Race Notes - Verstappen wins rain and incident filled Brazil

By Mark Karp

Max Verstappen won the Brazilian Grand Prix in his Red Bull-Honda, a rain filled race filled with crashes, a Safety Car, and a Red Flag halfway through the race.

Verstappen’s win is his 62nd, and 111th podium in his career. Verstappen extends his Championship lead to 62 over Lando Norris. It is Verstappen’s first win since the Spanish GP in June.

Esteban Ocon in the Alpine-Renault finished in second, after leading the middle sector of the race, 19.477 seconds behind the winner.

His Alpine team mate Pierre Gasly took the final place on the podium, 22.532 seconds behind the winner.

Ocon took his fourth career podium, Gasly took his fifth career podium.

It is the first time in 11 years the Enstone team has finished with both cars on the podium.

George Russell (23.265s) in the Mercedes GP was fourth, followed by Charles Leclerc (30.177s) in the Ferrari was fifth, Norris (31.372s) in the McLaren-Mercedes was sixth, Yuki Tsunoda (42.056s) in the RB-Honda was seventh, Oscar Piastri (44.943s, with a 10-second penalty) in the second McLaren was eighth, Liam Lawson (50.452s) in the second RB-Honda was ninth, and Lewis Hamilton (50.753s) in the second Mercedes took the final point.

Before the start, after having a rainy Sunday morning qualifying session (with 5 red flags), Norris started on pole with Russell alongside on the front row, Tsunoda and Ocon on row 2, Lawson and Leclerc on row 3, Piastri and Alonso on row 4, and Stroll and Bottas on row 5. Albon qualified seventh, but with his car damaged will not start the race, Hamilton will start from 14th. Verstappen, with a 5-grid place penalty will start 17th. Sainz starts from the pit lane.

All drivers starting on intermediate tyres.

With a start time 30-minutes earlier than scheduled, and with rain expected, the drivers came around on the formation lap, Stroll spins at turn 4 and touches the barriers, and gets stuck in the gravel trap, the start is aborted and they set off on another formation lap, the start is aborted and cars line up on the grid and the mechanics come out on the grid.

The officials announce that the race willl be restarted at 12:47 local time, in 10-minutes.

Stroll’s car is removed from the gravel trap.

The officials are investigating an infringement in the start procedure for Norris.

At 12:47 the field left on an additional formation lap with drops of rain, lined up on the grid, the lights went out and the race started with Norris gets passed by Russell. Tsunoda third, then Ocon, Leclerc, Lawson, Piastri and Alonso eighth.

Perez sprins.

On lap 2 Verstappen passes Hamilton for tenth.

On lap 3 Russell leads Norris by 1.6 seconds. The rain is falling harder.

On lap 5 Verstappen passes Gasly for ninth at the first corner. Verstappen then passes Alonso for eighth.

On lap 6 Verstappen sets fast lap at 1m24.311s.

Bearman is giving a 10-second penalty for contact with Colapinto.

At lap 10 Russell leads Norris by 1.3 seconds, followed by Tsunoda (5.9s), Ocon (7.1s), Leclerc (8.0s), Lawson (10.1s), Piastri (11.1s), Verstappen (12.3s), Alonso (15.1s), and Gasly (16.4s) in tenth.

Verstappen passes Piastri for seventh, then sets fast lap at 1m24.015s.

Verstappen passes Lawson for sixth.

On lap 12 Hamilton goes off track and then is passes by Colapinto.

Verstappen sets fast lap at 1m23.430s.

On lap 14 the rain seems to be picking up a bit.

Tsunoda, Ocon, Leclerc and Verstappen are all running close on track.

Drivers are complaining that the intermediate tyres are starting to get worn.

At lap 20 Russell leads Norris by 0.6 seconds, followed by Tsunoda (9.2s), Ocon (10.0s), Leclerc (10.9s), Verstappen (11.7s), Lawson (16.5s), Piastri (17.5s), Gasly (19.8s) and Alonso (21.8s) in tenth place.

Bearman passes Hamilton for 14th.

On lap 22 Verstappen tries to battle with Leclerc into the first corner, but can’t get past.

On lap 24 Norris has closed to under one second behind Russell.

Leclerrc pits from fifth place and rejoins 13th behind Hamilton.

On lap 26 Hulkenburg pits from 11th.

