Brazil – The outlook of the race
Dominant all weekend, Max Verstappen starts on pole and will want to confirm in the race. Behind him, we'll be closely watching the race of the francophone drivers, for various reasons.
Verstappen first?
Max Verstappen was the most consistent driver of the weekend in his Red Bull. Just behind Ferrari in Free Practice 2 and Hamilton in Free Practice 3, he dominated qualifying and secured pole position. The Dutchman has everything in his hands to claim his first victory in Brazil.
Hamilton as a troublemaker?
Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes) seemed a tone below Verstappen in qualifying. But it’s been several Grand Prix where he has struggled on a single lap. However, in the race, it’s a different story. And he will be eager to shine with his helmet in tribute to Ayrton Senna, who died twenty-five years ago.
Leclerc on the rise
Penalized ten places, Charles Leclerc (Ferrari) will start in fourteenth position. The Monegasque will be looking to make a quick comeback as quickly as possible. Especially since his rival for third place in the championship, Max Verstappen, is on pole. Leclerc will have the advantage of choosing his tires and therefore opting for an alternative strategy. Caution against excess enthusiasm. The first lap at Interlagos is often eventful and he will start in the middle of the pack.
Cock-a-doodle-doo?
It’s quite rare and worth mentioning. The two French drivers on the grid have set the best time among the “others” in qualifying. Pierre Gasly (Toto Rosso) will start 6th, just ahead of Romain Grosjean (Haas). Gasly achieves his fourth consecutive Q3 and has the means to maintain his position. In fact, he had finished seventh in Suzuka. Grosjean, on the other hand, appeared less optimistic when getting out of his car; very happy with his performance, he acknowledged that being there was an achievement and that he would likely face difficulties with his tires during the race. Especially with the weather forecast.
The heat will cause migraines.
Grosjean would like cold and rain. No such luck. The sun is expected to be out this Sunday, and the drivers anticipate a hot track. We saw during the qualifications that the arrival of the sun changed the track conditions, as the drivers struggled to improve. Charles Leclerc’s brief stint on medium tires in Q2 also showed that these compounds could be as fast as the soft ones under certain conditions. The strategy and tire management should therefore be exciting to follow.
