Giles Richards’ report is here on Verstappen’s masterclass win in São Paulo so that means that is all from me today. Thank you for joining me on what was one of the most chaotic F1 races I have ever seen! Join us back here in three weeks time for what will surely be a decisive race in Las Vegas.
A disappointed Norris after his lowest finish when starting from pole this season:
The wet start is just a bit of a gamble. It was a tough day, I did my best. I made some mistakes. I have faith in the team in what they say and they trust me. [The pit stop] was just unlucky. It’s a rule that every driver disagrees with at one point. [Max] drove well. But he got lucky.
Christian Horner speaks after Verstappen’s victory:
Incredible performance from him. One of his very best. It was a big day for the championship. I never expected to win that. I thought it would be good if we could get the near podium. I think in the wet and in the dry he is the best in the world at the moment. I don’t think I have seen [Verstappen] that animated on the podium.
It is also a testament to the behind the scenes. Everyone in Milton Keynes does not give up.
Max is invaluable. That is a championships drive. To stand up and shine like that today, it marks him out with some of the greats now. He is always trying to get maximum out of the car.
Updated
Final standings:
Max Verstappen (Red Bull)
Esteban Ocon (Alpine)
Pierre Gasly (Alpine)
George Russell (Mercedes)
Charles Leclerc (Ferrari)
Lando Norris (McLaren)
Yuki Tsunoda (RB)
Oscar Piastri (McLaren)
Liam Lawson (RB)
Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes)
Sergio Pérez (Red Bull)
Oliver Bearman (Haas)
Valtteri Bottas (Sauber)
Fernando Alonso (Aston Martin)
Zhou Guanyu (Sauber)
Carlos Sainz (Ferrari)
Franco Colapinto (Williams)
Nico Hülkenberg (Haas)
Lance Stroll (Aston Martin)
Our top three chat happily together, rehashing the race before they go out on the podium to loud cheers. That is quite rare, you usually get one or two grumpy faces who are upset they have lost and opt to stay silent before going on stage.
The top three speak after the race. Verstappen on his win:
My emotions today were a rollercoaster. Starting in P17 I knew it would be a very tough race. We stayed out of trouble, made the right calls, we stayed calm and we were flying.
It was very hard to pass around here with the new tarmac. I knew I had to go for it.
Ocon:
After a difficult season, what a day. Someone very important to us said: ‘In the rain, the cars are almost equal.’ I am so happy to be on the podium. The car was extremely difficult on the dry and I felt that ease when it rained.
Gasly:
It’s incredible for the whole team. We have had a tough season but in this conditions anything is possible. Two cars on the podium, I don’t think anyone would have had that on their bingo card. Everyone should be very proud today.
THERE IS NO FEELING LIKE THISSSSSSSSSSSS pic.twitter.com/Oy5QCot6OA
— BWT Alpine Formula One Team (@AlpineF1Team) November 3, 2024
Updated
Russell finishes fourth and Leclerc fifth.
Norris finishes in sixth but that may change after the investigation for that start issue on the grid. Awful day for McLaren.
Updated
Verstappen’s arms are outstretched on his car before he runs to his team to hug them all. He finished 19sec ahead of second place and his run of 10 GPs without a win ends. He can win his fourth title in Las Vegas if he beats Norris there.
Updated
Verstappen wins the São Paulo Grand Prix
What a statement win for the Dutchman and Red Bull. It is a masterclass of how to race in the wet after starting in P17. Alpine get second and third on the podium with Ocon and Gasly and the team celebrates wildly.
Updated
Lap 65/69: Another fastest lap for Verstappen. This might be one of his best races of the season, given how far back he was. Pérez bails after trying to get past Hamilton. Alonso tells his radio that he will finish the race for the mechanics but that his back is in pain and that the “bouncing is not normal”.
Lap 62/69: Norris’ radio tells him that Piastri have a penalty so to get as close to Leclerc but Norris interrupts to tell him that is what he is trying to do. He sounds quite frustrated.
