Righto, that’s us for today. Thanks all for your comments; we’ll be back the week after next, with the first ever GP from … Vegas, baby! Peace out.
Updated
And here’s our Giles Richards:
Max Verstappen won the São Paulo Grand Prix with a controlled, dominant run from pole to flag, untroubled in Brazil as he swept to another victory for Red Bull. He comfortably beat the McLaren of Lando Norris into second and the Aston Martin of Fernando Alonso in third.
For Mercedes, their recent resurgence proved to be something of a false dawn as Lewis Hamilton once more struggled with their car and could manage only eighth. Red Bull’s Sergio Pérez was fourth and Aston Martin’s Lance Stroll in fifth.
The remainder of his report will be here and on-site shortly.
While we were at it:
Alonso loves the celebrations, brandishing his trophy as Norris launches his bottle and Verstappen shakes his about trying his best to pretend this isn’t routine.
Updated
The top three ascend the podium and it’s time for the Dutch anthem. Again.
Driver standings
Verstappen (Red Bull) 524
Pérez (Red Bull) 258
Hamilton (Mercedes) 226
Alonso (Aston Martin) 198
Norris (McLaren) 195
Sainz Jr (Ferrari) 192)
Leclerc (Ferrari) 170
Russell (Mercedes) 156
“It was like 30 laps,” says Alonso of his two-lap duel with Perez. The team have been struggling for a bit, he explains, so says this podium was for the lads in the garage. As for the car, it’s a complicated one so they’re still getting to grips with it but will be better next year.
“Couldn’t have gone much better,” says Norris. He accepts that at the moment, second if the best anyone can do – like what Roger Black said about racing Michael Johnson – but he’s improving fast.
Verstappen says the starts were important today and both of his were good. The car was good on any tyre, but in the middle section they were really able to build a lead, and he had to focus on correcting the steering. He’s looking froward to Vegas, up next, as you would be if you were on a long victory lap.
Finishing places
Verstappen
Norris
Alonso
Pérez
Stroll
Sainz Jr
Gasly
Hamilton
Tsunoda
Ocon
Sargeant
Hulkenberg
Ricciardo
-
Piastri
Russell, Bottas, Zhou, Leclerc, Magnussen, Albon DNF
Oh man, what an end to that race! I’m amazed Perez didn’t have the speed to see it home, except I’m not because I’m unsurprised Alonso found the line to sneak it away.
“Absolutely clinical once again,” Horner tells Verstappen, and he’s not wrong. That was not a contest.
World champion Max Verstappen wins the Brazilian Grand Prix!
Lando Norris is second and here come Alonso and Perez, Alonso swerving to stay in front as they come down the straight … and it’s Alonso who hangs onto P3 by a coat of paint! Good news for Hamilton, who’s fighting Perez for second place overall.
Updated
Lap 71/71 Alonso goes at Perez and Perez shits the door, but while he’s doing that, Alonso darts around him on the other side! What a brilliant finish this is and now they boust up the hill together, Alonso in front but Perez will have DRS!
Lap 70/71 Perez shapes to go inside Alonso, goes outside … AND PEREZ TAKES HIM OUT! That’s a great piece of driving, Alonso comes back and it looks like there’s space for him to pass … but he can’t! Heartbreak for Alonso and now he’s ahead, Perez’s extra power will surely see him home.
Updated
Lap 69/71 But as I type, Alonso narrows the gap to just over half a second … but again, Alonso picks a good line.
Lap 68/71 Perez isn’t going to get Alonso is he? The gap is 0.755s, and the veteran has done a brilliant job, earning every inch of his podom.
Lap 67/71 Verstappen now leads by almost 8.5s. He’s rubbing it in now.
Lap 66/71 And still Alonso defends his podium while, everywhere else, things are pretty much settled.
Updated
Lap 65/71 I think Alonso might just hold Perez off, you know. He leads by 0.772 and even when DRS is involved, the old stager is doing the necessary.
Lap 64/71 "“Max is having a season that may never be equalled,” writes Willem Villet, and he’s not wrong. He’s got the perfect combination of equanimity and aggression.
Lap 63/71 Norris smashes the best lap time as Perez chisels a few more fractions off Alonso, the gap now roundabout 0.6s.
