The 2024 Sao Paulo Grand Prix weekend will live long in the memory of those who were privileged enough to watch it. The Interlagos circuit was home to the legendary Ayrton Senna who won there just twice in his short but glittering Formula One career.

The Brazilian was leading the race in 1991 when his McLaren developed gear box problems so with just under ten laps remaining, the maestro decided to keep his car in sixth gear to the chequered flag. Riccardo Patrese was 36 seconds back as Senna hit trouble and the Italian was suddenly four seconds a lap quicker than the race leader.

It seemed all was lost for Senna who was in his eighth F1 race at Interlagos without a win, then with three laps remaining down came the infamous Interlagos rain. The monsoon conditions saw Senna waving his arms asking for the race to be red flagged, yet he ploughed on battling with his stricken car and the torrential rain taking the chequered flag under three seconds ahead of his Williams rival.

 

 

 

Verstappen’s “Senna” drive in Brazil

There was little similarity between this years F1 visit to Interlagos as much has changed over the three decades since Senna’s first home win in 1991. The resurfaced track proved to be a costly big white elephant as the drivers each reported the bumps were worse than before the re-pave.

Torrential rain on Saturday and Sunday eclipsed the brief spell Senna encountered for ten or so laps which saw qualifying postponed until early on Sunday morning. Max Verstappen knew he was to receive a five place grid drop from wherever he qualified due to him taking a sixth internal combustion engine this year, the allowance is four.

Expectations were that Verstappen might not be the quickest in qualifying, but even after his grid penalty, the belief was that Max would still start within the top ten. Then in Q2 following some on track tom foolery between Esteban Ocon and the world champion meant Verstappen had yet to set a push time for what was in effect his second run.

As Max was starting his push run with just two minutes remaining, Aston Martin’s Lance Stroll did his thing, putting the car hard into the barrier at turn 3. The subsequent red flag meant Verstappen was just twelfth, which would become 17th after the engine penalty was applied.

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Norris retains title ambitions

With Lando Norris claiming pole, the stage was set for the Brit to make big inroads into Verstappen’s 43 point led in the championship. Yet three factors were to prove his undoing.

The first was, under the new Sprint weekend format, the teams are allowed to remove their cars from parc ferme before Grand Prix qualifying on Saturday afternoon. McLaren decided to change the rear wing they had been using in the Sprint to one with greater downforce for the wet conditions.

Yet speed and downforce are always a trade off and with Interlagos’ incredibly long run from Juncao past the start/finish line into turn one, this decision meant McLaren were down on pace. In fact they were slower than the Red Bull’s, Mercedes and Ferrari in the speed trap.

Having made the transition to an aero setup which was more defensive, Norris needed to get away well and lead the race. But he flunked his lines again at the start and Russell seized his opportunity with both hands.

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Russell jumps Norris at start

Prior to this Lando had flunked his lines after the formation lap when the start was abandoned due to Lance Stroll crashing on the way to the grid. He misunderstood the flashing lights displayed which instruct the drivers to remain on the grid and turn off their engines.

Instead Lando trundled off for another formation lap taking along with him Yuki Tsunoda and Liam Lawson. Norris later complained the conditions were worse on his side of the starting grid in an attempt to explain his poor getaway.

Norris was doomed to follow in Russel’s wheel tracks for almost thirty laps while his rival was enjoying a whole different experience. From P17 Verstappen expertly placed his car at each corner, easing past several cars around the outside of the tricky Senna Esses on lap one. By lap two Max was up to tenth place as reset about carving his way through the field as he picked drivers off at whim.

Now up to P6 Max arrived on the tail of a three way battle which had raged since the start of the race which saw a struggling Yuki Tsunoda ahead of Esteban Ocon and Charles Leclerc. This halted Verstappen’s progress somewhat as the fading tyres meant overtaking was difficult for each of the drivers in the train.

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“Luck of the draw”

The lack of Tsunoda’s pace appeared to have stalled Verstappen’s storming run and by lap 20 Norris was 14 seconds ahead of the world champion when a piece of luck came his way which was to open the door for a famous victory.

Lap 28 and Nico Hulkenberg beached his car at turn one triggering a virtual safety car. Norris had been complaining regularly about his tyres and pleaded with the team to bring him in for fresh rubber. Under the VSC it looked as though both Lando and George could make a free pitstop and return to the circuit retaining track position.

Russell was adamant he wanted to stay out because he believed conditions were deteriorating and a red flag was inevitable which would give him a free change of tyres during the stoppage. Norris was desperate for new rubber so the pair came into the pits together.

The timing could not have been worse. As both drivers entered the pit lane, race control displayed the notice that the VSC was ending. Unlike in qualifying where it was almost 14 seconds before the green light came, the VSC was over before either driver had reached the first garage.

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Track position was everything

Ocon, Verstappen and Gasly all elected to stay out, which proved a masterstroke as within just half a lap the safety car was deployed following a big crash for Franco Colapinto. This was quickly converted into a red flag.

The two Alpine’s and Verstappen got a free change of tyres during the stoppage and Norris was to find himself down in P4 having passed George Russell on his out lap. Yet a mistake at the restart meant Norris missed turn one and as he scrabbled to return to the track he was passed by Russell and his team mate Oscar Piastri.

Piastri had a ten second penalty for his earlier collision with Lawson so he made way for is team mate in double time, but Norris was to be frustrated behind the Mercedes right until the chequered flag.

The post race media scrum saw Max hailed as an F1 god, whilst Norris was left licking his wounds with his title challenge in ruins. Whatever the levels of genius displayed by Max Verstappen, Norris in a quicker car should most likely have won the Grand Prix.

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“He just ran out of talent”

Norris now has racked up six pole positions this year but only led once at the end of the first lap. This weakness cost the McLaren driver dear in Sao Paulo meaning he had to follow behind Russell for half the race.

Lando also failed to realise the imminent nature of the red flag unlike Max and so forfeited track position to his arch rival. And another mistake at the rolling restart which initially cost him two places meant this was not the day Norris had hoped for.

As veteran F1 commentator Martin Brundle often says, “He just ran out of talent,” which feels an appropriate summary of the Lando Norris’ antics in Interlagos. Meanwhile Verstappen was basking in the glory of his Senna-esque performance knowing he’s soon to bag his fourth consecutive F1 championship after a big wobble from Red Bull.

Penalty for Norris is final

 

 

 

Jos Verstappen furious as Ocon issues revenge on Max

Jos Verstappen was seen to slam his fist down in anger following the red flag dominated qualifying saga and with a total of five suspensions across all three sessions this became the most red flagged qualifying since this format was introduced almost two decades ago.

As qualifying two came to a conclusion, Lance Stroll hit the wall in turn three and found his car stranded just beyond the white lines at a high speed section of the track. Race control took over fifty seconds to throw the red flag by which time Max Verstappen had fallen from P10 to P12 as others were allowed to complete almost full laps.

Not for the first time this year, Verstappen Sr was visibly angry with the outcome as he turned in disbelief from the monitor slamming hist fist into a nearby tyre. To make maters worse his son’s closest rival for the F1 drivers’ title, Lando Norris went on to claim pole position ahead of George Russell… READ MORE