Arrogant, despotic, contemptuous of rivals and commissioners, but insatiable when driving, Max Verstappen demonstrated in the puddles of Interlagos, in a Dantesque race of water, lack of visibility and multiple mishaps, that he deserves the three-time championship for performances like the one in Brazil: he climbed from 17th position on the grid to victory in a recital of aggressiveness, ambition and masterful driving.
The three-time champion had not won for more than four months, since the Spanish GP in Montmeló, after 10 races with different masters. And he went to win the most complicated day, when the outlook was worst, in a Dantesque race, with his greatest rival starting from the pole. The day and the night. The Flying Dutchman marveled; The erratic Englishman drowned in the waters of São Paulo. The fourth crown is now closer.
Chaos in qualifying and at the start
The rain made the qualifying session crazy and chaos spread at the start
The rain wreaked havoc on the qualifying session, held four hours before the race (at 7:30 São Paulo time): five red flags for off-track, a Williams, Albon’s, destroyed without being able to fix it in time for the departure, a replaced gearbox in Sainz’s Ferrari, which had to be started from pit-lane…and 12th place for Max Verstappen, who had to start from 17th, due to the five-place penalty he was carrying for replacing part of the engine.
With this panorama, and an unprecedented grid, without hierarchies (Tsunoda 3rd, Ocon 4th, Lawson 5th, Hamilton 14th, Verstappen further back…), Norris had his great opportunity to make a blow to the classification leaving from the pole.
The chaos of qualy It was infected to the race, which began 17 minutes late due to two aborted starts, one due to Stroll going off track and another due to Norris violating the start protocol. Surreal. And meanwhile, the black cloud loomed threateningly from the north of São Paulo.
On the third start attempt, with the first drops already falling on the drivers’ visors, Norris did not know how to defend his first position well, his McLaren had worse traction and gave control to Russell in the first corner, while the most spectacular movement Verstappen offered it with a colossal jump, from 17th to 11th on the first lap. The Dutchman would be 10th after overtaking Hamilton. Seven positions in one go to get into the points… and just 11 seconds from the lead. Alonso gained one place (8th) and Sainz was 17th.
Huge climb
Verstappen, unstoppable, started 17th on the grid and on lap 12 he was already sixth
Verstappen’s climb, with bloodshot eyes, did not stop. In two more laps he ate Gasly and Alonso to place eighth, hot on the heels of Piastri, who had to stop the Dutchman as much as possible. The Australian didn’t last long. He devoured him in no time, just like Lawson, to place 6th on lap 12, just behind Leclerc. The three-time champion was unstoppable, advancing like an uncontrolled hungry beast.
But with Leclerc he didn’t have it so easy. The Monegasque withstood the onslaught of Red Bull on lap 22 (of 69). The Dutchman complained, accusing the Ferrari of strangling him and pushing him to the white line… The duel was frustrated because Leclerc was the first to come out. pit-stop (v. 25) to change tires – anticipating that more rain would come – so Max rose to virtual 5th place.
‘Friendly’ red flag
The stops were rushed (v. 28-29) with a ‘virtual safety-car’ and Verstappen rose to provisional third place before the red flag (v. 33), which favored him.
With the virtual safety-car caused by Hülkenberg’s departure from the track (v. 28), the pit stops were rushed to put on extreme or intermediate rain tires, so that Ocon, Verstappen and Gasly, the only three who did not stop, remained at the front of the career.
Fourth was Norris, who overtook Russell in a mistake by the Englishman in the S do Senna. With the track soaked and visibility very low due to the curtain of water, the safety car came out (v. 30), and the platoon regrouped.
The race was cut short with a red flag (v. 33/69) due to Colapinto’s accident, which left the Williams destroyed in the middle of the track. At that moment, Ocon, Verstappen and Gasly, without stopping, commanded the test, with Norris fourth and Russell fifth. Alonso was 9th and Sainz was 13th. The Dutchman was the big beneficiary, as he would have a free stop to change tires.
Fourth exit
Ocon protected the lead from Verstappen’s harassment, Alonso gave in to Hamilton, and Sainz crashed into the wall
The fourth exit of the day (v. 34) was in format rolling startthat is, launched behind the safety car, which reduced the possibilities of surprise overtaking. Ocon, helped by the curtain of water, was able to save his lead from Verstappen’s harassment, while Norris had a scare when he went off the track and lost one place, Russell, fourth, regained his position. Alonso lost his position with Hamilton, ninth. And Sainz slipped in a puddle and hit the wall (v. 39), so he had to leave the race.
Champion’s blow
Verstappen took the lead when the race restarted and at the same time Norris went off the track and dropped to 7th place
Sainz’s departure from the track caused a safety-car (v. 39). In the relaunch, Vestappen hit Ocon with the blow that was expected. He left it dry at the end of the straight to take the lead and ride to victory. Practically at the same time, in the same braking at the end of the straight, Norris went off the track and dropped to 7th place. A disastrous career for the Englishman. The day and the night.
The race was left without any more history. Verstappen enjoyed setting better laps (which gave him an extra point), he put the Alpine away from Ocon by 15 seconds, a world, while his greatest rival could not progress beyond sixth place (which he won from his teammate Piastri).
A perfect day for the Dutchman, who reinforced his lead with a punch on the table when Norris had been weakening him the most: the Englishman had cut him 40 points in the last eight grands prix (from 84 to 44). In a single rainy day, Max added 18.
Carlos Sainz suffered his third DNF of the year and Fernando Alonso finished 14th with back pain.
#Verstappen #recital #Norris #disaster #puddles #Interlagos
