Max Verstappen claimed victory at the Brazilian Grand Prix on Sunday, navigating wet conditions to win after starting from 17th on the grid at Sao Paulo’s Autodromo Jose Carlos Pace.
Verstappen’s victory represents a rare achievement in Formula 1 history; out of 1,121 races, he is only the fifth driver to win after starting 17th or lower. The Red Bull driver, who has secured three consecutive world championships, broke Fernando Alonso’s record by winning from his 10th different starting position.
The Dutchman’s low starting position was due to a five-place grid penalty after placing 12th in qualifying. The penalty followed an engine change, which pushed Verstappen back to P17.
Reflecting on the day, Verstappen said, “My emotions today were a roller coaster. We stayed out of trouble, we made the right calls, and we were flying,” as quoted by Mauricio Savarese from The Associated Press.
Alpine driver Esteban Ocon took second place, while his teammate Pierre Gasly completed the podium for Alpine’s best team finish this season.
Meanwhile, Lando Norris, who began the race from pole position, dropped to sixth place. Norris, Verstappen’s closest rival for the championship, now trails by 62 points in the drivers’ standings with three races remaining in Las Vegas, Qatar, and Abu Dhabi.
The race saw several incidents, with four drivers unable to complete it. Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz, Williams’ Franco Colapinto, Haas’ Nico Hulkenberg, and Aston Martin’s Lance Stroll all crashed out, while Colapinto’s teammate, Alex Albon, was sidelined after a wreck in qualifying.
