Max Verstappen, a three-time champion, secured an early lead and clinched victory in the Brazilian Grand Prix on Sunday. Sergio Perez, representing Red Bull, finished in fourth place, further distancing himself from Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton as they battled for the runner-up position in one of the remaining competitions of the season.
Perez came tantalizingly close to snatching the third-place podium position from Fernando Alonso of Aston Martin but crossed the finish line just 0.053 seconds behind the Spaniard. In the closing laps of the race, the two drivers engaged in an intense battle for the position, with Perez making an overtaking move on Alonso at one point but ultimately relinquishing the position. Lando Norris of McLaren secured the second spot at Interlagos.
“It felt like 30 laps to me,” remarked Alonso after fending off Perez’s relentless pursuit.
With just two races left in the season, the Grand Prix in Las Vegas on November 19 and Abu Dhabi a week later, Perez will leave South America with a 32-point lead over Hamilton.
Perez had started the Interlagos race from ninth place, while the popular Hamilton found himself in fifth position following a frustrating qualifying session for the Red Bull driver on Friday. Perez demonstrated improvement during the sprint race on Saturday and expressed increased confidence for the grand prix.
Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc, originally set to start in second place, suffered a crash during the formation lap due to an engine issue.
A red flag was raised after the second lap due to a crash involving Kevin Magnussen of Haas and Williams’ Alex Albon, providing the Red Bull drivers with more time to seek performance enhancements.
Verstappen, who secured his 17th win, maintained his lead throughout the race, while Perez displayed an aggressive drive in his pursuit of Hamilton. On the 18th lap, the Red Bull driver successfully overtook the Mercedes, much to the chagrin of Brazilian fans who support the seven-time champion.
It was announced on Friday that Formula One will continue to race in Sao Paulo until at least 2030, as confirmed by the organizers.
