Verstappen’s impressive charge to victory caps a thrilling race as Alpine clinches a historic double podium amidst late-race drama.
It promises to be a highly challenging race at Interlagos as drivers gear up for the São Paulo Grand Prix. Qualifying, postponed yesterday, took place early this morning at 7:30 local time.
Lando Norris clinched pole position in wet conditions and shares the front row with George Russell. The second row features a surprising duo with Yuki Tsunoda and Esteban Ocon in third and fourth positions. Liam Lawson lines up fifth ahead of Charles Leclerc.
Alex Albon qualified seventh, but suffered a crash in Q3. Williams has confirmed he won’t take part in the race as his FW46 sustained too much damage. Consequently, Oscar Piastri will start seventh, followed by Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll.
Aston Martin pulled off a remarkable feat, getting both cars on the grid after each driver endured a crash during qualifying. Valtteri Bottas starts in tenth, marking his best qualifying of the season, with Sergio Pérez alongside.
Pierre Gasly sits ahead of Lewis Hamilton, followed by Oliver Bearman, Franco Colapinto, and Max Verstappen. Verstappen qualified 12th but incurred a five-place grid penalty due to an unscheduled engine change, placing him 16th on the starting grid after Albon’s withdrawal. Nico Hülkenberg and Guanyu Zhou line up on the ninth row, while Carlos Sainz, also involved in a crash, will start from the pit lane.
16:20: Alonso told Spanish broadcaster DAZN that his car is pulling slightly to the left on the straight. The Spaniard awaits confirmation of this issue during the race.
16:22: A shower is expected approximately 20 minutes into the race, but conditions are likely to be variable as the race progresses.
16:27: All drivers are next line up on intermediate tyres, with the FIA reporting a 100% risk of rain as light drops continue to fall.
16:29: The air temperature is 22 degrees, while the track temperature sits at 28 degrees. If the rain subsides, slick tyres could come into play, but forecasts indicate that rain is likely around 16:50 French time.
Formation Lap: The first twist of the race as Lance Stroll loses control and strikes the wall! The Canadian hit the wall head-on, and although the car appears to have escaped major damage, Stroll has bogged down in the gravel trying to rejoin the track, leading to his retirement.
Formation Lap 2: The start is understandably postponed to allow time to clear the Aston Martin. Bottas experienced issues getting his car going, while Verstappen voiced frustration over drivers failing to wait for a green light before proceeding on the second lap, leaving the grid as Norris rounded the final corner.
16:38: The race start has ultimately been cancelled as procedures were not followed as expected. Stewards note that Norris committed a breach of the start procedure.
16:40: An investigation is now underway regarding Norris. The next formation lap is scheduled for 16:47. This delay explains the slow starts from Bottas and Verstappen.
16:45: Rain could arrive as early as 16:53 French time… the day is far from over!
16:47: A new formation lap is underway! There will be 69 laps in the race instead of the initially planned 71.
16:48: And rain makes a return on the formation lap.
Race Start: Russell gets a great start, taking the lead while Ocon challenges Tsunoda. The Japanese driver holds third, and Leclerc passes Lawson.
Lap 1: Piastri overtakes Alonso, and Pérez spins! He rejoins at the back of the pack.
Lap 2: Russell leads by 1.5 seconds over Norris, with a 2.1-second gap to Tsunoda. Ocon and Leclerc are close behind, and Lawson fends off Piastri, Alonso, and Gasly, who has moved up to ninth. Verstappen overtakes Hamilton for tenth.
Lap 3: Russell sets the fastest lap with a 1:25.804, extending his lead to 1.8 seconds over Norris. Tsunoda remains two seconds behind the Briton, still holding off Ocon and Leclerc. Lawson trails by 1.3 seconds but has created a small gap to Piastri. Bearman and Hülkenberg are showing strong form in 13th and 14th, while Sainz sits in 17th, ahead of Pérez.
Lap 4: Russell clocks the fastest lap with a 1:25.598, soon beaten by Norris with a 1:25.402! The gap shrinks to 1.3 seconds, and Tsunoda falls 2.7 seconds behind Norris. Sainz reports heavy rain on the circuit. Bearman makes an error and drops to 17th, while Sainz moves up to 15th, passing Zhou.
