A rainy, early morning Qualifying session led to a mixed up starting grid for the Brazil GP. Lando Norris started on Pole. Lined up next to him was George Russell, with Yuki Tsunoda and Esteban Ocon in P3 and P4 behind them. Max Verstappen started the race in P17 after taking a 5-place grid penalty. Alex Albon crashed and the car was unable to be fixed for the race, leaving his P7 grid slot empty. Carlos Sainz started from the pit lane after crashing during Q2, taking a new gearbox and power unit.
Lance Stroll ran off the road in Turn 4 during the formation lap, damaging his front wing against the barrier. The start was aborted. The Grand Prix was changed from 71 laps to 70, and later to 69.
The rest of the cars did a second formation lap, but Race Control did not call for it. Lando Norris was noted for Starting Procedure Infringement after taking off for formation during yellow lights.
After the restart, George Russell was quickest off the line, taking the early lead. Lando Norris fell into P2, with Tsunoda and Ocon holding position behind him. The field was crowded behind them through lap 1. Sergio Pérez spun off the road out of turn 10 and caused a yellow flag, but kept the car going and rejoined quickly.
By lap 2, Max Verstappen was up 7 places into P10. Drivers reported heavy rain during lap 3 as Verstappen continued to climb up the field. During lap 6, Russell, Tsunoda, and Liam Lawson were noted for Starting Procedure Infringement. A turn 10 incident between Oliver Bearman and Franco Colapinto came under investigation.
Bearman received a ten-second penalty for causing a collision with Colapinto. Lewis Hamilton informed the pit wall over the radio that he was bouncing badly.
Verstappen pulled by Oscar Piastri during lap 10 into 7th position, up 10 places from where he started. Next he passed Liam Lawson with little defense.
Lewis Hamilton went off the road during lap 12, cashing a brief yellow flag. Colapinto squeezed his way by as a result.
Oscar Piastri is informed by his team that they expect heavy rain until lap 30. The stewards decide they will investigate Norris, Russell, Tsunoda, and Lawson after the race for Starting Procedure Infringement. Lando Norris, still chasing George Russell, radioed his team that he was struggling to overtake and was slow on the straights. It appears this is the case for both McLarens, with Piastri also struggling to get by Lawson in P7.
Hamilton experiences another lockup, getting overtaken by Carlos Sainz and Oliver Bearman. He radioed his team that the car was “not drivable.”
Verstappen and Charles Leclerc battled heavily for P5 during lap 22, Verstappen complaining about Leclerc to his team.
Meanwhile, Russell and Norris have pulled away from the rest of the field. Yuki Tsunoda is holding others up from P3, 10 seconds behind Norris but fighting well to keep Ocon, Leclerc, and Verstappen behind him.
Charles Leclerc became the first to pit during lap 25, putting on fresh intermediate tyres. Norris radioed to ask his team about boxing to overtake, the team responded that there was too much traffic.
Lawson spun off the road and allowed Piastri and Alonso by, falling into P9, 4 places lower than where he began. Piastri and Lawson were noted for a turn 1 collision.
Nico Hülkenberg ran off the road in lap 28 as he aquaplained at turn 1, causing a Virtual Safety Car. Russell and Norris both pitted during the VSC, but the German was able to restart and the VSC ended just as the two race leaders pulled into the pit. Yuki Tsunoda pitted as well, leaving Esteban Ocon to lead the race.
Oscar Piastri was given a ten-second penalty for the turn 1 collision with Lawson.
In barely-raceable conditions, Norris passes Russell to make them 4th and 5th respectively. Right after the overtake, the Safety Car appears to neutralize the race in lap 30. Many drivers pit under the Safety Car, teams looking confident that the rain will let up.
In 16th place behind the Safety Car, Colapinto was catching up, aquaplained and ended up in the wall up the hill in sector 3. He was luckily unharmed, but a red flag came out. As a result, Ocon, Verstappen, and Pierre Gasly pitted for new tyres to no detriment. The drivers are out of their cars on lap 33, regrouping and waiting for a restart.
Hülkenberg received a black flag for External Assistance, as he was pushed from his beached position during the VSC and rejoined the race. He was disqualified from the Grand Prix.
The race restarted with Ocon, Verstappen, and Gasly leading the field. Norris went wide off the road at turn 4 and Russell was able to battle his way by. Leclerc also went wide, almost giving up a place to Piastri.
After the restart and halfway through the race, the points scorers were Ocon, Verstappen, Gasly, Russell, Norris, Leclerc, Piastri, Tsunoda, Hamilton, and Alonso.
As he tried to attack Carlos Sainz, Oliver Bearman slid off the road and into the tarmac, but was able to rejoin the race. A few laps later, Carlos Sainz is the one in the barrier, bringing out another Safety Car. There are 15 cars remaining on track.
Ocon was 3 seconds ahead of Verstappen, but that gap disappeared under the Safety Car. On the restart, Verstappen lunged into the lead. Norris slid off the road and fell to 7th position behind his teammate, Piastri.
Fernando Alonso flew off the road and into the grass in turn 12, but got back on the track in last place. In just a couple of laps, Verstappen had gapped almost 3 seconds between himself and second place Ocon. Piastri let Norris by into P6 after an order from the McLaren pit wall.
By lap 54, the gap between Verstappen and Ocon had increased to over 7 seconds, as Verstappen repeatedly set fastest laps. Further back in the field, Liam Lawson fought Sergio Perez for P9. Hamilton also got by Perez, pulling into P10 and leaving Perez outside of the points.
Verstappen and Ocon looked comfortable in P1 and P2, Verstappen still collecting fastest laps and having built a 10 second gap. Gasly looked less comfortable, with Russell steadily gaining on him and dipping within 1 second.
With 5 laps remaining, Verstappen had a commanding 14 second lead. The Alpines held onto P2 and P3 as they searched for Ocon’s 4th career podium and Gasly’s 5th.
Alonso radioed his team that he will finish the race for the work the mechanics did, but is experiencing back pain due to his Aston Martin’s bouncing.
As the chequered flag grew closer, Verstappen continued to set fastest laps. Further back, his teammate Perez battled with Hamilton for the final point-earning position.
Max Verstappen crossed the line for the win after starting the Grand Prix in 17th. Esteban Ocon and Pierre Gasly complete the podium and complete a truly excellent day for Alpine as they move up to P6 in the Constructors’ Championship.
Right behind them was Russell. Leclerc, Norris, Tsunoda, Piastri, Lawson, and Hamilton provisonally complete the points.
