INDIA in F1

Tag: Sao Paulo GP

  • Starting from P17, Verstappen takes stunning win; enhances title chances

    Starting from P17, Verstappen takes stunning win; enhances title chances

    Sao Paulo, 3 Nov 2024: Max Verstappen took a stunning win at the São Paulo Grand Prix, climbing from 17th place on the grid to take his eighth victory of the season almost 20 seconds clear of the chasing pack. Behind the three-time champion, Esteban Ocon and Pierre Gasly took a surprise double podium for Alpine. 

    On the formation lap ahead of the start, Aston Martin’s Lance Stroll crashed and Race Control indicated an aborted start. That should have signalled the drivers to remains on the grid after the formation lap to await further instructions. Norris, however, pulled away and a number of other drivers followed the pole sitter. Another formation lap was the result and Norris and several others were informed that the incident would be investigated agfter the race. 

    When the light eventually went out, front row starter Russell reacted best and he stole the lead on the run to Turn 1 ahead of Norris. RB’s Yuki Tsunoda held his starting third place ahead of Ocon, while Ferrrari’s Charles Lecler moved ahead of RB’s Liam Lawson to take fifth. 

    Further back, Verstappen made a brilliant start from P17, and as the field exited the Senna S, the Dutchman charged around the outside to climb to P11 behind Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton. And at the start of lap 2 the Dutchman dived down the inside of the Mercedes to climb into a points-paying position.

    Verstappen wasn’t done, though, and after picking off Alpine’s Pierre Gasly’s Alpine at the start of lap 3, he muscled his way past Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso on the following lap. He then chased down Oscar Piastri and Lawson and by the end of lap 11 he was a remarkable sixth. 

    At the front, on lap 20, Russell still led, just under a second ahead of Norris. Eight seconds behind the top two, Tsunoda headed a DRS train consisting of Ocon, Leclerc and Verstappen. 

    On lap the shape of the race changed. In worsening rain, Haas’ Nico Hülkenberg  went wide in Turn 1 and stopped at the edge of the track. The VSC was deployed, sparking a flurry of pit stops. 

    With the aid of marshals, Hülkenberg was able to rejopin – a move that ultimately led to him being black-flagged – and just as the VSC ended, the top three of Russell, Norris and Tsunoda dived into the pits for more Inters. That promoted Ocon into the lead, with Verstappen in P2 ahead of Gasly.

    With the VSC spell complete, Norris eased past Russell to claim fourth place but with the conditions worsening badly, the Safety Car was eventually deployed. And when Williams’ Franco Colapinto lost control in Turn 12 and hit the barriers, the red flags came out and the race was halted.

    At the restart, Ocon held his lead over Verstappen and Gasly, but behind them Norris went wide and Russell was able to sneak through to P4. On lap 40, though, Sainz, who had been trying to catch Pérez, crashed at Turn 8 and the Safety Car took to the track for the second time. 

    The restart took place at the end of lap 42 and this time Verstappen judged it perfectly. He stuck with Ocon and when the Frenchman tried to pull away, Verstappen stayed close enough to dive down the inside into Turn 1 and steal the lead. 

    Behind them Gasly managed to hold onto third but Russell, Leclerc and Norris were all jockeying for position. Desperate to avoid a collision, Norris locked up behind Russell and dropped back to P7 behind team-mate Piastri. The Australian, facing a time penalty for a collision, would later wave the Briton through to P6. 

    At the front, Verstappen began to stretch away from the pack and with 20 laps remaining the Dutchman had pulled out a five-second gap to Ocon, with Gasly three seconds further back in third. 

    In the closing stages, Verstappen took complete control and after posting a staggering 17 fastest laps that earned him a bonus point the Dutchman crossed the line to take his eighth win of the season and his first the Spanish Grand Prix in June.

    Behind the champion Ocon and Gasly completed a shock double podium for Alpine, while Russell took fourth ahead of Leclerc. Norris, facing an investigation for breaching starting regulations when the original start was aborted, finished sixth ahead of Tsunoda and Piastri while Liam Lawson made it a double points finish ahead of Hamilton.

