Max Verstappen dominates in São Paulo as Alonso pips Pérez to third place

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, pipped to the finish line by Alonso, and Aston Martin’s Lance Stroll in fifth.

Verstappen was very much in a class of his own at the Autódromo José Carlos Pace. Once he held his lead from pole through turn one, the race was in his hands and as he has done repeatedly this season, he proceeded to exploit his pace ruthlessly and with precision.

Norris did his best to keep the world champion honest at Interlagos but after an initial attack early in the race, he had no answer to Verstappen’s pace. The McLaren was quick nonetheless and finished just eight seconds in arrears.

While McLaren will take heart this was a dispiriting affair for Mercedes. Hamilton had toiled hard in the sprint race, suffering with a lack of balance and very high tyre degradation, and had pointedly noted on Saturday that he would be pleased to bid farewell to the troublesome W14. “Only a couple more races with this car then it’s gone so I’ll be happy,” he said.

Doubtless he felt that with even greater vehemence after this GP. He was not expecting any great improvement in race pace and so it proved. Having started from fifth, he could not make any great impact and finished a full minute down on Verstappen.

After the optimism of Mercedes’ pace in the US and Mexico, this was a further reminder that this year’s car is still lacking a reliable and solid benchmark of performance on differing tracks and in different conditions. The confidence in how it handles and works its tyres was once more lacking in Brazil and will be a major focus for next year’s car if it is to match the Red Bull, which has proved strong at almost every variation of circuit this season.

In the battle for second place in the drivers championship Pérez, who drove well to take fourth from ninth on the grid, has managed to further extend his lead over the British driver to 32 points. The final laps were enlivened by the Mexican’s mighty fight with Alonso, the pair exchanging places right to the last lap, with Alonso indomitable in holding his place. However with only two meetings remaining in Las Vegas and Abu Dhabi Hamilton’s chances now appear all but out of reach.

Verstappen had demonstrated in the sprint race on Saturday that he had strong pace at Interlagos particularly when he could lean on the tyres. In race pace and with more durable rubber on Sunday he was all but untouchable.

The Dutchman has already set the record for wins in a season and has now extended it to 17. He could yet conclude the year with 19 from 22 races, an extraordinary achievement that it is hard to imagine being beaten. Red Bull have also now matched Mercedes’ record of 19 wins in a season.

The race had opened with drama when Charles Leclerc went off and hit the barriers on the formation lap. The hydraulics on his car failed causing him to spin off and he was out of the race.

His place on the front row was left empty as Verstappen powered into the lead from pole. Behind him Norris made an immense start, moving up the inside from sixth to second by the time he entered turn one.

The race however was red-flagged on the opening lap after a clash between Alex Albon and Kevin Magnussen off the grid put them both out. The impact caused a dangerous incident as Albon’s tyre was torn off and passed just over Daniel Ricciardo’s head, hitting his rear wing as he came past in the AlphaTauri. Ricciardo just managed to swerve out of the way as he saw the tyre coming.

Norris went on to challenge the Dutchman for the lead with DRS by lap eight, looking enormously feisty but Verstappen responded, immediately opening a gap of over two seconds by lap 13 and the deal was done.

With Mercedes struggling for grip and balance they were hopeful the soft rubber of the final stint would return some performance but were to be disappointed. Hamilton was passed by the Alpine of Pierre Gasly, leaving the British driver frustrated, while Russell was about to be faced with the ignominy of being lapped by Verstappen when he was forced to retire with an oil temperature problem.

Their travails stood in contrast to the ease with which Verstappen took the flag and a stark reminder of the chasm they must bridge next season. Carlos Sainz was sixth for Ferrari, Gasly and Esteban Ocon seventh and 10^th for Alpine, and Yuki Tsunoda ninth for AlphaTauri.