Max Verstappen has accomplished an emphatic victory on the Brazilian Grand Prix after Australian Daniel Ricciardo escaped harm when his automobile was struck by a flying tyre.
Lando Norris completed second for McLaren in Sunday’s race, with Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso holding off Verstappen’s Pink Bull teammate Sergio Perez by simply 0.053 seconds for third.
But it surely was an abysmal afternoon for the 2 Australian drivers, Ricciardo (thirteenth) and Oscar Piastri (14th), who introduced up the rear of the sector after being caught up in a chaotic begin.
Mercedes had a nasty time too, with Lewis Hamilton eighth and George Russell pressured to retire his automobile with an engine failure 12 laps from the top. Hamilton crossed the road an eye-watering 63 seconds behind.
The race in Sao Paulo was suspended following a worrying begin when a free tyre hit Ricciardo’s rear wing following a collision between Alex Albon and Nico Hulkenberg.
The pair’s automobiles made contact, with Albon additionally hitting Kevin Magnussen’s Haas and the affect tearing the left-rear off Albon’s Williams, with the bouncing tyre flying excessive of Ricciardo’s head and smashing into the again of his AlphaTauri.
“I attempted to overlook it, however the tyre was within the air and it clipped my rear wing,” Ricciardo instructed his crew.
Piastri was additionally caught up within the drama, as his McLaren was rear-ended by Magnussen’s spinning automobile.
Each Australians have been capable of return for a restart after a 25-minute crimson flag delay however have been relegated to the again of the sector, each being penalised a lap as a result of they didn’t do a lap beneath the Security Automotive and went straight into the pits earlier than the crimson flag.
When the race restarted, Norris, now second, put the stress on Verstappen however the Dutchman, as ever, responded brilliantly, main from begin to end and finally beating Norris by 8.2 seconds.
Verstappen, now on 52 profession wins, clinched the title in Qatar final month whereas Pink Bull have additionally retained their constructors’ title. The champions have received 19 of the 20 races to this point.
Whereas the Dutch driver’s victory at all times appeared inevitable, Alonso offered the late thrills with a dramatic battle with Perez through which he confirmed all of the attacking hearth and defensive ability of a double world champion.
The Spaniard crossed the end line simply 0.053 seconds forward of the Mexican after Perez handed him on the penultimate lap and Alonso, the oldest man within the race at 42, grabbed the place again on the final circuit.
© AAP
