Verstappen recovers from P17 to win São Paulo Grand Prix

Max Verstappen pulled off one of the best performances of his career by winning the Sao Paulo Grand Prix despite starting from P17. He then topped it off by gaining the extra point for the fastest lap. The win came a day after coming third in the sprint race, which was won by Lando Norris. 

Although Norris started Sunday’s race at pole position, he finished outside of the podium in sixth place. Standing alongside Verstappen on the podium were the two Alpine drivers, Esteban Ocon and Pierre Gasly, in second and third place, respectively. 

Unfavorable weather conditions after the sprint on Saturday forced Qualifying to be moved to Sunday, some hours before the main race. A decision to take a new engine ahead of the race meant Verstappen was handed a five-place grid penalty, and when he finished the Qualifying at 12th, he had to be demoted to 17th. 

An unfortunate crash forced Lance Stroll out before the race even started. This moved Verstappen to P16 and after 11 laps, he was in sixth place and after a battle with drivers from Ferrari, Alpine, McLaren and Mercedes, as well as events including one red flag two safety cars, Verstappen found his way to the front of the pack, eventually winning the race. 

The victory marked Verstappen’s first after 10 races with no win and it has further pushed his lead in the drivers’ standings to 62 points ahead of McLaren’s Norris. What this means is that Verstappen is just one more race from being declared champion if he can maintain the 60-point gap in his next race. 

All hope is not lost for Norris, however, but it would take a truly great effort to win the title this year. Sunday’s performance has proved that even starting from the fourth-to-the-position is not enough to deter Verstappen from winning. But McLaren would not end the season empty-handed as they have extended their lead on the constructors’ standings and look likely to bring home the title soon.