F1 Brazilian Grand Prix: Max Verstappen Wins Chaotic Sao Paulo GP; Norris, Alonso Complete Podium

Max Verstappen clinched his 17th victory of the 2023 Formula 1 season at the Brazilian Grand Prix. Despite an early challenge from Lando Norris, Verstappen maintained his lead throughout the race. The defending world champion made the most of his pole position, securing his victory in the sprint race on Saturday, where he triumphed over Norris after a close first lap. However, the paths of the two racers diverged as the race unfolded.

Mercedes was in a difficult position after Saturday's disappointing sprint race at Interlagos, where both their cars had serious rear tyre degradation. Despite fighting for second place early in the race against Norris, Lewis Hamilton finished the Brazilian Grand Prix in ninth place. For both Verstappen and Mercedes, the Brazilian Grand Prix was full of high-stakes competition and surprising turns.

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F1 Brazilian Grand Prix: Sao Paulo GP Race Result

During the formation lap, Charles Leclerc crashed into a barrier after his Ferrari experienced a hydraulics problem and a sudden rear axle lock. The Aston Martins, meanwhile, got off to terrible starts from the second row of the grid. As a result of the chaos, Lando Norris catapulted from sixth place to second, setting the stage for an exciting clash between him and Verstappen – something that was expected after McLaren's poor qualifying strategy on Friday.

A red flag was waved after a collision between Alex Albon's Williams and two Haas cars, giving Norris a chance to pursue Verstappen after the restart. His McLaren's start wasn't great, and as in the sprint race, Norris had to defend against Lewis Hamilton's Mercedes instead of attacking into Turn 1.

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In a dramatic twist, Fernando Alonso managed to finish third, fending off severe pressure from Sergio Perez's Red Bull during the last stretch. A stunning last-lap pass set up a tense finish, with Alonso winning by a narrow 0.053 seconds. Alonso had held his position during the first two stints despite Perez's late-race speed on soft tyres.

F1 Brazilian Grand Prix: Crashesh During Sao Paulo GP

A severe problem occurred with Charles Leclerc's Ferrari during the formation lap. He was going to start alongside Max Verstappen's Red Bull at the difficult Ferradura right-hander when a problem with the hydraulics and an unexpected rear axle lock sent his car spinning across the run-off area and into the barriers. Although Leclerc first tried to drive away from the tyre wall with front wing damage, it became apparent that he needed pit repairs. Sadly, he abandoned his broken-down Ferrari.

In an almost unbelievable twist, Charles Leclerc crashes on the formation lap #F1 #BrazilGP pic.twitter.com/7LMXt1llGQ

— Formula 1 (@F1) November 5, 2023

Later during the first lap of the Brazilian Grand Prix, a multi-car accident right at the entry to the first corner resulted in a red flag situation. When Alex Albon collided with Nico Hulkenberg's Haas, it sent him rolling towards Kevin Magnussen's Haas. Hulkenberg continued at the back of the group while Albon and Magnussen retired after colliding with outer barriers.

The domino effect resulting from all this also affected Oscar Piastri and Daniel Ricciardo. The cars involved in the accident just missed Piastri's McLaren and Ricciardo's AlphaTauri. Thankfully, all of the racers were able to safely exit their vehicles.