Verstappen
Norris
Alonso
Perez
Stroll
Sainz
Gasly
Hamilton
Tsunoda
Ocon
Sargeant
Hulkenberg
Ricciardo
Piastri
Lap 62/71 “A masterclass in defensive driving and strategic driving,” says David Croft of Alonso, and it’s so great to watch a wily old pro using his experience to negate mechanical advantage. The gap is 0.890.
Lap 61/71 Perez gets DRS … and again, Alonso holds him off. He’s defending superbly here – it’s as if he knows which way Perez is going to go.
Lap 60/71 Norris comes in and Veratappen regains the lead; Alonso defends third place as Perez attacks.
Lap 59/71 Verstappen sets a fastest lap, the gap to Norris now 8.255; Russell, winner here last term, is told to retire his car. It’s been a miserable weekend fo Mercedes.
Lap 58/71 I say the below, but if there’s a safety-car situation now, Norris is beautifully placed to make it close.
Lap 57/71 Verstappen comes in and will emerge still in front; he and Nozz will be the 1-2, but Alonso and Perez are still contesting the final podium position.
Updated
Lap 56/71 Perez is 0.575s behind Alonso now, and surely will overtake at some point between now and the chequered flag. Alonso, though, will do everything possible and then some to hang on.
Lap 55/71 Ocon sets a fastest lap; he’s 14th but won’t, I don’t think be able to make up the 13.761s separating him from Russell.
Lap 54/71 Norris has had a beautifully quiet race, overtaking Hamilton at the second start and chilling in second ever since. He comes in and emerges in the same position, his lead over Alonso 7.760s.
Lap 53/71 Now Stroll comes in and emerges ahead of Sainz but the gap between them. 6.494s, is much less than it was before both pitted.
Lap 52/71 Sainz, fourth, pits and comes out seventh; the right rear tyre doesn’t quite grip the tool, so it takes longer that it ought tohave done.
Lap 51/71 Gasly, eighth, is now in front of Hamilton and increasing the gap; it’s now up to 1.372s.
Lap 50/71 Quietly, Verstappen emphasises his superiority, his lead now 7.221s. Norris, second, leads Stroll by 27.543s, with Sainz then Alonso making up the first five.
Lap 49/71 Hamilton is 13.856s behind Tsunoda, who’ll pit again, but does his car have the pace to close the gap and overtake?
Updated
Lap 48/71 Hamilton changes to softs and quickly nails Ocon, moving from eighth to ninth.
Lap 47/71 “Regarding the World Championship,” returns Anne Williams, “I didn’t hear nearly as many complaints when Hamilton was seven times world champion, everyone was hailing him as a genius.”
In the intro, I said Verstappen and Red Bull were geniuses?
Updated
Lap 46/71 Russell changes onto softs and emerges from the pits in 11th having been ninth; Machine Gun Kelly has left. What a lad, but.
Lap 45/71 Verstappen’s lead is now up to 6.298s and he’s stretching away. This is every bit the walkover we knew it’d be.
Lap 44/71 Let’s have some standings:
Verstappen
Norris
Alonso
Perez
Stroll
Sainz
Hamilton
Gasly
Russell
Tsunoda
Sargeant
Ocon
Hulkenberg
Ricciardo
Piastri
Lap 43/71 Verstappen is pretty much absent from this race. Or at least, he’s driving one against history, and everyone else is racing against each other.
Lap 42/71 Sainz, sixth, now leads Hamilton by 3.189s while, behind him, Gasly attacks Russell armed with DRS. The Mercs are in a dreadful state aren’t they?
Lap 41/71 A dreadful weekend for Alfa Romeo is cemented when Bottas joins Zhou in retiring. Verstappen leads by 5.375s.
Lap 40/71 Perez, in fourth, is losing speed a little – he’s now 1.928s behind Alonso, who trails Norris by 13.173s.
Lap 39/71 “Driving the outstanding car in Formula One is comparable to taking performance enhancing drugs for an athlete. The drivers championship has long been a joke, it should be abolished. To be meaningful, as Jackie Stewart said many years ago, every driver should be in identical cars.”
I know what you mean, but the teams are part of the game and don’t the best cars go to the best drivers? The problem we have currently is that Red Bull are so far ahead – perhaps further ahead than anyone’s ever been.
Lap 38/71 Verstappen now leads by 5.212s and these races are just no kind of event for him. It’s not just the wins but the nature of them.
Lap 37/71 Hamilton is really struggling with his tyres and Sainz bobs behind him, ducking outside to complete an overtake that looks disquietingly easy.
