No Stappen him

BRILLIANT DUTCHMAN ON BRINK OF TITLE AS HE REIGNS IN THE RAIN

- DANIEL MOXON

IT should have been the day Lando Norris inflicted a significant blow on Max Verstappen's title defence.

He lined up on pole in the torrential Brazilian rain, having safely navigated a fraught qualifying session early in the morning while the Red Bull racer was consigned to 17th on the grid.

But more downpours brought more chaos and, at the end of it all, the Brit found himself a long way behind Verstappen, his Formula 1 title challenge in tatters.

Norris finished sixth while Verstappen won at a canter, helped by lucky timing of a crash which brought out the red flags two laps after his championship challenger had pitted.

But he was flawless in the wretched Sao Paulo weather to secure his first victory since the Spanish Grand Prix in June and put himself on the brink of four consecutive titles.

No wonder he let out a huge Dutch roar as he took to the podium with the two Alpine drivers, whose strategy gambles also paid off.