Highlights of the Brazilian Grand Prix

By Kate Walker

1-2 finish for Honda

Max Verstappen won the Brazilian Grand Prix, while Red Bull stablemate and Toro Rosso driver Pierre Gasly finished second, securing his first F1 podium in the process. Lewis Hamilton joined the pair in the winners’ circle, but was demoted to seventh after the race for his part in the lap 70 crash with Alex Albon that knocked the Thai racer out of contention for a podium finish. Hamilton’s penalty promoted McLaren’s Carlos Sainz to the podium, a career-first for the Spanish racer. But Sainz’s first podium appearance is yet to come, the penalty having been issued long after the podium ceremony was complete.

“Lewis was very quick so I had to keep pushing all the time with the strategy. He kept pitting earlier so we had to be really on top of our pit stops,” said Verstappen after the race.

Chaotic closing laps

With twenty laps remaining of the Brazilian Grand Prix Valtteri Bottas retired, high oil consumption and worsening conditions taking their toll on his engine. The Finn pulled to the side of the track but a Safety Car was deployed, creating potential for a shake-up on the restart in which Verstappen reclaimed the lead from Lewis Hamilton. Adding to the list of late-race casualties was Lance Stroll, whose suspension broke under the second Safety Car.

On the penultimate lap, Hamilton made contact with Alex Albon while trying to overtake the Red Bull driver for second. Albon had looked set for his first career podium, but being span by Hamilton dropped the Thai racer down a tightly packed field. He eventually finished 15th of 16. Following the race, Hamilton was penalised for his role in the incident and dropped to seventh, promoting Carlos Sainz to third.

Double DNF for Ferrari

It was a double retirement for Ferrari following minor contact between Sebastian Vettel and Charles Leclerc that saw both drivers out of the race. The younger driver had passed his teammate into the Senna Ess, but Vettel retook the position on the following straight. A move to the left brought the pair together, with puncture for Vettel and broken suspension for Leclerc. The lap 66 incident brought out the Safety Car. Mercedes took advantage of a free stop for Hamilton, demoting him off the podium with only five laps remaining and no guarantee of further racing laps. But racing resumed at the end of lap 69, and Hamilton retook third on the restart.