Lap 36/71 Hamilton would’ve wanted Russell to protect him from Sainz but the pace differential was just too much. Meantime, Perez tries to get to within a second of Alonso so that he can use DRS … but not quite. It’s coming, though.
Lap 35/71 Mercedes are proper struggling here, Sainz blazing by Russell and now in Hamilton in his sights, just 1.105s ahead. Surely they’ll pit again and try softs, because the medius are going backwards.
Lap 34/71 Perez is 1.274 behind Alonso, in third, It’ll take all the veteran’s wiles to hang onto his podium.
Updated
Lap 33/71 Hamilton, sixth, has Russell roughly a second behind, with Sainz just under a second further back; this is getting lively.
Lap 32/71 Yup, Perez is now with 1.574s of Alonso, while Veratappen leads Norris by 5.298s at the front.
Lap 31/71 Perez is closing on Alonso now, driving as quickly as Verstappen. Alonso is in trouble, I’d say.
Lap 30/71 Let’s have some standings:
Verstappen
Norris
Alonso
Perez
Sroll
Hamilton
Russell
Sainz
Ocon
Bottas
Gasly
Sargeant
Tsunoda
Hulkenberg
Ricciardo
Piastri
Lap 29/71 Verstappen’s lead is nearly 5s now and Perez is gaining on Alonso, the gap now 2.434s.
Lap 28/71 Verstappen and Norris both pit, the gap between them 3;427s. But it’s growing…
Lap 27/71 Perez is now 4.154s in front of Hamilton and closing on Alonso, out of the pits and back in third. At the front Verstappen leads Norris by 3.503s.
Lap 26/71 The leading six – Verstappen, Norris, Alonso, now in the pit, Sainz, Gasly and Tsunoda are all on mediums. Whether the teams stop twice or thrice remains to be seen.
Updated
Lap 25/71 Verstappen pushes it; he’ll want enough of a lead to pit ahead of Norris and Alonso and emerge still in front.
Lap 24/71 I’m not sure what’s gone on her, but Zhou is out of the race.
Lap 23/71 Perez is irritated he didn’t come in when Hamilton did but is soon in position to attack again. He’s shut down first go, so goes again … and slides by on the inside!
Lap 22/71 Verstappen now leads by 3.137s and he’s in so much control it’s a joke. Behind him, Alonso can’t get any closer to Norris.
Updated
Lap 21/71 Now Perez comes in and he’s out in 2.2s, emerging just behind Hamilton.
Lap 20/71 Oh, Hamilton went in last lap, coming out in 11th ahead of Ocon; Russell then does likewise and he comes out behind Hamilton, closer to him than before.
Lap 19/71 Various drivers are ordered to speed up, which suggests a raft of pit-stops are coming.
Lap 18/71 Perez gets close to Hamilton, goes wide on the outside then forces his way past on the inside! That’s a terrific piece of driving.
Lap 17/71 At the front, each driver is building a lead over the car behind, Hamilton aside; Ocon and Zhou both pit, presumably looking to steal a match on Tsunoda.
Lap 16/71 Verstappen leads Norris by 2.493s. Next is Alonso, then Hamilton, Perezm, Russell, Stroll and Sainz.
Lap 15/71 It’s just ridiculous how good Verstappen is, and there’s no chance whatsoever he’s overtaken now. If he stays on the track, he wins.
Lap 14/71 Perez, trying to beat Hamilton to second place overall, overtakes his teammate Stroll and now sits fifth he’s 1.409s behind the Brit.
Updated
Lap 13/71 It’s nuts really, Verstapopen was put under pressure, he rode it, and now he’s 2.420s in front.
Lap 12/71 Russell is concerned his Marc’s sliding; Hamilton’s is struggling for pace on the straight.
Lap 11/71 Perez gets into Russell’s slip and has DRS too … but he can’t pass. Verstappen’s lead is up to 2.190s now, with Alonso a further 1.554s off and Hamilton 3.566 behind that/
Lap 10/71 “What’s going on with Ricciardo and Piastri? How come they’re a lap down?” wonders Maximilian de Pauw Gerlings. They both went in the garage when the safety car came out, so started behind.
Lap 9/71 Verstappen, after nearly losing his lead, has extended it; the gap is up to 1.748s and he’s clearly naused Stroll got close enough for a shy at him.
