Max Verstappen claimed a stunning victory in the 2024 Brazilian Grand Prix, starting from 17th position.
The reigning champion showcased his wet-weather skills in a dramatic race. Lando Norris, who started from pole, struggled and ultimately finished sixth.
Alpine had a remarkable day, securing a double podium with Esteban Ocon finishing second and Pierre Gasly third. This strong performance propelled Alpine to sixth place in the constructors’ standings.
Norris crossed the line in sixth behind Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc. However, he now faces a post-race investigation for an unusual aborted start incident that occurred over two hours prior to the finish.
The chaos began early when Lance Stroll crashed at Turn 4 during the formation lap, damaging his Aston Martin. Stroll’s car became stuck in the gravel, prompting the race officials to abort the start. As a result, Norris led several cars off the line again in response to an “Aborted Start” message. Meanwhile, Verstappen, starting from 17th, waited for the green lights before taking off again.
Following a 10-minute delay, the race restarted. George Russell, starting second, overtook Norris at Turn 1. Verstappen quickly moved up the field, reaching 11th place by the end of the first lap.
Verstappen continued to slice through the pack during the first half of the race. His daring maneuvers at Turn 1 showed his confidence in the RB20. Up front, Russell and Norris maintained a lead over Yuki Tsunoda, Ocon, and Leclerc, but Norris struggled to challenge Russell directly.
By lap 15, Verstappen caught up to Leclerc. However, he became stuck behind the Ferrari, similar to Norris’s earlier plight. Leclerc made an unexpected early pit stop, and rain intensified around lap 24, aiding Verstappen’s progress.
The race took a dramatic turn on lap 27 when Nico Hulkenberg spun off at Turn 1. This incident prompted a virtual safety car, leading many cars at the back to pit. Russell and Norris pitted as well, but Ocon and Verstappen remained out, allowing them to move to the front.
As the rain poured down, Norris seized an opportunity to overtake Russell at Turn 4 on lap 30. However, the race was soon neutralized again due to a crash involving Williams’ Franco Colapinto. This led to a nearly 25-minute delay during which Ocon, Verstappen, and Gasly switched to intermediate tires without losing their positions.
When the race resumed, Ocon initially pulled away, establishing a 3.3-second lead over Verstappen. However, another safety car was deployed after Carlos Sainz crashed on lap 39. At the restart, Verstappen executed a brilliant move at Turn 1, overtaking Ocon despite the latter’s strong getaway.
Behind them, Norris struggled and slid off at Turn 1 while battling Leclerc, who later regained fourth position. Verstappen then surged ahead, clocking a series of fastest laps. He extended his lead to over three seconds with 20 laps remaining, ultimately finishing 19.3 seconds ahead of the competition.
Ocon crossed the line in second, followed by Gasly, who held off Russell for third. Leclerc finished fifth, while Norris settled for sixth, losing significant ground to Verstappen. This marked Verstappen’s first Grand Prix victory since the Spanish race in June.
Oscar Piastri finished seventh on the road but placed eighth after receiving a 10-second penalty for colliding with Liam Lawson before the red flag. Lawson finished ninth after fending off challenges from Lewis Hamilton and Sergio Perez. Alex Albon did not participate due to a severe crash in qualifying.