Lap 5: Norris sets the fastest lap with a 1:25.165, closing within a second of Russell. Tsunoda is now three seconds behind the McLaren, pushing Ocon back by 1.5 seconds. Alonso loses time to Piastri, while Verstappen overtakes Gasly for ninth.
Lap 6: Norris continues to close in, posting a 1:25.012 and narrowing the gap to seven-tenths behind the leader. Tsunoda lags 3.2 seconds behind Norris. The Briton will certainly be looking to build a buffer in case of a potential penalty for the start procedure. Verstappen overtakes Alonso for eighth.
Lap 7: Russell picks up speed with a 1:24.675, gaining some breathing room, but Verstappen sets a new track record with a 1:24.311.
Lap 8: Several drivers, including Russell, Tsunoda, and Lawson, are now under investigation for their starts. The gap at the front remains steady at nine-tenths, with Tsunoda matching the leaders’ lap times, while Ocon is close behind. Verstappen has closed in on Piastri. Sainz is in 15th, while Pérez is in 17th.
Lap 9: Tsunoda loses time, now trailing Norris by four seconds. Verstappen applies pressure on Piastri, who’s forced to hold up the championship leader. Bearman receives a 10-second penalty for causing a collision with Colapinto.
Lap 10: Russell picks up the pace with a lap of 1:24.238, extending his lead to over a second. Verstappen overtakes Piastri, moving up to seventh.
Lap 11: Norris sets the fastest lap with a 1:24.088, but Verstappen outdoes him with a 1:24.015 and closes in on Lawson, who soon lets him pass. Hamilton goes off onto the grass, losing a position to Hülkenberg.
Lap 12: Russell clocks the fastest lap of the race at 1:23.928. The gap between the leaders holds at around one second. Colapinto seizes the opportunity to overtake Hamilton, and Sainz passes Bottas, who is then overtaken by both Bearman and Pérez.
Lap 13: Verstappen improves the fastest lap to 1:23.430 and is gaining on Leclerc, who remains stuck behind Tsunoda and Ocon. The Dutchman trails the leader by 10 seconds.
Lap 14: Stewards announce that the formation lap incident will be reviewed after the race. Rain has returned, and McLaren informs that it is expected to persist until lap 30.
Lap 15: The gap between the leaders remains unchanged, as does the distance from Tsunoda, Ocon, Leclerc, and Verstappen, all around ten seconds behind.
Lap 16: Norris reports that he is too slow on the straight and unable to mount an attack.
Lap 17: Norris allows a slight gap to Russell, likely to avoid overheating his tyres due to the aerodynamic disturbance. Russell capitalises on this, extending the gap to just under a second between the two.
Lap 18: Heavier rain is expected in 15 minutes. Gasly has taken ninth place from Alonso.
Lap 19: Norris becomes increasingly aggressive but can’t manage to overtake.
Lap 20: Sainz, in 13th, is now on the tail of Colapinto. Hamilton, also in 13th, made a mistake, allowing Sainz and Bearman to overtake him.
Lap 21: Hamilton reports that his Mercedes is bouncing and feels highly unstable. Russell extends his lead to 1.7 seconds, while Norris is gradually pulling away from Tsunoda, who now trails him by 8.7 seconds.
Lap 22: Both leaders increase their pace, and Verstappen attacks Leclerc, who makes a slight error but defends well, holding his position. Bearman and Hamilton overtake Sainz, who slips up.
Lap 23: Norris closes to within 1.1 seconds and further widens the gap to the chasing pack. Verstappen is now 14 seconds behind the leader. Bearman and Hamilton manage to overtake Colapinto.
Lap 24: Ocon is applying pressure on Tsunoda but is unable to get past. Overtaking remains a significant challenge without DRS, impacting positions throughout the field.
Lap 25: Leclerc has pitted, allowing Verstappen to slot in behind Tsunoda and Ocon. The Monegasque driver re-emerges with a fresh set of intermediate tyres, likely for improved grip should the track become wetter.
Lap 26: The decision to pit is under consideration, but Norris reports that rain has resumed, suggesting they wait to see if full wets will soon be needed. Lawson makes an error, letting Gasly, Piastri, and Alonso through. Gasly is now 7.4 seconds behind Verstappen, who trails Russell by 13 seconds. Ocon has overtaken Tsunoda.
