Max Verstappen emerged as the grand victor of the São Paulo Grand Prix! The Dutchman claimed his first race win in over four months at Interlagos. Following a wildly unpredictable qualifying round, the main event turned into a chaotic water spectacle. Verstappen proved himself a master in these conditions, taking full advantage of the disorder on the wet track. Alpine drivers Ocon and Gasly completed a surprising podium, while title rival Lando Norris fell short.
Here’s a quick overview of the São Paulo Grand Prix:
FORMATION LAP: Lance Stroll set the stage for what promised to be a chaotic race. After a crash in the qualifiers, Aston Martin pulled out all the stops to repair his AMR24 in time for the main event. However, this proved to be unnecessary – Stroll veered off the track during the formation lap and drove straight into the gravel trap. This incident delayed the start. Polesitter Lando Norris, however, had other plans and began a new warm-up lap before parking in P1. The McLaren driver is under investigation as the mechanics rush to the starting grid to prepare the cars for a restart. Dark clouds gather over the circuit.
Verstappen Charges Forward
ROUND 1/71: The São Paulo Grand Prix is finally underway! George Russell gets off to a good start, overtaking Lando Norris in the first corner. As heavy rain begins to fall again at Interlagos, the drivers are searching for grip. Meanwhile, Max Verstappen has an excellent start, moving up from P17 to P11. He encounters Lewis Hamilton, who temporarily denies him a spot in the top ten. It’s raining again in São Paulo.
ROUND 2/71: Verstappen overtakes Hamilton. The Dutchman seizes his opportunity and neatly passes his old rival in the first corner. Now he has Pierre Gasly’s Alpine in his sights. Teammate Sergio Pérez had a less successful start and had to give up two positions. Then, in the second round, the Mexican slides off the track and finds himself at the back of the pack in São Paulo.
ROUND 6/71: Max Verstappen continues his steady overtaking race. In the fourth round, he easily overtakes Pierre Gasly, again in the first corner. That’s P9 for the Dutchman! Next, Fernando Alonso has to yield. On the straight, the Dutchman easily passes the Spanish veteran. Oscar Piastri is his next target, while race leaders George Russell and Lando Norris pull away from Yuki Tsunoda (P3).
Verstappen Continues to Climb!
ROUND 11/71: Verstappen once again takes advantage of the first corner; by braking late, he shoots past Oscar Piastri on the inside. The Dutchman is unstoppable on the Brazilian asphalt! Liam Lawson is just as easy a target and has to surrender his sixth place one round later to a rampant Max Verstappen. The Red Bull driver is a full second faster than the rest. Lando Norris is only one second behind George Russell but fails to overtake his compatriot, as the rain starts to fall harder.
ROUND 22/69: Verstappen versus Leclerc! The Red Bull driver has closed the gap to his Ferrari rival to half a second. He tries to overtake on the outside of corner one for a change, but Leclerc defends strongly. The battle continues into the Senna corner, but Verstappen can’t get past the Monegasque. Due to the irregularities at the start, the race has been shortened to sixty-nine rounds.
Race Interrupted
ROUND 30/69: After a virtual safety car due to a stranded Nico Hülkenberg, the race leaders go for a ‘free’ pit stop: both George Russell and Lando Norris opt for new intermediates, as the track conditions continue to worsen. Esteban Ocon, Max Verstappen, and Pierre Gasly now lead the race, while the regular safety car comes out due to the heavy rainfall.
ROUND 32/69: Red flag, the São Paulo GP is halted! Franco Colapinto (P17) tries to catch up with the safety car but veers off the track in turn twelve. His FW46, just recently repaired after a crash in the qualifiers, is wrecked. All drivers get a ‘free’ pit stop, much to the chagrin of George Russell and Lando Norris. Nico Hülkenberg is disqualified because he was pushed back onto the track by the marshals. The top ten at the restart are as follows: Ocon, Max Verstappen, Gasly, Norris, Russell, Tsunoda, Leclerc, Piastri, Alonso, Lawson.
Verstappen Takes the Lead
ROUND 39/69: Another safety car! Carlos Sainz brakes on the white line, blocking the rear wheels of his Ferrari – end of the line for the Spaniard, who emerged as the winner last week in Mexico. Lando Norris veered off the track at the restart and had to relinquish his fourth place to George Russell.
ROUND 43/69: The safety car returns to the pit and Ocon resumes the São Paulo GP on the straight. Verstappen, for the umpteenth time, takes advantage of the first turn. The Dutchman opts for the inside line and takes the lead in the race! Norris tries to defend his fourth place, but veers off the track again and falls back to seventh place, behind teammate Oscar Piastri. At the team’s request, however, the latter quickly lets him pass again.
ROUND 59/69: With ten laps to go, Max Verstappen controls the race. The Dutchman has pulled a ten-second gap to Esteban Ocon and is also clocking the fastest time. Meanwhile, George Russell is knocking on Pierre Gasly’s door. The conditions on the circuit are gradually improving. The top ten now: Verstappen, Ocon, Gasly, Russell, Leclerc, Norris, Piastri, Tsunoda, Lawson, Hamilton.
ROUND 69/69: After a notably calm final phase, Max Verstappen is flagged as the winner! It’s his eighth victory of the season and the sixty-second of his career. He makes significant progress in the championship, especially as title rival Lando Norris is stuck in sixth place. The difference between them is now sixty-two points.
