The race was expected to be Lando Norris's moment of glory. After securing pole position in a wet qualifying session, he hoped to close the gap on Max Verstappen in the championship standings, as the Red Bull driver was set to start from the back of the grid. However, the race unfolded in an entirely different way. The victory went to an impressive Verstappen, who climbed through the field with a series of overtakes, aided by a stroke of luck when a red flag came out on lap 31.
Just before the red flag, George Russell, who was leading the race, and Norris, who had been chasing him from the first turn, had made their pit stops, along with Yuki Tsunoda, who was in third, and Liam Lawson, in seventh. The red flag, caused by Franco Colapinto’s crash, stopped the race just as Esteban Ocon, who had been fourth before Russell, Norris, and Tsunoda pitted, found himself in the lead with a 7.5-second advantage over Verstappen. Gasly was in third, while Russell and Norris were further back after their pit exits.
The red flag reshuffled the field, as the rules allow drivers to change tires without losing time, enabling Ocon, Gasly, and Verstappen to stay in front without having to pit again. When the race resumed after a lap behind the safety car, Ocon extended his lead over Verstappen and Gasly. Norris immediately lost ground, being overtaken by Russell and Leclerc, and made two mistakes by going wide. The pressure got to him, and his chances in the championship faded.
Starting from 17th on the grid, Verstappen had already gained two spots due to Alexander Albon’s withdrawal after a qualifying crash and Carlos Sainz starting from the pits. By the first lap, Verstappen was up to 11th; he then passed Hamilton, Gasly, Alonso, Piastri, and others in quick succession, finally reaching Leclerc. Despite struggling a bit to get past Tsunoda and Ocon due to tire wear, his strategy paid off.
After the Sprint, Verstappen held a 44-point lead over Norris, which has now grown to 62, an almost unassailable margin with only three races remaining: Las Vegas, Losail, and Yas Marina. Verstappen’s victory in Brazil is a major step toward clinching the title, which could be decided in the next two weeks. After a ten-race dry spell, Red Bull is back on top, consolidating its dominance.
The São Paulo Grand Prix also showcased Ocon’s skills, especially in wet conditions. Starting fourth, he managed the race with poise, pushing his Alpine—a car with various shortcomings—to compete with the front runners. The same goes for Pierre Gasly, who, despite qualifying 13th due to traffic and incidents, managed an impressive comeback. Alpine’s double podium finish allowed the team to jump from ninth to sixth in the Constructors' standings, increasing its points tally from 16 to 49.
Yuki Tsunoda and Liam Lawson also stood out, finishing in the top 10 despite the red flag setting them back. Tsunoda finished seventh, while Lawson, in ninth, defended his position skillfully against Hamilton and Perez.
For Ferrari, Leclerc’s fifth place was a small consolation in a difficult weekend, with an uncompetitive car. Leclerc nearly claimed fourth but lost the spot due to an error while dueling with Russell. Sainz endured a weekend to forget, marred by a qualifying crash and an off-track excursion during the race.
George Russell showed excellent form in Brazil; though penalized by the red flag, he fought hard to finish fourth, a positive result for Mercedes. Hamilton, however, struggled throughout the weekend. At Aston Martin, Alonso suffered back pain from the car’s constant bouncing, while Stroll crashed on the reconnaissance lap. He blamed brake issues, though team principal Mike Krack raised some doubts about the cause.
For Williams, it was a challenging weekend. Albon was unable to race due to his qualifying crash, and Colapinto suffered another crash under the safety car, likely affected by the recent passing of his grandfather. Nico Hulkenberg also faced issues: he was disqualified for receiving assistance from marshals after spinning, which is against the rules.
© Cavalieri Garage & Co.