A 24 lap shoot-out awaited our 20 drivers for the Brazilian Sprint Race today. Lando Norris lined up on pole, the Mercedes of Kimi Antonelli next to him on the front row. With the track being on the damper side, the sprint would prove to be a test of driver skill.
Clean Off The Line
5 lights went out and it was Norris who got the better start of anyone, maintaining the lead. Antonelli kept himself behind Norris but was under immediate pressure from the other Papaya. Oscar Piastri was hungry off the line, immediately fighting for position but played it safe.
Lewis Hamilton had a brilliant start, putting his experience to work, and sailing to 8th. His sprint qualifying was disappointing but he worked his way up the order. Charles Leclerc the car ahead of him.
Incident happened between Liam Lawson and Ollie Bearman, resulting in contact. The replays showed the duo were battling for position and a lack of space caused the contact. Bearman was left spinning but managed to get the car going again, not halting the race. Bearman’s car did sustain some damage.
Early Red Flag – 3 Car Crash
The Brazilian Grand Prix historically brings some dynamic conditions and surface changes. This sprint race was no different and this proved race ending for those who weren’t ready. On Lap 6, Oscar Piastri found the limits, clipping a still wet turn 3 and spinning his McLaren into the barrier.
Almost like clockwork, the Sauber of Nico Hülkenburg also suffered the same error, and as did Franco Colapinto. The number of cars left off the track and the debris spread resulted in a red flag. Hülkenberg was able to recover his car and continue to the pit lane. He took extensive damage to his front wing, which the team hoped to fix for the restart.
As all the cars made their way to the pit lane, various drivers came onto the radio to talk about the conditions. Max Verstappen complained about the lack of grip and control he had of his Red Bull. With this DNF, it becomes Piastri’s second consecutive sprint non-finish.
A Rolling Restart
Race Control decided that it would be best for the grid to have a rolling start once the red flag ended. Lando Norris set off down the start straight once the lights went green, with the two Mercedes teammates fighting for position behind him. George Russell was very close to taking P2 but conceded after some great defence from Antonelli.
Also in that restart, Verstappen continued to struggle with traction, giving the advantage to a hungry and experienced Fernando Alonso, who was behind him in 5th. The two went side-by-side but were careful of the damp patches still present on the track.
With Norris building and maintaining a gap in the lead, a battle for 5th began to unfold between Alonso and both Ferrari’s.
Tyre Life Issues for the Leader
In the red flag period, many drivers changed tyre compounds, which includes Lando Norris. The Brit opted for the faster soft tyres. 7 laps remaining and he reported that he was struggling with his rear tyres. The two Mercedes drivers were on mediums which were holding up better than the softs. By lap 20, Antonelli found himself within DRS range.
This then became a test of defence from Norris against a quicker Antonelli as the race drew to a close. While this began to unfold, Charles Leclerc managed to finally get past Alonso, leaving Hamilton to attack.
Once again, it was experience over hunger, as Norris’ great driving kept him ahead and he went on to win the Brazilian Sprint Race. Antonelli in P2 and Russell P3. Verstappen, despite his complaints, was the fastest man on the track and finished 4th.
Final Lap Incident – Bortoleto Crashes into Turn 1
Just when it seemed this race would end calmly, a scary crash unfolded into turn 1. Bortoleto in front of his home crowd went for the move into the first corner, but the track just seemed to be too wet. The Sauber lost all grip and control, spinning at high speed and shunting into the barrier.
The damage on his car was extensive, leaving the mechanics a great deal of work to do, if they want him to take part in qualifying later. The impact was huge, but Bortoleto came onto the radio saying he was okay. He was taken by the medical team to be checked, ensuring he’s alright.