"Emotional rollercoaster"
Max-Mania! Only two drivers had achieved this before
Verstappen raced from 17th on the grid to triumph in a crazy rain Grand Prix in Sao Paulo. Only two drivers have won from further back.
Postponed from Saturday to Sunday morning due to rain, qualifying in Sao Paulo was chaos with five serious accidents. And one unlucky driver: Max Verstappen was unable to complete a fast lap in the second section due to a delayed red flag, meaning he only managed 12th on the grid - and had to drop back a further five places due to a new engine. The world champion was furious. And became the "rain god" in the race in Interlagos: triumph for the Red Bull superstar, his first since Barcelona in June, plus the point for the fastest lap. While "pole setter" Lando Norris lost ground in sixth place in the world championship duel ...
"Emotions were on a rollercoaster"
He jumped out of the car, hugged the already criticized successor to Adrian Newey with designer Pierre Wache - and was relieved: "My emotions were on a rollercoaster this time," breathed Verstappen at the finish, "it was really difficult to overtake here on the new asphalt." Nevertheless, Max made up seven places on the first lap. And later had the luck of the brave: World Championship rival Lando Norris (McLaren) had lost the lead to George Russell (Mercedes) at the start, followed by a red flag shortly after his pit stop - and so Verstappen had his first tire change without losing any time.
After another safety car period, Max finally took the lead from Esteban Ocon (Alpine) on lap 42 - and pulled away by over 19 seconds. "I knew it would be a tough race from 17th on the grid," explained the 27-year-old, "but we mostly kept out of it and stayed calm."
By winning from 17th on the grid, Verstappen has moved up to third place in the all-time leaderboard. John Watson (McLaren) achieved such a feat in Detroit in 1982. The Northern Irishman also holds the record, winning at Long Beach in 1983 from 22nd on the grid ahead of Niki Lauda.
Preliminary decision in the World Championship
With a 62-point lead, Max is now much more relaxed going into the last three GP races and the sprint in Qatar and is on the verge of the title. Mercedes has to pay a fine of 10,000 euros for changing the tire pressure on both cars during the race.
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