Lap 27: Norris is once again close to Russell but cannot find a way past. Colapinto has pitted. The incident between Piastri and Lawson has been noted. A yellow flag is out as Hülkenberg is stopped in the escape road at the end of the straight!
Lap 28: A virtual safety car is deployed! Piastri, Alonso, Bearman, Hamilton, Sainz, and Pérez take the opportunity to pit, with Pérez opting for full wet tyres to test their suitability given the conditions. Hülkenberg is back on track.
Lap 29: Russell, Norris, and Tsunoda head into the pits, with Tsunoda also switching to full wets. Ocon now leads with a 5.8-second advantage over Verstappen, who lost significant ground during the VSC. Gasly is in third, ahead of Russell and Norris.
Lap 30: Piastri receives a 10-second penalty for forcing Lawson off the track. Ocon is lapping much faster than Verstappen, extending his lead to eight seconds! Norris overtakes Russell as a full safety car is deployed due to heavy rain—a shame for Ocon, who was pulling away at nearly two seconds per lap.
Lap 31: Rain is expected to ease in the coming minutes. The field is now bunched up, with Ocon leading Verstappen and Gasly. Norris sits fourth, ahead of Russell, Tsunoda, Leclerc, Piastri, Alonso, and Lawson, who has passed Hamilton. Bottas is 12th, followed by Sainz, Pérez, Bearman, Colapinto, Zhou, and Hülkenberg.
Lap 32: Tsunoda, Lawson, Pérez, Zhou, and Hülkenberg are all on full wets, with Tsunoda setting the fastest lap before the neutralisation. However, a red flag has now been issued as Colapinto has crashed on the run-up to the finish line. Williams’ weekend ends with a third incident and a second car destroyed.
17:40: The major beneficiaries of this situation are Ocon, Verstappen, and Gasly, who avoided pitting before the red flag. Alpine stands to make significant gains in the constructors’ championship, with both Williams cars now out of contention. Norris, meanwhile, has lost ground to Verstappen.
17:46: Russell was visibly frustrated to learn that the red flag had been deployed just four laps after his pit stop: “I called it! We should’ve stayed out!” The optimal strategy was indeed to wait for a red flag, allowing for a free tyre change—precisely what Ocon, Verstappen, Gasly, and Bottas did, although Bottas remains in 12th.
17:49: Hülkenberg has been shown the black flag for receiving outside assistance from marshals to rejoin the track. This results in a straightforward disqualification for the Haas driver.
17:52: The race is set to resume at 18:02, with a rolling start expected.
17:58: The Mercedes drivers are under investigation for potentially adjusting tyre pressures while on the grid.
18:02: The drivers are back on track, and a rolling start is confirmed. All competitors have opted for fresh intermediate tyres.
Lap 34: Bearman and Zhou make early errors before even crossing the start line, but the race is on! Verstappen moves in close on Ocon but can’t make the pass. Pérez overtakes both Sainz and Bottas, while Ocon begins to pull away from Verstappen, aided by his clear view as the leader. Gasly is already 3.5 seconds adrift of Verstappen, and Norris makes an error, losing a position to Russell. Leclerc also slips but manages to stay ahead of Piastri.
Lap 35: Ocon extends his lead over Verstappen to just over two seconds, while Verstappen continues to widen the gap to Gasly. Russell trails by 2.5 seconds with Norris staying close. Hamilton overtakes Alonso for ninth, having passed Lawson the lap before.
Lap 36: Just past the halfway point, Ocon now holds a three-second lead over Verstappen. Gasly picks up the pace but remains 4.2 seconds behind Verstappen, though he is edging away from Russell. Bearman makes another mistake, brushing the wall and dropping to the back of the field.
Lap 37: Ocon maintains a 3.4-second lead over Verstappen, with Gasly now 4.6 seconds back. Hamilton is pressuring Tsunoda, but the Japanese driver holds firm.
Lap 38: The gap between the two leaders stabilises at 3.2 seconds. Bearman suffers another minor error, costing him an additional five seconds.
