Max makes it look easy
What a difference a year makes. Max Verstappen, after his travails at this race last year, where he was hit by Esteban Ocon while leading, could not have delivered a more impressive performance. Since his crash in practice at Monaco last year he has returned a more complete driver. Red Bull’s team principal, Christian Horner, has praised how far he has come and believes he has the ability to beat Lewis Hamilton in a straight fight. On this evidence it would be an unmissable battle. Weaknesses remain – qualifying at Mexico was a glaring error but in Brazil he was calm, controlled and flawless – dominant in qualifying and untouchable in the race. Not only did he retake the lead twice but exhibited some exquisite skill. His pass on Charles Leclerc to chase Hamilton was a decisive thrust he had to execute quickly and perfectly. Equally, the final restart was a piece of old-school racecraft that even Hamilton acknowledged was outstanding. Praise indeed.
Ferrari flounder again
Sebastian Vettel and Charles Leclerc have been summoned to see the beak at Maranello to explain themselves after the biff that cost them both. With Ferrari secure in second place in the constructors’ championship, the points they lost are irrelevant – although Leclerc, on the verge of beating his teammate at the first attempt, will doubtless be seething. However, such a public and potentially divisive incident is not what they need going into the close season. The team principal, Mattia Binotto, kept a cool head, stressing they should apologise to the team, but how he deals with this looking towards 2020 is vital. The stewards found neither driver to be wholly at fault but it seems almost impossible not to imagine that Ferrari’s examination will find Leclerc blameless. The only light at the end of the tunnel for the Scuderia is that the incident has momentarily overshadowed the continuing speculation over the legality of their power unit.
Mercedes hold up their hands
Hamilton and his team knew going into the race they were likely to struggle in Brazil. The architecture of their power unit, particularly the turbo, has been optimised to work on the majority of tracks – specifically the ones that do not take place at altitude. As a result they expected to be under the cosh in both Mexico and Brazil. At the former they pulled out an unlikely, brilliant win for Hamilton, but despite trying everything could not repeat it in Brazil. The exceptionally rare sight of one of the Silver Arrows parking up trackside with a smoking power unit must have quite thrown them. Certainly the decision to pit Hamilton under the final safety car was an even rarer incidence of indecision and error. The technical director, James Allison, admitted they should not have given Hamilton the option of deciding, since the driver did not have all the information, and that, when he did come in, it was the wrong call. They had miscalculated the places he would lose and how long the safety car might remain out. Allison described it as “just plain dumb”.
Happy days at Honda
Verstappen’s victory could perhaps not have come on a more auspicious occasion for Honda, a one-two on the anniversary of the birth of their founder, Soichiro Honda. The engine supplier’s one-two with Pierre Gasly’s superb second was what the team have been building towards since returning in 2015, although that it was a Toro Rosso – Red Bull’s junior team – that finished the job had probably not been anticipated. Their previous one-two was Gerhard Berger and Ayrton Senna at the Japanese Grand Prix in 1991 – when Senna secured his final title. As Gasly proved in his drag race with Hamilton through the final corners, their turbo was well-suited to the rarefied air at Interlagos but nonetheless it is clear they have made real steps forward this season. Further advances could make them a real player next year. Honda’s technical director, Toyoharu Tanabe, even had the good grace to acknowledge former colleagues with whom their relationship had ended so sourly: “Congratulations to McLaren, with whom we scored that last win in 1991, for finishing on the podium.”
Woking’s finest finish the job
Carlos Sainz did not receive his plaudits on the podium for the third place he secured after Hamilton was penalised but at least he and the team were able to climb the steps and celebrate after the decision had been made. It was the culmination of a superb race for Sainz and McLaren. It sealed their fourth place in the constructors’ championship, which is a real achievement given the competitiveness of the midfield. After struggling for the past five years every indication is now that they are on the right course. Sainz is their first man on the podium since 2014, 118 races ago, and he absolutely earned it. Having started at the very back of the grid, he drove two flawless long stints to come through the field on a one-stop strategy – the only driver to do so. Crucially at the very end he was still sharp as a tack. At the final restart on much older, slower rubber he could have been swamped but held his place brilliantly. Sainz and his team should revel in the achievements at Interlagos.