Lawson and Piastri make contact be continue.

Rain seems to be falling harder still.

On lap 27 Hulkenberg spins and the yellow flag is waving.

On lap 28 the virtual safety car is out.

The virtual safety car is over, Russell, Norris, Tsunoda and Lawson pit for tyres. Tsunoda and Lawson switches to full wets.

Ocon leads Verstappen, followed by Gasly, Russell, Norris, Tsunoda, Leclerc, Piastri, Alonso and Bottas in tenth.

Piastri is given a 10-second penalty for making contact with Lawson,

On lap 30 Norris passes Russell for fourth. The Safety Car is out for the rain.

On lap 31 Colapinto pits for intermediates.

On lap 32 Colapinto crashes into the barriers up the hill coming up to the final turn, the red flag is out.

The cars all come into the pitlane on lap 33, and drivers are free to change tyres.

At just after 2:00p local time the drivers were set off for a restart, the rain having stopped, but a lot of water on the track. All drivers on new intermediates.

The order was Ocon ahead of Verstappen, Gasly, Norris, Russell, Tsunoda, Leclerc, Piastri, Alonso, Lawson in tenth, Hamilton, Bottas, Sainz, Perez, Bearman and Zhou in 16th.

The cars came around to the the start finish, and the race resumes with a rolling start.

Ocon leads, Norris goes wide at turn 4 and Russell passes him for fourth. Leclerc goes wide.

On lap 35 Hamilon passes Alonso for ninth.

On lap 36 Ocon has a 3.1 second lead on Verstappen.

Bearman spins off track, but rejoins 16th.

On lap 40 Sainz spins and ends up in to barrier, the Safety Car is out.

At lap 40 behind the Safety Car Ocon leads Verstappen, followed by Gasly, Russell, Norris, Leclerc, Piastri, Tsunoda, Hamilton and Alonso in tenth place.

Teams are reporting that some more rain will continue to the finish.

On lap 43 the race resumes, with 28 laps to go, Ocon is passed by Verstappen into the first corner, Norris goes wide and loses several places.

Verstappen leads Ocon, Gasly, Leclerc, Russell, Piastri, Norris, Tsunoda, Lawson, Perez, and Hamilton in 11th.

On lap 44 Verstappen sets fast lap at 1m22.876s.

Piastri lets Norris past into sixth.

On lap 46 Russell pases Leclerc for fourth.

On lap 47 Verstappen sets fast lap t 1m22.453s, and leads by 3.7 seconds.

Verstappen sets another fast lap the next lap at 1m22.290s, and again on lap 49 at 1m22,241s.

At lap 50 Verstappen leads Ocon by 5.5 seconds, followed by Gasly (8.5s), Russell (10.4s), Leclerc (15.8s), Norris (17.3s), Piastri (18.4s), Tsunods (21.5s), Lawson (23.0s), and Perez (24.5s) in tenth.

On lap 50 Verstappen sets fast lap at 1m22.043s.

Tsunoda is challenging Piastri for seventh.

On lap 55 Perez jumps to the inside of Lawson in the first corner, the two battle and Lawson keeps ninth, further on the lap Hamilton passes Perez for tenth.

Om lap 56 Verstappen sets fast lap at 1m22.005s, and leads Ocon by 9.0 seconds. And sets fast lap again the next lap at 1m21.862s, and again on lap 58 at 1m21.782s.

On lap 59, with 10 laps remaining, Perez is trying to attack Hamilton.

Verstappen goes faster at 1m21.551s.

On lap 60 Verstappen sets fast lap at 1m21.331s.

Russell trails Gasly in third place by 0.7s.

Piastri in seventh still has a 10-second penalty looming.

On lap 62 Verstappen sets fast lap at 1m21.069s, and again the next lap at 1m21.029s.

At lap 65 Verstappen leads Ocon by 14.5 seconds, followed by Gasly (18.5s), Russell (19.9s), Leclerc (25.7s), Norris (28.5s), Piastri (32.0s), Tsunoda (38.8s), Lawson (46.3s) and Hamilton (47.2s) in tenth.

On lap 65 Verstappen sets fast lap at 1m20.990s, and goes faster the next at 1m20.472s.

Across the line after 69 laps, Verstappen wins, after starting in 17th, over the two Alpine’s on Ocon and Gasly.