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Max Verstappen is back with a vengeance. At Interlagos, on the iconic Brazilian circuit, the Dutch driver pulled off one of the finest victories of his career, surging from 17th on the grid to win. The reigning world champion triumphed at the end of a chaotic and grueling race, marked by rain and multiple stoppages. Numerous safety cars were deployed due to on-track incidents, and a red flag temporarily halted the race after Colapinto’s crash.
The red flag and race stoppage played perfectly into “Super Max’s” hands. Having yet to pit, Verstappen took advantage of the interruption to change tires, placing him in second position behind Esteban Ocon for the restart. He swiftly overtook the French driver at Turn 1, then left everyone else far behind. The three-time world champion clocked 17 fastest laps, lap after lap pulling away from his rivals in a performance for the ages, virtually securing his fourth world title.
On Verstappen’s day, his rival Lando Norris faltered. Starting from pole position, the British driver was immediately passed by Russell. A series of on-track errors and slides on the wet surface saw him drop to sixth place, finishing behind the two Alpine drivers, Ocon and Gasly, Russell, and Charles Leclerc, who minimized damage with a Ferrari struggling in the wet. With Piastri in eighth and Carlos Sainz retiring after a crash, Ferrari now trails McLaren by 36 points in the Constructors' Championship. Meanwhile, Verstappen extends his lead over Norris to 62 points, with his first “match point” to clinch the World Championship set for the Las Vegas Grand Prix on November 23-24.
