After such a busy qualifying session, the teams might have wanted a breather, but they certainly didn’t get one this weekend! Just a few hours later, we're back on the track, ready for the race. If you thought the stress was over, think again—the racing action at Interlagos just keeps coming! Let’s dive into the biggest moments of the race.
Behind the Scenes: The Race to Repair
We often focus on the drivers in these posts, but given the events of the Brazilian GP qualifying session, let’s take a moment to appreciate the teams behind them.
Picture this: qualifying is finally over, but the rain is still pouring. You’ve been up since dawn, and you’ve already prepped the cars once. Now, after a chaotic session, one or maybe even both cars are damaged, and you’ve got just a few hours to turn them from wrecks into high-performance machines. The clock’s ticking, and the pressure is mounting... I’m stressed just thinking about it! This is exactly what many mechanics and engineers faced on Sunday. The fact that only Alex Albon's Williams didn't make it back onto the track speaks volumes about their dedication to their teams and the fans.
Race day: a race of two starts
After the herculean effort of all the teams, we had a final grid of 19 drivers ready for the Brazilian Grand Prix.
Drivers spend years perfecting their starts, and all that practice means they’re usually pretty uneventful—at least for the first few milliseconds. Not this week! Lance Stroll became the catalyst for chaos, veering off the track on the formation lap. In a bizarre twist, while trying to rejoin, he drove directly into the gravel and got beached.
Lance Stroll's race was cut prematurely short after driving into the gravel trap on the formation lap and becoming beached [Image Planetf1.com]
With Stroll out and his car needing to be lifted, an aborted start was called. This should have triggered the drivers to return to the grid, the pit crews to spring into action, and the restart procedures to begin.
However, instead of stopping on the grid, Lando Norris led another formation lap, with most drivers following suit. Realising their mistake, they completed an extra lap before following the correct procedure. Unsure how to respond, the FIA delayed any decisions on repercussions until after the race, ultimately issuing a reprimand and a £5,000 fine for Norris and Russell as the drivers at the front of the grid.
Once we were finally ready to go (for real this time), Russell got the stronger start. The Mercedes seemed to find an extra gear over the McLaren, pulling ahead before the first corner—a poor start that foreshadowed the tough race Norris was about to face.
Bonus information - When Yuki Tsunoda had an engine failure on the formation lap in Monza last year and an aborted start was called there, pole-sitter Carlos Sainz also followed incorrect protocol and started an additional formation lap and faced no repercussions...
Colapinto's crash triggers a race-defining reshuffle
On lap 28, a Virtual Safety Car (VSC) was deployed following Nico Hülkenberg's off-track "excursion" at Turn 1. Race leaders George Russell and Lando Norris took advantage of this opportunity in the closing moments of the lap by fitting fresh intermediate tyres, which they hoped would provide better grip in the worsening conditions. This was intended to be the strategic move that would allow them to gain valuable time over the following cars of Max Verstappen, Esteban Ocon and Pierre Gasly, who were unable to benefit from the VSC.
And for a brief moment this looked the correct choice - right up until Franco Colapinto crashed into the barriers on lap 32 triggering a red flag. This turned the advantages of pitting under the VSC into a significant disadvantage for both Russell and Norris, as they would find themselves behind Verstappen, Ocon, and Gasly at the restart, all now with fresh tyres. What had looked like a potential P1 and P2 finish for Russell and Norris ultimately turned into P4 and P6, marking a significant turning point in the race and World Drivers Championship for Norris.
Frustration as the impact of the reg flag was not lost on Norris
A Max masterclass
Setting aside the red flag’s impact, this race showcased an incredible drive from Max Verstappen. Starting from P17, he surged to 10th place by lap 2 and reached P6 by lap 12—an impressive feat in any weather, but especially remarkable given the conditions. Although Charles Leclerc managed to hold him back for a while, once Verstappen got past, he looked unstoppable. While others struggled in the wet and slippery conditions, Verstappen consistently set the fastest laps. It’s hard to argue that he wouldn’t have made his way to the front of the field, regardless of any red flags. A drive for the history books and certainly one he enjoyed!
A jubilant Verstappen celebrates an incredible drive to win the Interlagos GP
Unexpected Winners: A Big Day for Alpine On and Off the Track
While Verstappen's performance likely secured his fourth World Drivers' Championship, another major winner of the weekend was Alpine. Their surprising P2 and P3 podium finishes propelled the team from P9 to P6 in the Constructors' Championship. If they can maintain this position until the end of the season, it could lead to a significant financial boost, potentially increasing their prize winnings by $50 million!
Beyond the team's success, several post-race touching moments emerged between their drivers that few could have predicted. Pierre Gasly and Esteban Ocon were once close childhood friends, growing up karting together in Normandy. As their careers progressed, a rivalry developed and a rift grew between the two. So when Gasly joined Ocon at Alpine in 2023 the moved raised some eyebrows. And although the two have always maintained they have a professional working relationship, there have been a fair few heated moments over the last two seasons!
Ocon and Pierre have a long and not always rosy history together
However, it was clear that the joint podium meant a lot to both drivers, and maybe it will even mark the start of a less frosty relationship. Post-race interviews showed both drivers feeling nostalgic about their shared history and emotional about what this moment means to them. Gasly said it best: "Nobody knows our story; it's something personal to us. But regardless of everything that happened, a day like today makes it very special. It's a beautiful story."
[Image credit: thedrive.com]
Do you think this will mark a new chapter in the French drivers' relationship? ❤️ Comment your thoughts below.
Comments