In Brazil, Red Bull’s triple world champion, Max Verstappen, secured his record-extending 17th Formula One season win, with McLaren’s Lando Norris finishing second and providing a bonus point for the fastest lap. Meanwhile, Fernando Alonso of Aston Martin claimed third place in a thrilling race, narrowly edging out Red Bull’s Sergio Perez.
Verstappen, who clinched the title in Qatar the previous month, now stands fourth in the all-time list of winners and ahead of French great Alain Prost after his 52nd career victory. Red Bull also retained their constructors’ title, having won 19 of the 20 races so far, including the last five consecutively.
As Verstappen took the chequered flag from pole position at Interlagos, team boss Christian Horner praised his performance, saying, “Well done Max, that was absolutely clinical once again.” The victory extended Verstappen’s lead over Perez to 266 points, with Perez 32 points ahead of Mercedes rival Lewis Hamilton in the battle for second place overall.
While Verstappen’s victory seemed inevitable, the late excitement came from Alonso, who engaged in a dramatic battle with Perez, displaying the skills of a double world champion. Alonso crossed the finish line just 0.053 seconds ahead of Perez, regaining his position on the last lap after Perez had passed him.
Lance Stroll of Aston Martin finished fifth, followed by Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz, Alpine’s Pierre Gasly, and Hamilton. It was a disappointing race for Mercedes, as they recorded their worst result of the season. Yuki Tsunoda secured ninth place for AlphaTauri, and Esteban Ocon earned the final point for Alpine. George Russell, last year’s winner for Mercedes, retired from 11th place due to an overheating power unit.
Before the race even began, Ferrari faced a setback when Charles Leclerc, who had qualified on the front row, crashed out on the formation lap. However, Norris benefited from the situation, moving from sixth to second into the first corner. A collision in the first corner triggered the safety car, followed by a red flag for repairs to the tyre barrier.
Verstappen continued to lead cleanly from the standing re-start, with Norris initially challenging him before Alonso passed Hamilton for third place. The red flags provided a second chance for McLaren’s Australian rookie Oscar Piastri and AlphaTauri’s Daniel Ricciardo, who had suffered damage in the initial incident.
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