Jolyon Palmer predicts who will win the Brazilian Grand Prix with Oscar Piastri drought to continue

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Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri’s title fight is reaching a boiling point as the F1 grid sets its sights on the final four rounds of the season, and Jolyon Palmer has offered his prediction on who will leave the upcoming Brazilian Grand Prix with the advantage.

The British McLaren driver currently holds the lead in the F1 standings, albeit by a single point. Norris’ feat in Mexico City marked the first time since April that he has been in charge of the championship.

Piastri has fallen from the 34-point pedestal he sat atop following the resumption of racing after the summer break, and his lack of good results has been magnified as he has failed to gain any sort of points advantage over his McLaren counterpart.

The Australian was well off the pace in qualifying at the most recent round of racing in Mexico, leading Palmer to highlight the shootouts as an area of concern for Piastri. The former F1 driver’s concerns continued over into his predictions for who will reign victorious in Sao Paulo.

READ MORE: Bernie Ecclestone says Lando Norris winning title over Oscar Piastri would be ‘better for McLaren’

Jolyon Palmer believes the Brazilian Grand Prix will be where Lando Norris becomes the F1 ‘championship favourite’

Last year’s edition of the Sao Paulo Grand Prix was one to forget for the championship-leading Norris.

After failing to capitalise on Red Bull’s regression during the second half of the 2024 season, Max Verstappen’s incredible drive at Interlagos was the penultimate nail in the coffin for the 25-year-old’s maiden title hopes.

However, Palmer doesn’t think the McLaren driver will suffer from the same difficulties as the grid makes their way to Brazil in his verdict on who will stand atop the podium at Interlagos this weekend.

Speaking on the F1 Nation podcast, the pundit said, “Let’s go… Sprint winner is Norris, and then I think Norris also wins the race.

“I think this is the weekend he starts to become a real championship favourite. Then Verstappen comes second.

“And let’s go, Piastri in third, and we’re all still close heading towards Vegas.”

The Las Vegas Grand Prix was the site where Verstappen clinched his fourth F1 title last season, and whilst it is unlikely to happen this year, it is mathematically possible for Norris.

However, if Norris is successful in Brazil and Las Vegas, he will need at least one finish outside the top 10 for the Dutchman in the next two races, as well as a double points-less finish for Piastri in the same timeframe, for him to be crowned in Sin City.

READ MORE: Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris told how Max Verstappen will ‘intimidate’ them at the Sao Paulo GP

Max Verstappen could surpass Lewis Hamilton in one F1 record if Jolyon Palmer’s predictions come to fruition

Another nugget of information that will come from Palmer’s podium predictions potentially coming true is that Verstappen will leapfrog Lewis Hamilton in the list of drivers with the highest percentage of podium finishes (minimum 50 entries).

The Red Bull driver’s third-place finish in Mexico saw him claim his 123rd podium in F1 from 229 starts, leaving him with a percentage of 53.71%.

On the other hand, Lewis Hamilton has stood on the podium 202 times over the course of his illustrious career, which has seen him enter 376 Grands Prix. He boasts just 0.01% more than his rival, with an overall percentage of 53.72%.

Verstappen’s competitiveness has been bolstered in recent months, and he is now back on his perch of being a regular contender for race wins, or at the very least, podiums.

The 28-year-old has now firmly set his sights on securing a fifth consecutive championship this season, with it being reported that the only reason why Verstappen won’t secure the 2025 title will be ‘bad luck’.