Verstappen has hand on fourth title after Sao Paulo win
Max Verstappen won his first race since June to put one hand on a fourth consecutive Formula 1 world championship. The Dutchman started 17th at the Sao Paulo Grand Prix in Brazil to storm to victory ahead of a gutsy Alpine duo of Esteban Ocon and Pierre Gasly. Verstappen picked up the full 26 points [...]
Max Verstappen won his first race since June to put one hand on a fourth consecutive Formula 1 world championship.
The Dutchman started 17th at the Sao Paulo Grand Prix in Brazil to storm to victory ahead of a gutsy Alpine duo of Esteban Ocon and Pierre Gasly.
Verstappen picked up the full 26 points for the race win and fastest lap to extend his lead in the Drivers’ Championship over closest rival Lando Norris, who started on pole but failed to finish on the podium.
It ends a run of 10 races without a win for the three-time world champion, who was without a win since the Spanish Grand Prix.
The double podium for Alpine, too, gives the smaller team a huge boost in the Constructors’ Championship, where they’ve leapt into sixth.
Formula 1 podium
“My emotions today have been a rollercoaster. I knew it was going to be a very tough race but we stayed out of trouble, made the right calls and we were fine,” Verstappen said.
“To win here from so far back [is great].
“It was very hard to pass around here… but I knew I had to go for it. I have confidence on the breaks so that helps.”
Ocon, second, said: “What a day that was after the difficult season, it’s really nice to be driving here and having the performance levelled out in the rain. Someone, very important to all of us, said a long time ago that in the rain the cars are almost equal. That phrase didn’t age at all.
“I’m very happy today to be on the podium, I think it’s been awesome and the support I receive here from all the Brazilian fans is incredible, I can’t thank everyone enough.”
Teammate Gasly added: “It’s incredible for the whole team, we’ve had such a tough season and we’ve struggled to score points. In these conditions everything was possible and no one believed it until the end, two cars on the podium, I don’t think anyone would have got that on their bingo card, it’s just fantastic.”
Lay of the land
The Formula 1 season takes a break until the end of the month, when it returns for the third race of the year in the United States.
After Las Vegas the paddock returns to the Middle East, where races in Qatar and Abu Dhabi will decide both the solo and team titles.
The Constructors’ Title remains McLaren’s to lose but Ferrari and reigning champions Red Bull remain in touching distance.
A win for McLaren would represent a victory outside of one of the big three teams for the first time since 2009, when Brawn won the title.
McLaren last won the team title with David Coulthard and Mika Hakkinen in the 1998 season.
