Formula 1’s 2024 Brazilian Grand Prix Race Review

Max Gives a Masterclass in Brazil

The 2024 Brazilian Grand Prix delivered one of the most intense weekends of the Formula 1 season, showcasing thrilling battles, unexpected upsets, and a mix of rain-soaked drama and strategic finesse. Sao Paulo’s legendary Interlagos circuit witnessed an unforgettable performance from Max Verstappen, who clawed his way from a P17 grid start to a commanding victory in an incident-packed race.

McLaren also made headlines, with Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris trading wins in Sprint Qualifying and the Sprint Race, while Alpine stunned the paddock by securing a rare double podium. From rain-soaked qualifying chaos to nerve-wracking battles through the midfield, the Brazilian GP weekend kept fans on the edge of their seats, setting the stage for the highly anticipated Las Vegas Grand Prix in just a few weeks.

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Brazilian Grand Prix Sprint Race Qualifying

Oscar Piastri secured pole for the Sprint in Sao Paulo, edging out his McLaren teammate Lando Norris by just 0.029 seconds with a lap of 1:08.899. Norris had led throughout the initial sessions but couldn’t reclaim the top spot in the final moments. Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc took third, Max Verstappen in fourth, and Carlos Sainz in fifth, rounding out a competitive top five.

Mercedes’ George Russell finished sixth, with Alpine’s Pierre Gasly in seventh. Liam Lawson impressed with eighth place for RB, Alex Albon brought Williams to ninth, and Ollie Bearman completed the top 10 for Haas despite his final time being deleted for track limits. Hamilton and Perez missed out on SQ3, finishing 11th and 13th, respectively, while Aston Martin had a disappointing outing, with Alonso and Stroll eliminated early on.

Brazilian Grand Prix  Sprint Race

Lando Norris emerged victorious in the Sao Paulo Sprint, leading a McLaren one-two after a strategic driver switch in the closing laps. Oscar Piastri, who initially led the race, allowed Norris through to maximize the team’s points, finishing second while fending off Max Verstappen, who crossed the line in third but was relegated to fourth due to a five-second penalty for a Virtual Safety Car infringement. This post-race penalty promoted Charles Leclerc to third, giving Ferrari a podium finish in the Sprint.

Carlos Sainz followed in fifth for Ferrari, with Mercedes’ George Russell finishing sixth and Alpine’s Pierre Gasly in seventh. Sergio Perez worked his way up to claim the final points-paying position in eighth for Red Bull. This Sprint result boosted McLaren’s standing in both the drivers’ and constructors’ championships, with Norris closing the gap to his rivals and McLaren moving further ahead of Ferrari.

Reflecting on the team strategy, Norris remarked, “I’m not proud about it, but we worked well as a team together, so I thank Oscar. We’ve done a great job as a team. Today was the result that we wanted. Oscar deserved it, but we’re doing what we have to do, so I thank him and the team. We had great pace, so I’m looking forward to qualifying and the race tomorrow.”

Brazilian Grand Prix Qualifying

In a thrilling, rain-affected qualifying at Sao Paulo, Lando Norris claimed pole position for the Grand Prix amid five red flags and changing weather conditions. Norris navigated the tricky conditions brilliantly, setting a lap of 1:23.405 to edge out Mercedes’ George Russell by 0.173 seconds. RB’s Yuki Tsunoda delivered a standout performance to secure third, marking his best-ever qualifying result, while Esteban Ocon placed his Alpine in fourth.

RB continued to impress, with Liam Lawson in fifth, while Charles Leclerc placed sixth for Ferrari. Alex Albon took seventh despite an earlier crash, and Oscar Piastri finished eighth for McLaren. Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll rounded out the top ten, with both Aston Martin drivers involved in incidents during the session.

Qualifying saw several notable eliminations. Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez, both from Red Bull, were knocked out in Q2 after a late red flag prevented improvements, placing them 12th and 13th, respectively. Verstappen will start 17th due to a grid penalty. Lewis Hamilton also faced a tough session, missing out in Q1 and starting 16th. This leaves the stage for an unpredictable race, with several top drivers starting further back on the grid.