    2024 FIA Formula 1 São Paulo Grand Prix – Race 
    1 Max Verstappen Red Bull/Honda RBPT 69 2:06’54.430 
    2 Esteban Ocon Alpine/Renault 69 2:07’13.907 19.477
    3 Pierre Gasly Alpine/Renault 69 2:07’16.962 22.532
    4 George Russell Mercedes 69 2:07’17.695 23.265
    5 Charles Leclerc Ferrari 69 2:07’24.607 30.177
    6 Lando Norris McLaren/Mercedes 69 2:07’25.802 31.372
    7 Yuki Tsunoda RB/Honda RBPT 69 2:07’36.486 42.056
    8 Oscar Piastri McLaren/Mercedes 69 2:07’39.373 44.943
    9 Liam Lawson RB/Honda RBPT 69 2:07’44.882 50.452
    10 Lewis Hamilton Mercedes 69 2:07’45.183 50.753
    11 Sergio Pérez Red Bull/Honda RBPT 69 2:07’45.961 51.531
    12 Oliver Bearman Haas/Ferrari 69 2:07’51.515 57.085
    13 Valtteri Bottas Sauber/Ferrari 69 2:07’58.018 1’03.588
    14 Fernando Alonso Aston Martin/Mercedes 69 2:08’12.479 1’18.049
    15 Zhou Guanyu Sauber/Ferrari 69 2:08’14.079 1’19.649
         Carlos Sainz Ferrari 38 – 31 laps
         Franco Colapinto Williams/Mercedes 30 – Retirement
         Alexander Albon Williams/Mercedes 0 – Not started
         Lance Stroll Aston Martin/Mercedes 0 – Not started
         Nico Hülkenberg Haas/Ferrari 30 – DSQ

  • Max Verstappen win Sao Paulo GP ahead of Lando Norris

    Max Verstappen win Sao Paulo GP ahead of Lando Norris

    Sao Paulo, 5 Nov 2023: Max Verstappen took a controlled São Paulo Grand Prix victory, fending off an early challenge from fast starting Lando Norris to power to his 17th win of the season. With Norris a comfortable second, late-race drama was provided by Fernando Alonso who beat Sergio Pérez to the final podium spot by less than a tenth of second at the end of a thrilling drag race to the flag. 

    There was drama ahead of the race start at Interlagos, with front-row starter Charles Leclerc exiting with a hydraulics issue on the formation lap. The Ferrari driver managed to pull into an escape road, allowing the remaining cars to form up on the grid.

    There were more incidents when the lights went out. Verstappen got a good start from pole position to take the lead. Further back, Norris reacted to the lights superbly and passed the of slow-starting Fernando Alonso to jump from sixth on the grid to second as the leaders went into Turn 1. 

    At the rear of the grid through there was contact. Williams’ Alex Albon went to the outside on the run to Turn 1 and he was clipped by the Haas’ of Nico Hülkenberg. The Williams driver was pitched into the side of the second Haas of Kevin Magnussen and both spun into the barriers. In the chaos, McLaren’s Oscar Piastri was also hit and sustained rear wing damage, while Daniel Ricciardo’s AlphaTauri was hit by a loose wheel from Magnussen’s car and also sustained rear wing damage. 

    The Safety Car was immediately released but with debris all across the track in Turn 1 and with the barriers damaged, the red flags were soon flown. 

    When the lights went out for the second time, Max again got away well to take the lead ahead of Norris. Hamilton, who had taken third ahead of the red flag, tried to go around the outside of the McLaren but locked up and that allowed Alonso to tuck in behind the Mercedes and then use the slipstream to steal P3 from the Mercedes driver on the run to Turn 4. Behind them, Aston Martin’s Lance Stroll was passed by Mercedes’ George Russell and the second Red Bull of Sergio Pérez. 
    Norris then began to close on Verstappen and on lap 8 the McLaren driver went on the attack, attempting a pass on the outside of the first corner. He followed that up with a look at Turn 4, but Verstappen defended well and the McLaren driver then had to back off having used the best of his tyres.