Lap 61/69: Alpine have two and three in the podium right now. They will jump from ninth to sixth in constructers standings. They have also not done a pit stop.
Lap 59/69: Ten laps to go! Verstappen well in front as he once again hits another fastest lap. He is 10.5sec in front. A masterclass from him if this stays as is. McLaren is having a day to forget as Norris and Piastri are stuck in sixth and seventh.
Lap 56/69: That incident between Pérez and Lawson has been noted by the FIA as they did touch. Lawson says to his team that Pérez drove into the side of him.
Lap 55/69: Pérez tries again against Lawson and they’re wheel to wheel but again he can’t find the speed. The Mexican then goes wide and Hamilton overtakes him.
Lap 54/69: Pérez desperate to overtake Lawson into ninth but the rain makes it impossible even though he is on the inside. He keeps trying the move though.
Lap 52/69: Verstappen is being told to find a bit of water because one of his front tyres is at peak heat and it needs to be cooled down. He still leads by almost 7sec.
Lap 51/69: Piastri is under pressure by Tsunoda and the two go head to head but the McLaren driver has the inside and just manages to keep his spot.
Lap 50/69: Leclerc is comfortable with his tyres and his pace and Norris is struggling to overtake. He is constantly going wide on turns which is obviously cutting into his time.
Lap 49/69: Verstappen has just marked up three fastest laps in a row. Unreal.
Lap 46/69: Piastri makes way for his teammate Norris who us now at sixth. He now looks to take over Leclerc and Russell. Leclerc has been noted for joining the track unsafely at Turn 4 – another infringement.
Lap 45/69: Fastest lap for Verstappen at 1:22.876.
Updated
Lap 44/69: Alonso goes wide at Turn 12 and is on the grass.
Lap 43/69: Remember, Verstappen was in P17 at the beginning and he now leads by 1.5sec. Ocon in second and Gasly. Norris still in seventh after that disastrous restart with Piastri, Russell and Leclerc ahead of him.
Verstappen overtakes Ocon for the lead
Lap 43/69: Norris straight out in the first corner and Verstappen takes the lead! It all kicked off at the restart.
Updated
Lap 42/69: Leclerc’s radio tells him there may be more rain at the end of the race. The safety car is ending and Verstappen is weaving around, trying to get some heat under his tyres.
Lap 41/69: Norris’ radio tells him to stay off the white lines. It seems that’s where a lot of the cars are slipping. The safety car is still out there so no change in the positions yet.
Lap 40/69: Ocon still leading with Verstappen behind. Norris in fifth.
Sainz crashes
Lap 39/69: Sainz is in the barriers! Safety car is out and sadly his race is done. The front of the car is pretty badly damaged.
Updated
Lap 38/69: Norris tells his radio that if the weather stays as it is then it will be those tyres until the end.
Lap 37/69: Tsunoda’s pace has seemingly disappeared. He is down to eighth and is struggling against Hamilton.
Lap 36/69: Bearman goes spinning off and into the barriers in an unforced error. Yellow flag goes up but he gets back onto the track in 16th and last place. It has been a bit of a tough race for him.
Lap 35/69: Ocon 2sec ahead of Verstappen. Hamilton back into the top 10 but the view shows us he is basically driving into a wall of water.
Lap 34/69: Norris goes wide! But he recovers quickly and gets ahead of Russell for a few moments before the Mercedes man recovers. Leclerc also goes wide but gets back on very quickly. The tyres are cold and no one can get a proper grip.
Lap 34/69: Bearman has gone off the grass but it’s green flag and Ocon speeds away. Verstappen tries to overtake him right from the beginning.
Lap 33/69: We are back on the track. It has been such an eventful race and we are not even halfway yet. Reminder it is a rolling start with the safety car.
Updated
Red flag: The FIA confirms that it will be a rolling start for the restart.
Hulkenberg disqualified
Black flag for Hulkenberg. He is disqualified for receiving assistance after his crash. This is the first black flag on the grid since the 2007 Canadian Grand Prix.
