Verstappen beats all odds with dominant Brazil GP win to tighten championship grip

There is always a possibility of the unthinkable happening during a Formula One race — an event or move capable of changing not just the result but the entire season. And, what unravelled during the double-header in Mexico and Brazil was nothing short of unbelievable.

The 2024 title fight, once deemed a done deal, became quite interesting in the last few races as Lando Norris and the resurgent McLaren team rediscovered long-lost form, aiming to snatch it from the grasp of a struggling Red Bull.

ALSO READ | Mclaren vs Red Bull: Can Lando Norris beat Max Verstappen to the top – a statistical deep dive

But an attempt was all that could be made, as Max Verstappen showed that one race alone can swing the odds in his favour. He did so in remarkable fashion in São Paulo, charging from 17th place to win the rain-hit and incident-laden Brazilian Grand Prix.

More significant still was that he won with a lead of over 19 seconds over the car behind — the unheralded Alpine of Esteban Ocon. The Dutchman couldn’t have chosen a better time to emerge from a 10-race winless slump, though his fighting spirit was never in doubt.

ALSO READ | Verstappen answers critics with one of his best in Brazil

Despite some risky moves and finding himself in the hot seat over his dipping form, the three-time World Champion pulled off one of the greatest races of his career, which now almost certainly guarantees him a fourth successive crown.

However, the scene before the Brazil race painted a slightly different picture. With a sprint race win and pole position, Norris had a 44-point deficit against Verstappen, who qualified only 12th and faced an additional five-place penalty, dropping him down to 17th. All he needed to do was protect his lead, but little did he know that his miserable pole-to-win conversion (two wins from eight poles) would come back to haunt him.

The 24-year-old had the pace and team support throughout the weekend — his teammate Oscar Piastri was instructed to let Norris pass not once, but twice, including for the sprint race victory. Yet it was Brazil’s weather that had the final say, making an event-packed, early-start Sunday one to forget for the discouraged Norris.

It was, however, memorable for defending champion Verstappen and for a certain Lewis Hamilton, who had the ‘greatest honour of his career’ driving the late Ayrton Senna’s McLaren MP4/5B from his title-winning 1990 campaign.

In the chaos that unfolded, one team arguably stood out from the rest — Alpine. Both its drivers, Ocon and third-placed Pierre Gasly, would never have imagined finishing on the podium, let alone together. With a mighty points haul, the French side took a huge stride in the Constructors’ Championship, climbing from ninth (14 points) to sixth (49), keeping alive the midfield battle among the teams.

At the top of the table, however, a three-way battle is ongoing, with McLaren (593) leading but Ferrari (557) and Red Bull (544) within striking distance.

While both UK-based outfits mainly benefited in Brazil, Ferrari managed to stay in the fight thanks to its double podium finish in Mexico, where Carlos Sainz stole the show, though the drama between Norris and Verstappen headlined the race.

The Spaniard had made his intentions clear — that he would do whatever it takes to stand atop the podium this year before his Ferrari chapter ends. And he did so unchallenged, as the pole-sitter regained his lead in the opening laps and held it until the end. Verstappen, who momentarily stole the lead, lost it, and possibly the race, after a tussle with Norris.

ALSO READ | Sainz wins in Mexico as Norris tightens championship fight

Whether the FIA modified its rules after a controversial penalty in Austin remains to be seen. However, the stewards had certainly put their foot down this time in Mexico City, penalising Verstappen with a double 10-second penalty (for causing a collision and staying ahead despite going off-track).

Verstappen dropped to the bottom, climbing back to sixth but at the cost of wearing out his tyres too early. Leclerc again capitalised on the battle ahead but eventually settled for third behind Norris.

The sight of Ferrari flags flying high far from home at an iconic part of the Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez circuit in Mexico City must have brought chills to the Italian faithful (tifosi).

The podium, surrounded by thousands of fans singing loudly in Spanish, lit up as Sainz ascended with his winning car (above) and took to the top step in what could be his final yet most memorable win for Ferrari.

Though the back-to-back race weekends did not disappoint, Norris’s ambitious title hope fading away in a race that shifted gears too many times will be a hard pill to swallow. Nevertheless, with three races left in the season, there could still be a twist in the tale.

MotoGP

The title fight between Jorge Martín (behind) and Francesco Bagnaia (front) will head to the final round of the 2024 MotoGP season, as the latter defended his pole position to win in Malaysia. The two-time champion managed to keep Martín behind him despite several attempts, reducing the lead in the drivers’ standings to 24 points.

Bagnaia showed he wasn’t backing down from the battle as he dominated Friday’s practice session and broke the pole position record at Sepang on Saturday. Heading into the weekend with a 17-point gap, the sprint race saw the Ducati driver lose the lead in the first lap and crash in the third, gifting Martín the win and a crucial 12 points.

But the Italian rider went into Sunday with unwavering confidence, vowing to go all out in the race. Despite a chaotic start and a reduced 19-lap event, the lead continuously swapped hands between the title rivals, but Bagnaia pulled away just enough to keep the battle alive. The season is set to conclude at Barcelona’s Circuit de Catalunya-Barcelona, as the Valencia Grand Prix was cancelled due to catastrophic flooding in the region.