Lap 8/71 Now then! Norris attacks Verstappen on the outside, has DRS with the gap is down to 0.3s. But Veastappen finds the pace he needs to close the door and move clear.
Lap 7/71 Norris is doing really well to keep Verstappen in range; I’m sure the champ was expecting his car to keep him further in front that this.
Lap 6/71 Verstappen leads by 0.785, from Norris – that’s DRS range -and he leads Alonso by 2.273. We then see Alonso getting by Hamilton, who moves over to overtake, doesn’t, doesn’t close the door, and pays the proce.
Lap 5/71 Here’s our leaderboard:
Verstappen
Norris
Alonso
Hamilton
Russell
Perez
Stroll
Sainz
Gasly
Ocon
Updated
Lap 4/71 We go again! Veratappen gets away well and Hamilton looks to have taken out Norris, but Norris comes back and then Alonso nobbles Hamilton on the outside after he wasted tim trying to skirt around the outside of Norris!
Updated
Lap 3/71 Lando Norris will, I reckon, have a sneaking fancy that he’ll nail Veratappen on the long straight. Good luck, old mate.
Lap 3/71 Our second formation lap is under way.
Lap 3/71 “This looks as if it is going to be a race I’d like to watch live,” says Anne Williams. ‘But I don’t have Sky!”
It’s a state of affairs, isn’t it?
Lap 3/71 Hulkenberg, though, whose car was worked on in the pit lane, can start from the grid.
Lap 3/71 And it looks like Piastri and Ricciardo will be there, at the back of the field; cars that went into the garage are allowed to restart, but from the pits.
Updated
Lap 3/71 We’ll resume at 2.31pm local time, so in three minutes from now.
Lap 3/71 Leclerc says he lost his steering wheel and went straight when he needed to turn spo ended up in the wall. He doesn’t think it’s a hydraulic thing but can’t go into details about what it is, but is explicit in stating it’s not the same issue as that experienced by Sainz last time out.
Lap 3/71 So what happeneed was: Hulkenberg gets squeezed out to one side, Albon and Magnussen clashed to his left, something hit Ricciardo and Hulkenberg slunk off still in the race.
Lap 3/71 “Ukulele and cavaquinho are related, and basically the same instrument tuned differently,” advises Rui Neiva. “Cavaquinho is from Portugal and was brought to Hawaii in the 19th century by Portuguese immigrants and eventually evolved to become the ukulele.”
This is one of the many reasons I love these blogs. Ridiculous how much I’ve learnt about the world reading and writing them.
Updated
Lap 3/72 It’s not totally clear what happened here beyond people driving cars fast; I think this’ll be put down to a racing incident.
Albon and Magnussen sent spinning in dramatic Sao Paulo GP start! 🤯 pic.twitter.com/mgXcjEKdmX
— Sky Sports F1 (@SkySportsF1) November 5, 2023
Updated
Lap 3/71 When, eventually we get under way again, it’ll be from a standing start. Ricciardo’s car is damaged, but AlphaTauri think they’ll be able to get it out for the restart. As yet, we’ve had no news as regard when that might be.
Lap 3/71 Ricciardo’s car is also in trouble – he’s in the garage having it looked at. I can’t remember the last time we had a start like this one!
Lap 3/71 Our standings:
Verstappen
Norris
Hamilton
Alonso
Stroll
Russell
Perez
Sainz
Ocon
Tsunoda
Gasly
Bottas
Zhou
Sargeant
Hulkenberg
Piastri
Ricciardo
Lap 2/71 Pisastri was clattered by Magnussen; his car isn’t safe to continue.
“The cavaquino may look like a ukelele,” advises Paul Shaverin, “but is a very different and different-sounding instrument, particular to Brazilian music. My son plays the cavaquino professionally here in London.”
How interesting! They called it a Brazilian ukulele on the coverage,so good to outline the difference.
Lap 1/71 There’s loads of debris on the track so it may take a while to clear. Looking at the start again, Albon bumps Hulkenberg, who bumps Magnussen, and that’s what took those two out of the race; Piastri is out too. He must’ve taken a whack from someone.
Updated
Lap 1/71 Verstappen, of course, gets away quickly, Norris is in second, and Hamilton third … but Magnussen and Albon crash out! The safety car is with us immediately!
Updated
Leclerc is out of the race!
