Max Verstappen started the São Paulo GP weekend by showing he is a three-time world champion and ended it by proving why he deserves those titles. It was a subtle but significant difference, as those 69 laps in the rain at Interlagos displayed championship-caliber driving, delivering one of the best comebacks in recent years—a performance even Max himself will remember for a long time.
This victory was doubly significant, not only because the Red Bull driver hadn’t been on the top step of the podium since last June 23, when he won the Spanish GP, but also because this win placed him firmly on track for a fourth world title, not just due to points.
After qualifying left him in only 17th position—partly due to a five-place engine penalty and partly due to Lance Stroll’s incident in the final minutes of Q2 that prevented him from improving his time—something special was needed, especially with Lando Norris starting from pole.
The magic began right from the start. Using a mix of aggression and courage on the outside of Turn 3, he climbed up the order to re-enter the top 10, kickstarting his comeback. With the pack bunched up behind Yuki Tsunoda, who had held third place in the early stages, the three-time world champion gained position after position, eventually closing in on Charles Leclerc after 14 laps. Remarkably, even while dealing with traffic, Verstappen’s potential on a clear track was evident; in the few laps of clean air after passing Liam Lawson, he was already lapping under the 1’24” mark.
This time wasn’t just the fastest lap of the GP until then but was also at least half a second faster than the rest of the grid. These laps allowed Verstappen to close a nearly 3-second gap to Leclerc in just a few turns, although the Ferrari driver was also in traffic. To provide an interesting comparison, George Russell, who led the race and wasn’t hindered by other cars, didn’t face the challenges of dirty air and water spray.
Max Verstappen made the difference in the high-speed sections, where Red Bull was competitive even in dry conditions, and in braking zones, where he could carry more speed into deceleration. This was especially noticeable in the second sector, where the three-time world champion consistently reached peaks of 10 km/h faster than the Mercedes and, in some cases, McLaren.
No Tire Change: A Shared but Ultimately His Decision
After multiple unsuccessful attempts to pass Charles Leclerc, the rain at around 25 laps in completely changed the race dynamics. George Russell, who was then leading, along with Lando Norris and Yuki Tsunoda, pitted to change tires—a decision they would come to regret. In contrast, Max Verstappen and Esteban Ocon chose to stay on track.
For Max Verstappen, the decision to stay out was shared with the pit wall but was ultimately prompted by his own input. As the rain intensified, Verstappen was informed that it would soon subside, and he suggested staying out even as the track conditions leaned toward full wets. The team backed his decision, while for Sergio Perez, who was much further back, they opted for the full wets, having little to lose.
Looking at the timing, this was the most challenging phase of the race for Verstappen—not just against those who switched to full wets but also against drivers on fresh intermediates. A similar comparison with Ocon, who stayed out on used intermediates, favored the Frenchman, but it’s important to note that Verstappen, fighting for the title, took a cautious approach to avoid aquaplaning on straights.
The red flag due to Franco Colapinto’s incident undeniably changed the situation, allowing the top three to change tires in the pit lane without losing positions, especially as the previous Safety Car intervention had bunched up the field. Without the red flag, Max would have had the advantage of track position on a circuit where, without DRS, overtaking was challenging in the water spray, though he would have been on tires with roughly 30 laps on them.
This was a complex decision but one that made sense. Some teams, like Mercedes and McLaren, played it safe by pitting for new intermediates, wary that worn tires on a very wet track could lead to incidents and cost them valuable points in the Constructors’ Championship.
Others took a bigger gamble, mindful that, in heavy rain like the downpour over Interlagos, race control tends to deploy the Safety Car or red flag, especially if many drivers are still on intermediates. An accident was also always looming, as seen earlier in the day. Notably, Russell himself didn’t want to pit or, at most, would have pitted for full wets.
A Dominance Reminiscent of Suzuka 2022
After the restart, Max Verstappen didn’t immediately pass Esteban Ocon, maintaining what Christian Horner described as a conservative pace: “The race resumed too soon, I believe. Max chose a cautious approach, and Ocon pulled away, though he was closing in when another Safety Car came out. Then, at the next restart, his braking maneuver into Turn 1 was exceptional.”
It was the restart after Carlos Sainz’s incident that showcased Max Verstappen’s “cannibalistic” mindset with a decisive move because he knew it was his best chance to take the lead. From that moment, he began setting lap records, widening his lead over the Alpine driver by 20 seconds in less than 30 laps—enough for his team to repeatedly ask him to slow down and bring home the victory.
This superiority, albeit under different circumstances, recalled Suzuka 2022’s shortened race after the red flag: an impressive pace paired with absolute confidence in the car, particularly in the high-speed and braking zones. Of course, additional aerodynamic load helped against the Alpine, but perhaps the best insight came from Lando Norris after the race: “If Max had started in front, he would have lapped us.”
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