Brazil Grand Prix – Sprint: Verstappen wins, Norris was powerless
Starting in pole position, Lando Norris' hopes of victory were swept away as early as the braking zone of the first corner. For the fourth time this season, the winner of a sprint race is Max Verstappen.
Lando Norris had the mission to replicate Oscar Piastri’s feat in Qatar: converting his first position into a victory. The task was going to be difficult. The two Red Bulls were right behind him, setting a trap. The orange wall didn’t last long. As soon as they entered the first corner, Max Verstappen seized the opportunity with his quick reaction time to slide inside the McLaren and overtake it.
The other driver who had a superb first lap was George Russell. Starting fourth, he made a perfect start from his grid position to overtake Sergio Perez’s Red Bull. Showing strength in Lando Norris’ rear-view mirrors, he managed to take second place from him. The Mercedes displayed such pace in the early stages of the race that Russell was able to stay within a second of Max Verstappen. Unfortunately for the former Williams driver, this stint among the leaders was short-lived. By the fifth lap, he faced a counter-attack from Norris before being passed by Perez on the 10th lap.
Despite a difficult start for Sergio Perez, he managed to regain the positions he had lost to Russell and Hamilton on the first lap. The Mexican refused to be demoralized by his poor start and showed a great fighting spirit against Lewis Hamilton. During the first third of the third lap, the two men battled within inches of each other. He eventually found an opening on the fourth lap by overtaking the seven-time world champion on the outside at the braking point of the first corner. Six laps later, he got rid of the other Mercedes car to reclaim his third position. Where he was particularly disappointing was in his inability to put any pressure on Lando Norris. With 5 laps remaining, the Red Bull driver was over 8 tenths of a second behind the McLaren.
The mid-race was marked by a fierce battle between Carlos Sainz and Daniel Ricciardo for the 8th position. It is a crucial position as it offers the final point in a sprint race. Sainz showcased several impressive overtakes on the outside of the first corner. What hindered Ricciardo was his lack of top speed.
Hyped as a potential winner before the start of the weekend, this sprint race showed no signs of a potential victory for Lewis Hamilton at Interlagos. Holding 5th place for a long time, the final laps of this sprint were cruel for the Mercedes driver. Struggling with his low speed on the straights, the British driver was overtaken first by Charles Leclerc before facing the wrath of Yuki Tsunoda on the 22nd lap. These two overtakes dropped Hamilton down to 7th position.
For the fourth time this season, it is Max Verstappen who takes the victory in a sprint race. The Dutchman has adopted Sebastian Vettel’s modus operandi during his Red Bull years: take the lead as quickly as possible and never give it up again.
It’s a contrasting afternoon for Lando Norris. Victory was never a possibility given the staggering pace of the Red Bull with the number 1 on it, but he managed to never be troubled by Sergio Perez. The latter can rejoice in having made a great move against Lewis Hamilton in their fight for the runner-up status in 2023.
The pleasant surprise of this race was Yuki Tsunoda. The Japanese driver demonstrated much more patience than in Mexico. The points from the 6th position allow AlphaTauri to surpass Alfa Romeo in the constructors’ standings in terms of points.