Updated
Red flag: There have been so many infringements that when this race ends, there is a good chance that the order will change. We get a replay of Russell finding out there was a red flag from his radio. “Fuck, I said it.” He clearly regrets stopping earlier.
Updated
Red flag: The drivers are now out and regrouping while the red flag is out. Race control note an earlier Hamilton/Lawson incident and are investigating. They have also made note of Hulkenberg for receiving assistance when he should not have.
Updated
Lap 33/69: Hamilton says his tyres feels like boats. The red flag means Ocon, Verstappen and Gasly, who haven’t pitted in this race, can change their tyres. Norris says to his team: “I guess everyone can just change their tyres for free now.”
Red flag after Colapinto crash
Lap 32/69: Colapinto had just been in the pit but he slides and crashes hard. So much debris flies. He is OK, though. We get a cut to the Williams mechanic who has his head in his hands. Bad day for the team. The red flag goes up, of course.
Updated
Lap 32/69: We hear on Ocon’s radio that the rain is decreasing in 1-2mins. The safety car is still out there.
Lap 31/69: Ocon has a 7sec lead over Verstappen. He opts not to pit and is maybe thinking that he will stay behind the safety car for visibility.
Lap 30/69: Norris goes for the move on Russell and he gets up to the fourth. The Mercedes man was so slow and he took his chance. Safety car now out.
Lap 29/69: Piastri gets a 10sec penalty for causing a collision. Ocon is now leading with Verstappen right behind him.
Lap 28/69: A virtual safety car is out with Hulkenberg beached. Ocon passes Tsunoda for third and Russell says the conditions are red flag worth. Russell and Norris go to pit. They thought they were going to get a cheap pit stop but the safety car ended at the wrong time. The conditions are brutal now. It’s hard to see the cars on the screen so I can’t imagine how it is on the track.
Lap 27/69: It is pouring now. Leclerc is stuck behind the Hamilton and it looks like that decision to pit may have not been the right one.
Updated
Lap 26/69: Lawson down to ninth after off the track. Verstappen goes up to fifth.
Updated
Leclerc first to pit
Lap 25/69: Ferrari make the first call. Leclerc pits for another set of intermediates. He comes back out in 13th.
Updated
Lap 24/69: Just under 14sec between Norris and Verstappen. Ocon tries to get by Tsunoda, who will be keen for his first podium finish.
Lap 23/69: Verstappen on Leclerc to his team: “He was squeezing me onto the white line, not leaving a car’s width.”
Lap 22/69: Confirmation that it is in fact 69 laps not 70 because of the mess at the beginning. Verstappen has a bit of snap as he slides but he recovers.
Lap 21/70: Russell is saying he is struggling with his brakes. Verstappen tries to overtake but Leclerc but defends well. He didn’t go too far into the inside but just manages to go enough and remains in fifth.
Lap 20/70: Norris just over 1sec behind Russell. He is told to keep his tyres alive as they expect more heavy rain. Hamilton tells his team that his car is not driveable.
Lap 19/70: Sainz overtakes Hamilton who just goes to wide on a turn. Bearman also overtakes the seven-time champion on the inside, who is now down to 15th.
Lap 18/70: Hulkenberg says on his radio how slippery it is. Russell is having a better middle sector than Norris so far and the McLaren car is getting splashed everytime he gets close to the Mercedes.
Lap 18/70: More rain is coming apparently in about 15mins. Let’s see if it will be as bad as yesterday’s qualifying.
Lap 17/70: Norris is telling his team that he is struggling to overtake Russell and that the car is “so slow on the straight”.
Updated
Lap 16/70: Hamilton is chasing Colapinto and is hoping for a better exit to pass the newbie.
Lap 15/70: Tsunoda in third is only 2sec ahead of Verstappen.
Lap 14/70: Verstappen now up to sixth. He has the benefit with those new intermediate tyres which is maybe why he is finding more grip than his opponents.
Lap 13/70: Norris still stuck behind Russell. Confirmation as well that no penalty for those four drivers during the race. Will be decided after.
