Brazilian GP (#21), sprint race: McLaren double on the Sao Paulo circuit / Motoring / 2 min. / November 2, 2024
In Brazil, McLaren was able to increase its lead over Red Bull in the constructors’ standings. Indeed, the sprint race was won by Lando Norris who took advantage of his team’s instructions as well as the Virtual Safety Car to overtake his teammate Oscar Piastri. For his part, Max Verstappen thought he would complete the podium but a 5-second penalty pushed the Dutchman back to 4th place, between the Ferraris of Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz.
The weekend was eventful in Sao Paulo, after the McLaren double during the sprint race and the various penalties inflicted on Verstappen, qualifying saw 5 red flags displayed. The accumulation of sanctions forced the Dutchman to start 17th on the grid, to win the race a miracle would have to happen.
On the Interlagos circuit, the miracle happened, Verstappen achieved a unique “comeback” to get closer to his 4th world champion title. By taking advantage of the various accidents, Alpine also shone by offering itself a double podium for the first time this season. The big loser of the weekend is undoubtedly Lando Norris who could not do better than 6th place and who sees Verstappen take off with a 60 point lead in the standings.
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After 3 seasons spent with the duo Valtteri Bottas and Zhou Guanyu, Sauber has decided to stop collaborating with the two drivers. Since 2022, the performances of the Finn and the Chinese as well as the competitiveness of the car have only decreased, going from 6th place in 2022 with 55 points to last in 2024 with 0 points. The two men have not yet announced the rest of their careers.
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It had been several months since the arrival of Nico Hülkenberg at Sauber was announced but the identity of the second driver still remained unknown. Following the formalization of the departures of Bottas and Zhou, team boss Mattia Binotto declared that Gabriel Bortoleto will make his debut in Formula 1 in 2025. Current leader of the Formula 2 championship, the 20-year-old Brazilian signed a contract covering several years.
