Verstappen Overcomes Adversity to Secure Victory in Brazilian Grand Prix
Max Verstappen of Red Bull Racing achieved a remarkable victory in the Brazilian Grand Prix, held at Sao Paulo's Autodromo Jose Carlos Pace, after starting from 17th position on Sunday. This win represents only the fifth time in Formula 1 history that a driver starting 17th or lower has triumphed, with a total of 1,121 races recorded.
The three-time defending world champion has now secured wins from 10 different starting positions, surpassing Fernando Alonso's previous record. Verstappen qualified in 12th place but was penalized with a five-place grid drop due to an engine change.
"My emotions today were a roller coaster," Verstappen remarked after the race, as reported by Mauricio Savarese from The Associated Press. "We stayed out of trouble, we made the right calls, and we were flying."
Esteban Ocon from Alpine finished in second place, while his teammate Pierre Gasly completed the podium, marking the team's best result of the season. Lando Norris, who started on pole and is currently Verstappen's closest competitor in the championship standings, finished sixth. Verstappen now holds a 62-point lead in the drivers' standings with three races remaining in the season, including events in Las Vegas, Qatar, and Abu Dhabi.
Several drivers faced challenges during the race, including Carlos Sainz from Ferrari, Franco Colapinto from Williams, Nico Hulkenberg from Haas, and Lance Stroll from Aston Martin, all of whom crashed and did not finish. Colapinto's teammate, Alex Albon, was unable to compete in the race after an incident in qualifying.