    Pérez was soon on the attack and on lap 14, he powered past Russell into Turn 1. The Mercedes driver then used DRS on the Reta Oposta to try to retake the position, but Pérez position his car well and held position as they exited Turn 4. Freed from the DRS train, Pérez next targeted Hamilton and on lap 18 he powered past the slower Mercedes into Turn 1.  

    That was the cue for Mercedes to pit Hamilton and he was followed on the following tour by Russell, with both switching to Medium tyres. That sparked the first round of stops and Peerez pitted from P4 at the end of lap 20. Hamilton’s undercut was powerful, however, and the Mexican emerged behind the Mercedes once more. Pérez was flying, however, and he soon passed the seven-time champion once more. 

    Verstappen made his first stop at the end of lap 27, with Norris pitting right behind him and the pair held their positions as they too moved to Medium tyres. 

    Behind the top two, Pérez began to edge closer to Alonso and at a little after half distance he was just 1.3s behind the Spaniard. The Mexican’s pace on the Medium tyres wasn’t as good, however, and over the remainder of the second stint he slowly dropped back from the Aston Martin. 

    However, after his final stop for Soft tyres, on lap 47, the Pérez’s found his pace again and he once again began to chase Alonso down. 

    At the front, Verstappen was firmly in control and after briefly surrendering the lead to Norris following his final switch to Softs, on lap 56, he returned to the front three laps later and began to manage his march to the flag. 

    Pérez, though, was deep into a tense cat and mouse battle with Alonso for the final podium place, with the Mexican using DRS to draw close and Alonso deploying battery to defend hard through the final 20 laps. 

    And as the laps ebbed away, it look like Alonso would comfortably hold on. However, on lap 70, Pérez at last got an opportunity. The Red Bull driver closed in at the end of the lap and with aid of DRS dived to the inside of the Aston on the run to Turn 1 to get the move done. Alonso, though, fought back and with DRS on his side on the long straight battled his way through to retake the position. Pérez wasn’t giving up, though, and he tucked in behind the Spaniard for a final-lap lunge. 

    It came right at the end of lap 71. As Verstappen crossed the line to take his 17th win of the season, Pérez got DRS at the exit of Junçao to kick off a stunning drag race to the flag. And though the Mexican drew alongside the Aston Martin, Alonso had just enough pace to nose across the line in third as they took the flag. 

    Behind the top four, Stroll was fifth in the second Aston Martin, with Sainz sixth ahead of Alpine’s Pierre Gasly. Hamilton slid to eighth at the flag with Yuki Tsunoda taking two points for AlphaTauri in P9. The final point went to Esteban Ocon in the second Alpine. 

    2023 FIA Formula 1 São Paulo Grand Prix – Race 
    1 Max Verstappen Red Bull Racing 71 1:56’48.894 
    2 Lando Norris McLaren 71 1:56’57.171 8.277
    3 Fernando Alonso Aston Martin 71 1:57’23.049 34.155
    4 Sergio Pérez Red Bull Racing 71 1:57’23.102 34.208
    5 Lance Stroll Aston Martin 71 1:57’29.739 40.845
    6 Carlos Sainz Ferrari 71 1:57’39.082 50.188
    7 Pierre Gasly Alpine 71 1:57’44.987 56.093
    8 Lewis Hamilton Mercedes 71 1:57’51.753 1’02.859
    9 Yuki Tsunoda AlphaTauri 71 1:57’58.774 1’09.880
    10 Esteban Ocon Alpine 70 1:56’58.735 1 lap /9.841
    11 Logan Sargeant Williams 70 1:57’15.102 1 lap /26.208
    12 Nico Hülkenberg Haas 70 1:57’18.854 1 lap /29.960
    13 Daniel Ricciardo AlphaTauri 70 1:57’58.855 1 lap /1’09.961
    14 Oscar Piastri McLaren 69 1:56’52.530 2 laps /3.636
         George Russell Mercedes 57 1:40’53.898 Retirement
         Valtteri Bottas Alfa Romeo 39 1:17’30.833 Retirement
         Zhou Guanyu Alfa Romeo 22 55’50.383 Retirement
         Kevin Magnussen Haas 0 – Accident
         Alexander Albon Williams 0 – Accident
         Charles Leclerc Ferrari 0 – Not started