Red Bull’s Max Verstappen moved closer to securing his fourth Formula One title with an impressive drive from 17th on the grid to victory in Brazil on Sunday, delivering a significant setback to Lando Norris’s championship hopes.
Norris yet again bottled the start as George Russell overtook him in the very first corner of the race. On the other hand, Verstappen, who started in P17, rose to P11 in Turn 1. The Dutchman made some sizzling overtakes, climbing to 6th as early as lap 8 of the race. Things went from bad to worse for the Brit when he decided to pit under the VSC after Hulkenberg’s crash while Verstappen and Ocon stayed out. The two were rewarded when the race was red-flagged, resulting in a free pit stop for both.
Verstappen then took the lead after the restart and was comfortable for the rest of the race. His victory marked his 62nd in F1 and his first since triumphing in Spain earlier this year, ending a 10-race winless streak. Impressively, this win is only the sixth instance in F1 history of a driver gaining 16 or more positions to take the checkered flag, a feat last achieved by Kimi Raikkonen in Japan in 2005.
Verstappen also set the fastest lap of the race, marking his third this season and 33rd overall, edging Red Bull closer to the milestone of 100 fastest laps in Formula One history. He further made history by becoming the first driver to win from ten different starting positions, surpassing Fernando Alonso’s record of nine.
“My emotions have been a rollercoaster today – that unlucky qualifying and starting 17th made it such a tough race, but we stayed out of trouble, made the right calls and it is unbelievable to win here from so far back,” said Verstappen.
DRIVER STANDINGS (after 21/24 rounds)
Max Verstappen surges ahead with just three races to go#F1 #BrazilGP pic.twitter.com/7PezUcF3om
— Formula 1 (@F1) November 3, 2024
Lando Norris saw his championship ambitions diminish after finishing P6. The Dutchman’s victory boosted his total to 393 points, widening his lead over Norris, who has 331 points, to 62 with only three Grands Prix and one sprint race left in the season.
Alpine secure a stunning 2-3 finish
Esteban Ocon delivered an impressive fourth-place qualifying performance in a wet Sunday morning session, setting him up well for points in the race. Alpine took a bold approach by extending the first stint on Intermediate tires, which worked in favor of both Ocon and Pierre Gasly, who had started from 13th.
A mid-race red flag, following most of the field’s pit stops, allowed Alpine a free tire change, and when the race resumed, the pair found themselves in first and third positions.
Ocon eventually slipped to second behind race winner Max Verstappen, but with only three races remaining at Alpine before his move to Haas, the Frenchman remarked, “If that’s the reward, then I’m delighted to call it that.” The team’s first double podium in 11 years boosted it to sixth in the Constructors’ standings, increasing its points tally from 16 to 49.
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Mohd Faisal Hakak is a sports author from Kashmir. He likes to keep tabs on the sporting world with a keen interest in football, motorsports, NBA, and other marquee sports. He is a science graduate from Islamia College Srinagar.