Lap 39: Verstappen starts to close in on Ocon, reducing the gap to 2.7 seconds. Gasly drops back, now 5.7 seconds behind the Red Bull. Meanwhile, Sainz has gone off the track, ending his race for good this time. His SF-24, painstakingly repaired after qualifying, is damaged again. The safety car is deployed as Sainz attempts to get back on track.
Lap 40: Sainz brings his Ferrari to a complete stop, confirming his retirement.
Lap 41: The order sees Ocon leading, followed by Verstappen, Gasly, Russell, and Norris in the top five. Completing the top ten are Leclerc, Piastri (who still has a 10-second penalty pending), Tsunoda, Hamilton, and Alonso. Lawson, Pérez, Bottas, Zhou, and Bearman round out the classified drivers, with five competitors now out of the race due to retirements, disqualifications, and withdrawals.
Lap 42: The race will resume at the end of this lap!
Lap 43: Verstappen restarts on Ocon’s tail and manages to outmaneuver the Frenchman, who now finds himself under threat from his teammate! Behind them, Norris makes a mistake, dropping to seventh behind Leclerc, who has overtaken both Russell and Piastri. Alonso also makes an error, rejoining in last place.
Lap 44: Verstappen pulls ahead, creating a 1.9-second gap to Ocon, with Gasly 1.3 seconds behind his teammate. Leclerc holds fourth, followed by Russell, Piastri, and Norris. With Piastri’s penalty in play, questions arise over why McLaren hasn’t swapped their positions.
Lap 45: Verstappen extends his lead over Ocon to over 2.5 seconds.
Lap 46: Verstappen sets the fastest lap of the race with a 1:22.876, stretching his lead to three seconds over Ocon. Russell makes a move on Leclerc, overtaking him, while Norris passes Piastri.
Lap 47: Verstappen leads by three seconds over Ocon and five over Gasly. Russell has already widened the gap to Leclerc to nearly three seconds, while Norris is closing in on the Ferrari.
Lap 48: Verstappen clocks another fastest lap with a 1:22.453. Ocon maintains an impressive pace with a 1:22.9, while Gasly laps at 1:23.4. All three drivers achieve their personal best lap times.
Lap 49: Verstappen quickens his pace with a time of 1:22.290. Ocon picks up slightly but stays around 1:22.9, increasing the gap to 4.5 seconds. Gasly trails his teammate by three seconds, with Russell two seconds behind Gasly.
Lap 50: Verstappen sets a new fastest lap with a 1:22.241, extending his lead to 5.5 seconds. The Alpine drivers hold position ahead of Russell, Leclerc, and the McLarens, followed by Tsunoda, Lawson, and Pérez, who is stuck behind the RB F1s.
Lap 51: Verstappen clocks a 1:22.043, while Ocon improves his personal best but still loses six-tenths. Gasly records a 1:23.0 and trails his teammate by 3.5 seconds, with Russell gaining three-tenths per lap and now 1.7 seconds behind.
Lap 52: Verstappen’s lead grows to 6.9 seconds. Tsunoda attempts an overtake on Piastri, but the Australian holds his ground against the Japanese driver.
Lap 53: The gap between the top two stabilises around 6.8 seconds. Gasly pushes harder under pressure from Russell, while Leclerc is entirely outpaced, trailing the Briton by seven seconds. Rain is expected in the final laps.
Lap 54: Verstappen edges out slightly, widening his lead to over seven seconds. Gasly is 3.6 seconds back, with Russell closing the gap to 1.3 seconds, albeit more gradually.
Lap 55: Lawson fends off Pérez to retain ninth. Hamilton overtakes Pérez after an error from the latter in Turn 4.
Lap 56: The gap between Verstappen and Ocon stretches to 8.6 seconds.
Lap 57: Verstappen sets another fastest lap with a 1:22.005, increasing his lead to 8.8 seconds. Russell closes to within a second of Gasly, while Lawson faces pressure from Hamilton and Pérez behind.
Lap 58: Verstappen picks up the pace once more with a 1:21.862. Despite Ocon setting his personal best, the gap widens to 9.5 seconds.
Lap 59: Verstappen improves further with a 1:21.782, breaking the 10-second barrier over his rivals! Gasly maintains a one-second cushion over Russell, while Leclerc has gained a bit of breathing room from Norris. Pérez attacks Hamilton, who still can’t shake off Lawson.
