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Verstappen wins a chaotic Brazilian Grand Prix in treacherous conditions
Max Verstappen has impressively won a wet and gruelling Brazilian Grand Prix from 17th place on the grid. The Red Bull driver was joined on the podium by Alpine drivers Esteban Ocon and Pierre Gasly in what was an incredible result for the French team in what has been a surreal weekend of Formula 1 racing. Sunday's race was interrupted by red flags, safety cars, multiple yellow flags and surreal moments. The Dutchman extended his gap to Lando Norris in the world championship, who finished in sixth place after several errors throughout the race in Interlagos.
How did the brilliant Brazilian Grand Prix unfold?
All the drivers started on intermediate tyres as conditions had brightened up from Sunday's earlier qualifying session. There was drama for Lance Stroll almost immediately. The Aston Martin driver collided with the wall under braking and damaged his front wing. The Canadian ended up in the gravel, and the start of the race was aborted and then abandoned. The unprecedented moment confused drivers and teams up and down the grid, and Lando Norris was investigated for a starting infringement. The FIA's verdict will be revealed after the race.
Verstappen's brilliant charge:
When the race was finally underway, George Russell overtook Lando Norris for the lead of the race and extended his lead by over a second. As the pack squabbled, Sergio Perez spun but was able to keep going. On the other hand, Max Verstappen made up seven places on the first racing lap. The Dutchman continued his charge and made up a further two positions in the next few laps. The Dutchman overtook Oscar Piastri on lap 10, a move which would've worried teammate Norris. Further down the field, Lewis Hamilton, who has struggled this weekend, took a trip to the gravel on lap 12. Colapinto, to the avail of the Latin American fans, battled with the Brit and passed him into the Senna Esses.
Pitstop scramble:
After a slight lull, Verstappen began to attack his next competitor, Charles Leclerc. The Ferrari driver was able to keep Verstappen at bay until his pitstop, as conditions began to worsen slightly. The Monegasque opted for another set of intermediates. Norris debated the decision to box with his race engineer, Will Joseph. The McLaren team encouraged their driver to stick with his inters for a little longer. On lap 28, Nico Hulkenberg found himself stranded at turn one, and a VSC was deployed. The German managed to get going again. Piastri was the first to pit onto a new set of inters. Sergio Perez was the first driver to move onto full wets as the rain began to chuck it down. His pace was much better than those running on the green-walled tyres. Russell and Norris were overtaken by those behind as they were pitted onto fresh inters, which turned out to be the wrong decision. A safety car was deployed just a few laps later as the conditions worsened. Esteban Ocon found himself in the lead of the race on lap 30.
Red flag flown:
Just a lap later, Franco Colapinto crashed under the safety car. The Argentine hit the barrier hard at the final corner, and the amount of debris and fluid meant a red flag had to be flown. Esteban Ocon, therefore, would lead the field away when the race restarted. Max Verstappen gained some places, too. He restarted the race from second. Nico Hulkenberg, who had just caused a VSC, was bizarrely disqualified from the race. The German driver received outside assistance to get started again.
The race restarts:
Esteban Ocon led the race, and Lando Norris was down in fourth place after pitting earlier on with former race leader Russell. Norris ran off at turn four, letting Russell by him in the process. Chaos began to ensue once again immediately! Esteban Ocon managed to streak out in front of Verstappen. The Frenchman had a two-second gap after two laps of running. The spray was overwhelming, but the inters remained quicker. Down the field, Oliver Bearman spun off. In what has been a tough weekend for Haas, the young Brit damaged his front after a 360 spin. He managed to keep his car running, however. Carlos Sainz, who crashed in the morning qualifying, wasn't as lucky as the Brit. The Ferrari driver crashed in the middle sector, and the safety car was called out once again.
Verstappen excells in the rain:
Max Verstappen overtook Esteban Ocon into the first corner after the restart. Lando Norris, on the other hand, had a nightmare. The Brit went straight off at the first corner and fell down into seventh place behind his teammate. McLaren then asked Piastri to swap positions with Norris, and the Australian complied. The craziness didn't stop there. Fernando Alonso spun off in sector three but managed to rejoin the race. Out front, Verstappen continued to extend his gap over Ocon, and no one was able to make an indent on the Dutchman in the closing stages. The Dutchman crossed the line in first place, winning his first Grand Prix since June. Both Alpine drivers joined him on the Rostrum. The French team jumped up to sixth in the constructor's championship from ninth place.
What happened earlier today?
Lando Norris qualified on pole in sodden Sao Paulo to secure pole position in an unconventional Sunday qualifying session, which was affected by multiple red flags. Franco Colapinto, Carlos Sainz, Lance Stroll, Fernando Alonso and Alex Albon crashed heavily, causing red flags in all three qualifying segments. Max Verstappen was eliminated in Q2 due to Stroll's incident, and with a five-place grid penalty, it means he started the race from 17th place. A mixed grid created an exciting race. George Russell finished second, and Yuki Tsunoda and Esteban Ocon lined up in third and fourth. In an incredible weekend of Formula 1 that truly had it all, Verstappen's victory was well deserved in what was a chaotic race.
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