Verstappen continues winning run in Sao Paolo and gets closer to Vettel

Max Verstappen has extended his winning run in a convincing fashion in Formula 1. The three-time world champion started in pole position at the Brazilian Grand Prix and drove unchallenged to victory. For Verstappen, it is his first Grand Prix win in Brazil since 2019. Last year, he finished in sixth.

British driver Lando Norris finished in second in his McLaren. Sergio Pérez, Verstappen’s Mexican teammate, came up short for third after an exciting battle with the Spaniard Fernando Alonso of Aston Martin finishing fourth. With that, he did avenge his crash last week at his home race in Mexico City.

Verstappen has won seventeen races this season and has 52 victories in his career. The 26-year-old Limburger is one victory away from the German Sebastian Vettel, who is in third place on the list of most successful Formula 1 drivers. Verstappen can pass Vettel this season, as there are still two races left in Las Vegas and Abu Dabhi.

The race started chaotically. Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc crashed during the formation lap and, therefore, could not compete in the race. Verstappen, who won the sprint race on Saturday, was ahead quickly. The race was halted early on as the Dane Kevin Magnussen (Haas) and Thai driver Alexander Albon (Williams) crashed and could not continue.

Verstappen was not in trouble for even a second. Thirteen laps before the end, he lost the top spot for a short while to Norris as he went in for his second pit stop. Norris drove on for a few more laps but then also chose for a change of tires.

There was a good battle between Alonso and Perez for third place at the end of the race. Perez went past the Spaniard in the second to last lap on a long, straight road, but Alonso was able to take back his place afterward. Perez made one last-ditch attempt to go past Alonso again near the finish line but was unsuccessful.

Perez did good business regarding getting second place in the season table. The driver increased his lead over third-place Lewis Hamilton, who finished in eighth spot. Perez has 258 points now, with Hamilton having 226. Verstappen has 524.