He thought he had control of his steering, but something must’ve happened to take him into the boards, and we’re ready to go!
WHAT?! Charles Leclerc, second on the grid, has somehow crashed during the formation lap!
The front wing is damaged and a tyre might be flat; can he start the race? “I lost the hydraulics,” he tells his team. “Why am I so unlucky? Why am I so fucking unlucky?” he wonders.
Updated
Our formation lap is under way; Sky reckon the tactic will be soft then medium, with choice on a third to be made once the teams see how the race is going.
“This isn’t about nostalgic whimsy,” protests Hugh Molly, “but that intro song is still crap. Still, bring back The Chain. Or anything, really.”
How can you improve upon Fleetwood Mac? I maintain that they are the only thing no one in the world dislikes.
Looking over the track, there are lots of overtaking opportunities and as such, I’m expecting lots of action – behind Verstappen.
I apologise: the anthem was played not on a ukulele but a cavaquinho, a Brazilian ukulele.
Gasly’s Alpine needed some last-minute work, we learn – likewise the brakes on Russell’s Merc.
Verstappen thinks his team have a “good feel for this race”. Though he was out in front yesterday, he thinks various others will have learnt from that, so he expects it’ll be closer now than then.
Anthem time, with the kid singing it also playing a ukulele. It’s very cute.
Oh, and Bernie Ecclestone is also trackside. He seems a little relieved and a little confused.
Apparently they’re doing a but of work to the front of Russell’s Merc, but his team confirm everything’s fine.
And now it’s Brundle with Machine Gun Kelly – no, me neither – who’s trying so hard to be funny and gnomic and attitudinous i fear he’ll do himself a mischief.
Marta is with us, and though her shades don’t let us see, take it from me: her eyebrows are on absolute point.
Last year, this race was won by George Russell; the year before by Hamilton and the year before that by Verstappen. On the Interlagos circuit, the start is crucial, and it’s hard to see anyone muscling their way past the champ.
There are music and dancers on the track; Martin Brundle is, of course, in shirt, jeans and sheux.
OK, you twisted my arm. Here’s a Brasilian drum’n’bass banger to settle your cosmic equilibrium.
Tangentially, is City of God the best film of the 21st century? I’ve not seen a better one and it’s certainly the only film I saw matinee, then returned for the evening show.
I know we’re in São Paulo today, not Rio, but I’d love to go to this.
Also live for your delectation:
So what do we think about next season? Is there any chance whatsoever Mercedes – or anyone else – can get close to Red Bull? Seems unlikely, doesn’t it?
Game recognise game.
The starting grid
Max Verstappen (Red Bull)
Charles Leclerc (Ferrari)
Lance Stroll (Aston Martin)
Fernando Alonso (Aston Martin)
Lewos Hamilton (Mercedes)
Lando Norris (McLaren)
Carlos Sainz Jr (Ferrari)
George Russell (Mercedes)
Sergio Pérez (Red Bull)
Oscar Piastri (McLaren)
Niko Hülkenberg (Haas)
Kevin Magnussen (Haas)
Alex Albon (Williams)
Esteban Ocon (Apline)
Pierre Gasly (Alpine)
Yuki Tsunoda (AlphaTauri)
Daniel Ricciardo (AlphaTauri)
Valtteri Bottas (Alpha Romeo)
Logan Sargeant (Williams)
Zhou Guanyu (Alfa Romeo)
Updated
Preamble
We watch sport to see who’s going to win. But sometimes, we know who’s going to win, so instead we watch sport to be in the presence of the greatness; to feel vicariously great ourselves.
Max Verstappen has won three driver championships in a row, clinching this year’s with five races still to go, having taken 14 of the latest 15; frankly, it’s ridiculous. His Red Bull is, of course, the best car by far – the team have won 19 out of the 20 weekends – but to exploit that advantage in so relentless, precise and daring manner requires a killer of epochal proportions. Of Verstappenian proportions.
Naturally, the champ is in poll today – that’s 12 out of 21 for the season – and looks a lock for another win. Behind him, though, rages the battle for second in which Sergio Pérez leads Lewis Hamilton by 22 points. But with latter starting fifth to the former’s ninth, he’s a chance to make serious inroads into that lead this afternoon.
Really, though, today is all about the genius of Max Verstappen and Red Bull, so let’s enjoy it while we can because it’s not often we see its like.
Lights out: 2pm local, 5pm GMT
