Verstappen Snr first, and Verstappen Jnr second, thundered out of the Red Bull garage.
These were two emblems of why it is a case of so far, so good at Interlagos for the British dreamer called Lando Norris. But not the only two.
For his own part, Norris completed a perfect day in his championship quest by adding pole position for the Sao Paulo Grand Prix to his sprint victory a few hours earlier.
Leading the title standings by a point, the question was – and it remains pertinent until the chequered flag falls in Abu Dhabi on December 7 – whether the 25-year-old would suffer a fit of collywobbles.
The signs ahead of Sunday’s acid test at this ultra-probing venue suggest he is keeping his head, one qualifying lap excepted. It’s all about him who are losing theirs.
Oscar Piastri, driving the other McLaren, and starting the weekend one point behind Norris, made a mistake in the wet during the sprint. He was in the barrier and out of the race. That let Norris open up a nine-point advantage, and 39 points of headroom over Verstappen, who finished fourth over the 24-lap dash.
It was a tough day for champion Max Verstappen, who exited Q1 for the first time in four years
His father Jos stormed out of the Red Bull garage after the Dutchman crashed out in Q1
He cut an agitated figure with his son’s F1 title hopes hanging in the balance this weekend
Then, would you believe it, Verstappen only qualified 16th later in the day, for once finding his Red Bull untameable? He exited in Q1 for the first time in four years, got out of his car and, after the briefest exchange with his physio, walked straight through the garage’s back door, his remarkable era of supremacy under threat.
Asked about his chances of claiming a fifth consecutive title, Verstappen, who had complained of having no grip, declared: ‘I can forget about that for sure.’
His father Jos had left the garage by then, his mood as dark as night.
Yes, Verstappen came through the field from 17th here last year in the wet. He needs such a feat again but neither the weather forecast nor his machinery offers an abundance of hope for a second miracle. However, you can never tell what the heavens will deliver around these parts.
Piastri qualified fourth and cannot be counted out today or in the concluding three races, but it was a day that Norris dominated like a warning of intent from start to end. He has said he does not believe in momentum. Perhaps he will if he holds his nerve over 71 laps in a fizzing atmosphere this afternoon.
His one mistake was locking up at the opening corner on his first flying lap of Q3, but he then kept his nerve during his final attempt to deliver three-tenths ahead of Mercedes’ Kimi Antonelli with Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc third. They can act as a couple of armed guards between Norris and Piastri.
As for the sprint, the track was greasy from overnight rain. The storm had blown out but had left its mark on the ground. Six laps into the 24, patches of damp remained, and this is when and what Piastri was ensnared, as Norris sailed on in front.
Coming out of the Senna Essses, the left wheel of Piastri’s McLaren took too much kerb at Turn Three and sent him skidding across the track and into the Aramco hoardings.
The Australian climbed out unscathed physically but with his vanishing title challenge brutally bruised. He led Norris by 34 points at the end of August. He desperately needs a rejuvenating result today, though there are still 108 points available, and mathematics and any Norris jitters can still let him in.
Lando Norris makes it clear to all concerned where he intends to finish in the drivers’ standings
The race was red-flagged as the barrier was mended and the debris of Piastri’s car, and the Alpine of Franco Colapinto, who slithered off in almost carbon copy crash at the same Turn 3, were cleared.
As for Norris, he made a clean start and was cool throughout, despite the rolling restart brought out by the Piastri and Colapinto accidents and late pressure from Antonelli, who started second, ran second, and finished second. George Russell was third in the other Silver Arrow.
Even then Verstappen was not enjoying his experience at all and making his views known with characteristic candour. ‘The car is just dancing everywhere,’ he said. ‘Terrible.’
It is all falling into place for Norris. Now, Lando, just don’t screw it up today!