Lap 12/70: Wow! Colapinto challenges Hamilton at Turn One and he wins. The Mercedes man was on the grass moments ago and is really struggling to cool his tyres. He is down to 13th.
Updated
Lap 11/70: Bearman asks his team why hs has got a penalty, saying that nothing happened to Colapinto.
Lap 10/70: Verstappen up to seventh! He passes the McLaren man with ease at the inside at Turn One. Piastri did not think he would commit but the defending champion is racing with no fear.
Updated
Lap 9/70: Hamilton is really struggling. Says on the radio that his car is bouncing.
Lap 8/70: Confirmation that Bearman gets a 10sec penalty for starting a collision with Colapinto.
Updated
Infringements for Norris, Russell, Tsunoda and Lawson
Lap 7/70: We get confirmation that Norris, Russell, Tsunoda and Lawson do get starting infringements. No word on penalties yet. Verstappen is speeding and looking to take over Norris’ McLaren teammate Piastri. The Dutchman is currently the fastest on the track.
Updated
Lap 6/70: Verstappen gains another place, this one on Alonso.
Lap 5/70: Verstappen up to ninth! And Norris now 0.9s behind Russell.
Lap 4/70: We hear from Verstappen’s radio that the rain will only last 2-3 minutes. The gap between Norris in 2nd and Verstappen in 10th in just over 9sec. We get a brief yellow flag for Oliver Bearman who drops now to 17th.
Lap 3/70: Drivers are reporting heavy rain in the final sector of the track. So much spray.
Lap 2/70: Verstappen passes Hamilton after the first corner of the lap and he is now in 10th. That was so easy for him. Hamilton does not look comfortable in the car at all. Russell still leads with Norris behind him.
Russell overtakes Norris immediately
Lap 1/70: Russell immediately makes a move and gets to the front. Everyone makes it through in the beginning without any hits. But Pérez almost gets stuck in the mud but he manages to get out quickly.
Updated
Formation lap: All OK for that second attempt. We are now off for real!
OK, we get another formation lap and we’re off again. Let’s see if everyone can stay on the track this time.
Still unsure as to whether Norris will be found guilty and if so, if he will be penalised. Also, Norris was the first to go, but others followed him. Are they all found guilty?
Updated
Verstappen was one of the drivers who did not leave the grid after the aborted start. He thought everyone at the front should have waited to go after the aborted start.
There is now a wait for Norris. The McLaren driver is now being investigated for a starting procedure infringement for going after the aborted start. The replay shows there was no green light and he went ahead anyway.
There is a lot of confusion as to what is going on right now. Some of the drivers just remained where they were on the grid when an aborted start was announced while others took another lap … what a mess.
Updated
Race control confirms we get an aborted start and the drivers get another formation lap. Stroll is now out of his car and they are trying to get his car away.
Formation lap: Stroll completely locked-up the rears at Turn Four, fails to break and ends up in the wall. Yikes! He’s now in the gravel after trying to turn the car around. The leading cars are now at the start line but surely we will be delayed here.
Updated
São Paulo Grand Prix race begins
Off they go for the formation lap! We are underway at Interlagos.
The starting grid.
Here's our Sao Paulo Grand Prix starting grid 👀#F1 #BrazilGP pic.twitter.com/WgkcNGW209
— Formula 1 (@F1) November 3, 2024
We’re inching nearer to the start! We start with a lovely rendition of the Brazilian national anthem at Interlagos and the drivers are undergoing their final preparations.
Norris’ race engineer tells Sky Sports that they do “not have any concerns” regarding the weather.
It feels dry, it feels quite bright and hot now. Whether or not the track will dry out for the race start, I’m not sure.
Potentially there’s more weather on the way, but I don’t really want to give away too much what we think the weather is going to do.
Ferrari have changed Carlos Sainz’s power unit and gearbox and now the Spaniard will start the race from the pit lane.