Brazilian Grand Prix Race Day 

Max Verstappen pulled off a remarkable victory in Sao Paulo, storming from P17 to the podium’s top step in a chaotic, rain-affected race. Starting far back after a grid penalty, Verstappen steadily made his way through the field, taking advantage of changing conditions and key strategic calls. The drama began even before lights out, with Lance Stroll spinning off during the formation lap. This led to confusion over the start procedure, and Norris, Russell, Tsunoda, and Lawson were later investigated for potential infringements.

When the race finally started, George Russell launched ahead of pole-sitter Norris, but Verstappen quickly began climbing the order. The event was interrupted by multiple incidents, including a crash for Franco Colapinto that brought out the red flag. After the restart, Esteban Ocon led ahead of Verstappen and Pierre Gasly. However, following another Safety Car due to a crash for Carlos Sainz, Verstappen seized the lead from Ocon and held it comfortably to the finish, crossing the line 19 seconds ahead.

Alpine celebrated a surprising double podium, with Ocon taking second and Gasly third, vaulting them up the constructors’ standings from ninth to sixth. Russell finished fourth for Mercedes, with Charles Leclerc rounding out the top five. Lando Norris took sixth after losing ground in the championship standings, while Oscar Piastri initially finished seventh but dropped to eighth after a time penalty for a collision with Lawson. This penalty promoted Yuki Tsunoda to seventh, with Lawson in ninth and Lewis Hamilton completing the points in tenth after fending off Sergio Perez.

The 2024 Sao Paulo Grand Prix was a testament to resilience and strategy, with Max Verstappen’s charge from P17 to victory marking one of the season’s most extraordinary comebacks. Amid unpredictable weather, red flags, and multiple incidents, Verstappen’s skill and patience delivered his first win since June, extending his lead in the drivers’ standings. Alpine’s double podium was equally remarkable, pushing them up the constructors’ rankings as the midfield battle intensified.

Brazilian Grand Prix Final Standings

RANK	DRIVER	COUNTRY	TEAM	FASTEST LAP
1	MAX VERSTAPPEN	NETHERLANDS	RED BULL	1:20.472
2	ESTEBAN OCON	FRANCE	ALPINE
3	PIERRE GASLY	FRANCE	ALPINE
4	GEORGE RUSSEL	BRITAIN	MERCEDES
5	CHARLES LECLERC	MONACO	FERRARI
6	LANDO NORRIS	BRITAIN	MCLAREN
7	YUKI TSUNODA	JAPAN	RB
8	OSCAR PIASTRI	AUSTRALIA	MCLAREN
9	LIAM LAWSON	NEW ZEALAND	RB
10	LEWIS HAMILTON	BRITAIN	MERCEDES
11	SERGIO PEREZ	MEXICO	RED BULL
12	OLIVER BEARMAN	BRITAIN	HAAS
13	VALTERRI BOTTAS	FINLAND	SAUBER
14	FERNANDO ALONSO	SPAIN	ASTON MARTIN
15	ZHOU GUANYU	CHINA	SAUBER
RETIRED	CARLOS SAINZ JRLAP 38	SPAIN	FERRARI
RETIRED	FRANCO COLAPINTO LAP 30	ARGENTINA	WILLIAMS
RETIRED	ALEXANDER ALBON LAP 0	THAILAND	WILLIAMS
RETIRED	LANCE STROLL LAP 0	CANADA	ASTON MARTIN
DSQ	NIKO HULKENBERG	GERMANY	HAAS

Conclusion

With just a few races left in the season, all eyes now turn to the much-anticipated Las Vegas Grand Prix, where the drivers will take on the newly designed Las Vegas Strip Circuit from November 21-23. The stakes are high as teams and drivers look to close out the season strong in one of the year’s most glamorous settings.

Sources

• “Piastri beats Norris to stunning Sprint Qualifying pole in Sao Paulo by 0.029s.”
• “Norris takes victory in the Sao Paulo Sprint ahead of Piastri after McLaren driver switch”
• “Norris beats Russell and Tsunoda to pole position in Sao Paulo amid five red flags in dramatic rain-affected qualifying”
• “Verstappen wins chaotic Sao Paulo Grand Prix after stunning recovery from P17 as Alpine score shock double podium”