Lando Norris said Max Verstappen “drove well” at Interlagos on Sunday, but also “got a bit lucky” with how the race panned out.

Norris had pitted while chasing George Russell for the lead, but a red flag shortly afterwards – with Verstappen having not pitted – left him in front of the McLaren driver on track when the race restarted.

Lando Norris on how Max Verstappen ‘got a bit lucky’ in Brazilian Grand Prix

Norris referenced the rule in which drivers are allowed a free choice of tyres when races restart after a red flag, saying “every driver has disagreed with it in the past”, with Verstappen being a beneficiary of not pitting prior to the red flag on Sunday.

Both Alpine drivers, Esteban Ocon and Pierre Gasly, also stayed out until the red flag stoppage – and all three drivers made it onto the podium come the chequered flag, with Verstappen diving past Ocon at Turn 1 after the second Safety Car restart following a crash for Carlos Sainz.

World Championship leader Verstappen rose up from 17th on the grid to take his first victory since the Spanish Grand Prix 10 rounds ago, in a result that saw him extend his lead over Norris to 62 points with 86 available in the final three races.

The McLaren driver admitted the rule whereby drivers are allowed a free choice of tyre after a red flag counted against him and for his title rival on Sunday, and it benefitted Red Bull in the moment.

The results from a chaotic Brazilian Grand Prix at Interlagos

“He drove well, and he got a bit lucky,” Norris said of Verstappen’s drive to Sky F1 after the chequered flag at Interlagos.

Having lost the lead off the line to George Russell, he admitted that starts in the wet are a “bit of a gamble”, and added: “All of our position losses were just under the red flag with the free pit stop for the others. So, [it was] unfortunate, nothing more.

“You know, George has probably felt like he won the race today. I mean, he probably deserved to win the race today more than anyone else, but sometimes it’s just unlucky and the rules go against you.

“I made a couple of mistakes. It cost me against George and it cost me against Charles [Leclerc], but yeah, nothing more. I think it was a tough day. I did my best, I’ve had a lot of good races, it was about time that something didn’t go right.

“[Pitting] was the right thing to do, we were just unlucky, so I don’t care about the hindsight of things. That’s luck for them [Red Bull], nothing more.

“You know, it’s just they got lucky. A rule that no one agrees with, probably them today, they’re going to agree with it, but every driver has disagreed with it in the past, and today it benefitted them.

“It could have benefitted us if we just stayed out, but that’s a stupid thing to think of – just a bit unlucky today, nothing more. Of course, disappointing with the result and could have been better, but we’ll keep pushing.”