Lap 60: Verstappen’s dominance continues with a 1:21.551, extending his lead to over 11 seconds. Victory seems all but assured for the driver who hasn’t won since the Spanish Grand Prix on 23rd June!
Lap 61: Another fastest lap for the Dutchman with a 1:21.331. Gasly is pushing hard to fend off Russell and secure the first double podium for French drivers since 1997!
Lap 62: McLaren instructs Norris to increase his pace to help Piastri avoid losing positions when his 10-second penalty is applied. Frustrated, Norris responds, “What do you think I’m doing? I’m going as fast as I can.”
Lap 63: Verstappen continues to extend his lead with a blistering 1:21.069, pulling 13.8 seconds clear! Gasly remains 3.5 seconds behind Ocon, with a one-second buffer over Russell. Remarkably, Lawson is still holding off Hamilton for ninth place.
Lap 64: The race up front seems decided, but Alpine could make a significant impact in the championship, potentially moving up to sixth ahead of Haas and RB F1!
Lap 65: Verstappen presses forward with another fastest lap of 1:21.029, extending his lead to a staggering 15 seconds!
Lap 66: Verstappen quickens the pace again with a 1:20.990, pushing his lead to 15.7 seconds. The Dutchman is putting on a masterclass. Hamilton has another go at Lawson, without success, and fends off Pérez, who tries to capitalise.
Lap 67: Alonso voices frustration over the car: “I’ll finish the race for the mechanics, who’ve done a fantastic job, but my back is in pain. This bouncing is not normal.”
Lap 68: Yet another fastest lap from Verstappen with a 1:20.472, taking 1.7 seconds out of Ocon in one lap! Gasly inches closer to Ocon, who appears to be easing off as we head into the penultimate lap. Pérez makes another move on Hamilton but can’t make it stick.
Final Lap: Russell makes a final attempt to overtake Gasly but is too far back to challenge the second Alpine.
Finish: Verstappen secures what may be one of the finest victories of his career after starting 16th! Behind him, Alpine celebrates a double podium with Ocon and Gasly—the first double podium for French drivers since Jean Alesi and Olivier Panis in 1997! Alpine bags 33 points, moving up to sixth in the championship, a boost worth roughly 30 million for the team.
Russell finishes fourth, followed by Leclerc, Norris, and Tsunoda, who benefits from Piastri’s penalty to gain a position. Lawson takes two points in ninth, ahead of Hamilton. Pérez just misses out on points, followed by Bearman, Bottas, Alonso, and Zhou.
| Pos. | Driver | Team | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | Max Verstappen | Red Bull Honda RBPT RB20 | 69 Laps- 2h26m41.487s |
| 02 | Esteban Ocon | Alpine Renault A524 | +19.477 |
| 03 | Pierre Gasly | Alpine Renault A524 | +22.532 |
| 04 | George Russell | Mercedes W15 | +23.265 |
| 05 | Charles Leclerc | Ferrari SF-24 | +30.177 |
| 06 | Lando Norris | McLaren Mercedes MCL38 | +31.372 |
| 07 | Yuki Tsunoda | RB Honda RBPT VCARB 01 | +42.056 |
| 08 | Oscar Piastri | McLaren Mercedes MCL38 | +44.943 |
| 09 | Liam Lawson | RB Honda RBPT VCARB 01 | +50.452 |
| 10 | Lewis Hamilton | Mercedes W15 | +50.753 |
| 11 | Sergio Pérez | Red Bull Honda RBPT RB20 | +51.531 |
| 12 | Oliver Bearman | Haas Ferrari VF-24 | +57.085 |
| 13 | Valtteri Bottas | Stake F1 Kick Sauber C44 | +63.522 |
| 14 | Fernando Alonso | Aston Martin Mercedes AMR24 | +78.049 |
| 15 | Guanyu Zhou | Stake F1 Kick Sauber C44 | +79.649 |
| 16 | Carlos Sainz | Ferrari SF-24 | DNF |
| 17 | Franco Colapinto | Williams Mercedes FW46 | DNF |
| 18 | Nico Hülkenberg | Haas Ferrari VF-24 | DNF |
| 19 | Lance Stroll | Aston Martin Mercedes AMR24 | DNS |
| 20 | Alex Albon | Williams Mercedes FW46 | DNS |
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