RACE REPORT | F1 São Paulo 2024

Max Verstappen claimed victory at the 2024 São Paulo Grand Prix with a remarkable drive from 17th on the grid, securing another impressive win in a race filled with drama. Norris, meanwhile, could only manage a 6th-place finish, a result that further dampens his championship hopes.

Starting grid

There were several unexpected changes on the starting grid after a rainy morning qualifying session at Interlagos.

The front rows remained unaffected, with Lando Norris set to start from pole position, just ahead of George Russell. However, further down the grid, changes were more apparent. Alexander Albon was unable to start the race due to a heavy crash in qualifying, while Carlos Sainz was forced to begin from the pit lane. Max Verstappen took 17th place on the grid after a disappointing qualifying session and a five-place grid penalty due to a power unit change.

Abored original start

The São Paulo Grand Prix was set to start in tricky conditions, with weather similar to qualifying—rainy and wet. The original start had to be aborted after Lance Stroll spun on the formation lap and ended up beached in the gravel.

There was also confusion because, when the "Race Aborted" signal was displayed, the drivers proceeded with the formation lap. Only afterward was the procedure officially restarted, with a 10-minute break before a completely new start.

Start of the race

Right after the start, Russell took the lead into Turn 1 as Norris, once again, couldn’t capitalize on his pole position to maintain first place. Meanwhile, championship leader Verstappen had a fantastic start from P17, quickly advancing to P11.

The order after the first lap was as follows: Russell, Norris, Tsunoda, Ocon, Leclerc, Lawson, Piastri, Alonso, Gasly, and Hamilton completing the top 10.

On lap 2, Perez spun, while Verstappen moved up to 10th by overtaking Hamilton. Shortly after, the rain intensified, and Norris began to close the gap to Russell.

By lap 6, Verstappen had reached P8, overtaking Gasly and Alonso in the process. Meanwhile, Bearman made contact with Colapinto, resulting in a 10-second penalty for Bearman. Colapinto, however, was able to continue without issue.

Verstappen continued his charge, overtaking Piastri to climb further up the order.

On lap 24, Leclerc pitted for fresh intermediate tires, but moments later, a Virtual Safety Car (VSC) was deployed as Hulkenberg got stranded in a run-off area.

The VSC prompted additional pit stops, with leaders Russell and Norris both opting for fresh intermediate tires. However, Ocon, Verstappen, and Gasly chose to stay out, moving up into the top three positions.

Around lap 30, the rain intensified again. Russell's pace dropped, allowing Norris to pass him for P4. Shortly afterward, the Safety Car was deployed.

Despite the Safety Car being on track, Colapinto lost control of his car in the final sector of the circuit and crashed heavily. As a result, the race was red-flagged!

Restart after red flag

During the red flag break, all drivers were able to change their tires "for free." This provided a significant advantage for the leaders—Ocon, Verstappen, and Gasly—who had not pitted previously.

Before the restart, the order was as follows: Ocon, Verstappen, Gasly, Norris and Russell completing the top 5. Hulkenberg was shown the black flag and was disqualified! This is due to receiving outside assistance to rejoin the track, which is prohibited.

After the restart, Ocon maintained his lead, while a small mistake from Norris allowed Russell to overtake him. However, the racing was short-lived, as Sainz crashed on lap 40, prompting another Safety Car deployment.

The race resumed on lap 43, and several key moments unfolded: Verstappen seized the lead with a bold move on Ocon, while Norris made another error, dropping to P7 behind his teammate, Piastri.

On lap 46, Piastri allowed Norris to pass, giving him a position gain. At the same time, Russell managed to overtake Leclerc.

Meanwhile, Verstappen was in full control, setting the fastest laps as he extended his lead.

In the following laps, the main battles unfolded between the drivers in 7th to 11th positions, including Piastri, who was racing with a 10-second penalty, Tsunoda, Lawson, Hamilton, and Pérez.

At the front, Verstappen remained dominant, steadily pulling away from the field. The Dutchman held onto first place and secured an extra point for the fastest lap. His lead at the finish was 18 seconds!

Alpine drivers claimed the second and third positions, with Ocon finishing ahead of Gasly. For Alpine, who have struggled throughout the season, this is by far their best result of the year and will elevate their standing in the Constructors' Championship.

Russell finished fourth, with Leclerc in fifth. Norris crossed the line in sixth—a significant blow to his championship hopes.

Tsunoda secured 7th place after Piastri's 10-second penalty was applied, dropping Piastri to 8th. Lawson and Hamilton followed in 9th and 10th, respectively.

After the eventful race, Verstappen now leads the championship by more than 60 points over Norris.

Race results: