It was not a classic São Paulo Grand Prix but it produced some
interesting storylines as Formula 1 heads into the final two races
of the season. Max Verstappen took his 17th win of the season and
with it smashed a record that has stood since 1952 – the biggest
win percentage in a season, which was held by Alberto Ascari. Even
though it has not been a classic title battle this year, we start
off the Winners and Losers at arguably one of this season’s best
moments yet. Winner – Fernando Alonso I can’t be alone when I found
myself ‘coaching’ one of the most experienced drivers in Formula 1
through that final lap battle with Sergio Perez. It was savvy
driving from Fernando Alonso to get past Perez at Turn 4, then
forcing him to take a tighter line through Junção later in the lap
before the run to the finish. A margin of 0.053secs produced a
dramatic photo finish at the line and gave Alonso a deserved
podium. What did Alonso say? “For the last 30 laps, it felt like I
had pressure from Sergio [Pérez]. But when he passed me two laps
from the end, I thought the chance of a podium finish was no longer
possible. Then he braked a bit late into Turn One on the final lap,
and I said to myself I would go for it into Turn Four.” Loser –
Mercedes The race at Interlagos caps off what has been a tough
triple-header for Mercedes. First, it Hamilton’s disqualification
at Austin, and now the shocking performance in Brazil has only been
softened by promise in Mexico City in between. Russell said the
team’s pace was “mind-boggling” after the race, while Wolff branded
it “inexcusable” for the team . The only good fortune for them came
when Charles Leclerc retired before the race started, preventing
any more points from being lost to Ferrari in the Constructors’
Championship race for runner-up. But you can’t help but think
Mercedes is wanting to just see this season out… Winner – Sergio
Perez For a moment it looked like Perez was about to be rewarded
for biding his time behind Alonso, had it not been for an audacious
last-lap move from the Spaniard. Even so, a recovery from ninth on
the grid after an unfortunate qualifying session was a good
performance from the Mexican after a tough last few races. A
continuation of this form in races should enable him to seal second
in the Drivers’ Championship, and put to rest any questions over
his immediate future. What did Perez say? “I have to say well done
to Fernando because it was a great fight and really fair racing.
Between us, whoever got the podium, it was well deserved, and he
got it. Loser – Charles Leclerc Thankfully it was not an error that
forced Charles Leclerc out of the race before it began but it was
yet another spate of bad luck for the Monégasque. Although there is
yet to be a definitive answer over what happened, it’s clear the
reliability of the SF-23 is still a problem for the team as it
looks to iron out the creases that have plagued the season. Leclerc
looked on course to convert another front row into a podium but it
is yet more points thrown away for Ferrari as it battles Mercedes
for second in the Constructors’ Championship. What did Leclerc say?
“I t’s been a disappointing day on my side. Starting from P2, we
were hoping to bring home plenty of points to move up in the
championship fight, but unfortunately, we had to retire early.
Coming into turn 6 on the formation lap, I lost my power steering
and the wheel went stiff, also locking up the rears.” Winner –
Lando Norris Although Lando Norris was pretty downbeat throughout
the weekend, he produced one of the most convincing challenges for
a win over Verstappen. After gaining positions at the initial start
before red flags were thrown, Norris got himself on to the front
row for the restart – a place he should have been in the first
place. It was the best possible scenario for the outcome of the
race, as it meant Norris could push Verstappen throughout the
stints. It’s a shame he could not make his attempt at taking the
lead stick, but I have a feeling this is the start of one of the
great on-track rivalries in F1. What did Norris say? “I’m very
happy with today and with all weekend honestly, the pace has been
very strong. To again, be coming into race weekend which we weren’t
expecting to be performing quite at this level, I think is a very
good surprise for all of us.” Loser – Alex Albon The crash with
Nico Hulkenberg could prove to be a costly incident for Alex Albon
if AlphaTauri scores any more points between now and Abu Dhabi.
Williams Team Principal James Vowles made it clear that he wanted
to outscore the Faenza-based outfit at this race to maintain 7th in
the Constructors’ Championship, but all hopes for that were dashed
just over 200 meters into the race at Interlagos. It has been an
impressive season from Albon so far, so you hope this crash does
not come back to haunt Williams at the end of the year, even if it
wasn’t the Thai-Briton’s error. What did Albon say? “I had a great
start; I think it was one of the strongest starts on the grid but
after looking at the external cameras, the driver on the inside was
a bit blindsided by the two cars on the right, so there wasn’t much
I could do. With all the retired cars throughout the race and many
out of place with damage from the crash, we really could’ve been on
for points, so it’s disappointing when the championship fight is so
tight.”

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