Max Verstappen takes the win in the São Paulo Sprint at the Grand Prix, swiftly seizing the lead from Lando Norris as the race kicked off. The Dutchman surged ahead during the 24-lap battle and managed to maintain his lead, despite occasional pressure from Norris.
LIGHTS OUT FOR THE SAO PAULO SPRINT!
— Formula 1 (@F1) November 4, 2023
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Verstappen nabs the lead at Turn 1!#BrazilGP #F1Sprint pic.twitter.com/QlaPEHOJwO
The Race Unfolds
Launching off the starting line, the Dutchman surged ahead at the beginning of the 24-lap encounter, facing sporadic challenges from Norris. The sprint format offered a free tyre choice, with most opting for the soft tyre, except for Logan Sargeant and the Haas duo, who chose mediums. Norris had a strong start, but Verstappen swiftly overtook him in Turn 1. Meanwhile, George Russell claimed third from Sergio Perez, and Lewis Hamilton joined the battle, eventually securing fourth.
Russell later passed Norris in Turn 10, while further back, AlphaTauri’s Yuki Tsunoda and Daniel Ricciardo lost ground to the Ferrari duo. Meanwhile, Fernando Alonso, starting from P15 after an early exit in the Sprint Shootout, made impressive moves, overtaking Kevin Magnussen for 12th place.
Despite a slight breakaway for the top four of Verstappen, Norris, Russell, and Perez, a DRS train formed behind them. Perez closed in on Russell, leading to a back-and-forth battle. Perez eventually overtook Russell, who fought back initially but couldn’t maintain his position.
As the race progressed, Norris closed the gap to Verstappen, bringing it down to 1.3 seconds by Lap 13. Throughout the field, intense battles unfolded. Ricciardo struggled, losing a position to fellow Australian driver Oscar Piastri. Alonso continued his relentless pursuit, managing to overtake Pierre Gasly.
Final Moments
In the final laps, Max Verstappen and Lando Norris seemed locked in their battle, maintaining a gap of just under two seconds. Leclerc and Tsunoda challenged Hamilton, with Tsunoda successfully overtaking him for sixth. Ricciardo managed to pass Piastri for ninth, while Alonso relentlessly chased Piastri for the final points position.
In the closing moments, Alonso briefly overtook Piastri, but the Australian driver fought back to reclaim his position. Verstappen, navigating smoothly, clinched his fourth Sprint victory of the season, followed by Norris in second and Perez in third.
Russell finished fourth, with Leclerc in fifth, narrowly ahead of Tsunoda in sixth. Hamilton secured seventh, and Carlos Sainz claimed the final point in eighth.
What a battle this was!
— Formula 1 (@F1) November 4, 2023
Sainz, Piastri and Ricciardo all fighting hard for the final point ⚔️#BrazilGP #F1Sprint pic.twitter.com/42Z3tljqRz
Ricciardo and Piastri completed the top 10, while Alonso and Stroll finished 11th and 12th for Aston Martin. Gasly and Ocon took 13th and 14th for Alpine, respectively, while Alex Albon finished in 15th.
In the intense 100-kilometre dash, Kevin Magnussen secured 16th place, with Zhou, Nico Hulkenberg, Bottas, and Sargeant completing the order from 17th to 20th.
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