft tires at the restart.
Updated positions
Bortoleto rose to 12th position after the restart. Antonelli defended the vice-leadership from constant attacks.
Norris widened the gap at the tip. The sprint had 24 laps in total.
Lane maintenance
Inspectors replaced damaged tire barriers. The track evaluation lasted approximately 15 minutes.
Technical teams checked the integrity of the asphalt. There were no reports of scattered oil or debris.
Sprint context
The sprint race defines the grid for Sunday’s main race. Norris took pole in Friday’s qualifying.
Bortoleto started in 14th and gained positions. The Brazilian stage attracted an audience of over 200 thousand spectators throughout the weekend.
Tire Strategies
Most drivers chose medium compounds for the restart. The five on soft tires were looking for quick overtaking.
Track conditionsca favored conservative choices. Interlagos presents frequent climate variations during the event.
The sprint race distributes points to the top eight finishers. Norris has previous victories in the season. F1 returns to Interlagos after renovations to the racetrack completed in 2024.
Performance of those involved
Piastri registered the official abandonment after technical inspection. Colapinto returned to the pits with damage to the front suspension.
Hulkenberg faced similar problems at Haas. Mechanics were evaluating the possibility of repairs for the main race.