Albon releases his own statement after not being able to race due to damages his car:
Today is a tough one to swallow when qualifying was coming along nicely. We don’t know what caused the crash but we’ll look into it, apologies to everyone in the garage, this was a race where anything could happen and I felt we could have done something great.
Today is a tough one to swallow when qualifying was coming along nicely. We don’t know what caused the crash but we’ll look into it, apologies to everyone in the garage, this was a race where anything could happen and I felt we could have done something great.
— Alex Albon (@alex_albon) November 3, 2024
The FIA has just confirmed that Verstappen will still start in P17 despite Albon not racing. Everyone else will move up one place but the Dutchman remains because of his penalty.
Updated
It will be interesting to see how Red Bull and Verstappen’s mindset once the pit lane opens. Verstappen was extremely frustrated after his qualifying exit and Christian Horner said it was “the second day in the row that we have had late calls”.
Frustration reigned for Max after his Q2 exit 😤
— Formula 1 (@F1) November 3, 2024
The Dutchman has a mountain to climb in the race, but if anyone can...#F1 #BrazilGP pic.twitter.com/At6VkW7q6P
"I don't understand why it took so long for the red flag to come out" 💬
— Sky Sports F1 (@SkySportsF1) November 3, 2024
Christian Horner reacts to a hectic qualifying session in Sao Paulo 🇧🇷 pic.twitter.com/iyougnQT14
Alex Albon will not race for Williams after damage was sustained to his car during qualifying due to the weather conditions. Albon progressed to Q3 and was up in second position when he lost control of his car for the first corner and crashed into the barriers causing damage to all four corners. Full team statement below.
Team statement. pic.twitter.com/Acv0LcZ5JL
— Williams Racing (@WilliamsRacing) November 3, 2024
Updated
It was a nightmare qualifying session for Verstappen and Red Bull in Brazil. The Dutchman and his teammate Sergio Perez went down in Q2 after a late red flag caught them out following a Lance Stroll crash. Verstappen was visibly angry about the delay in throwing the red flag because he felt it had lets others to knock him out of the top 10.
It’s stupid, it’s ridiculous. If a car hits a wall it needs to be a straight red flag, I don’t know why it has to be 40-seconds for a red flag to come out.
A review of the session shows it did not make a difference to Verstappen, who will start all the way down in P17 given he has a five-place grid penalty.
Norris, on the other hand, secured pole position after scraping by in the first session. He was in the drop zone before jumping up to 15th and was the final car to progress.
Here are the full results:
Lando Norris (McLaren) 1:23.405sec
George Russell (Mercedes) +0.173
Yuki Tsunoda (VCARB) +0.706
Esteban Ocon (Alpine) +1.070
Liam Lawson (VCARB) +1.079
Charles Leclerc (Ferrari) +1.120
Alex Albon (Williams) +1.252
Oscar Piastri (McLaren) +1.281
Fernando Alonso (Aston Martin) +5.593
-
Lance Stroll (Aston Martin) - no time
ELIMINATED IN Q2
Valtteri Bottas (Kick Sauber)
Max Verstappen (Red Bull)
Sergio Pérez (Red Bull)
Carlos Sainz (Ferrari)
-
Pierre Gasly (Alpine)
ELIMINATED IN Q1
Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes)
Oliver Bearman (Haas)
Franco Colapinto (Williams)
Nico Hulkenberg (Haas)
Zhou Guanyu (Kick Sauber)
Preamble
São Paulo’s current weather forecast may leave much to be desired but it certainly won’t dampen our spirits on what may be the most important race of the year.
Red Bull’s Max Verstappen leads McLaren’s Lando Norris by 44 points and the two have been at odds due to the defending champion’s aggressive driving style despite reportedly being good friends. All eyes will be on the two today to see if there is any movement at the top.
It would also be silly to discount Ferrari. After going back-to-back in Austin and Mexico City, Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz are in good form and will want to continue their hot streak.
The race time was moved up to 3.30pm GMT/12.30pm BRT but before we get to that let’s see how qualifiers went.
