Max Verstappen displayed a masterful performance as he stormed to victory at the Brazilian Grand Prix, obliterating the field with a defiant charge from P17 all the way to the top step of the podium.
The Dutchman won by nearly 20 seconds, with the surprise Alpine duo of Esteban Ocon and Pierre Gasly completing the top three after a race that was littered with restarts and red flags.
Verstappen's race-winning pace and evident skillset in the wet has boosted Red Bull's hopes of retaining the drivers' championship, the 27-year-old now heading into the Las Vegas GP next time out with the potential to be crowned the 2024 Formula 1 champion.
On what was an insane day of racing, GPFans kept an eye out for some stories which may have flown under the radar...
Max Verstappen claimed victory at the Brazilian GPThe battle between Max Verstappen and Lando Norris for the drivers' title could be all but over
Bearman dealt F1 setback following Brazilian GP
Soon-to-be F1 rookie Oliver Bearman was reportedly awoken bright and early Friday morning to the news that he would once again be jumping into an F1 car ahead of his full-time entrance into the sport next year in his role as Haas reserve driver.
The 19-year-old was called in to replace Kevin Magnussen who had been declared unwell and unfit to take part in Friday's proceedings- Bearman instead piloting his Haas for the only practice session of the weekend ahead of the sprint qualifying.
After an impressive performance in practice finished with the young Brit as third-fastest, many speculated whether Ayao Komatsu's outfit would decide to keep him behind the wheel for the entire weekend in a tactical move, regardless of Magnussen's health status.
The team later confirmed however that Bearman would be participating in the entire Brazilian weekend as a result of Magnussen still not being well enough to perform for Saturday or Sunday's sessions.
While this experience is vital for Bearman ahead of his permanent move to F1 with Haas for 2025, it now appears as though the weekend in Brazil has presented him with a setback, as technically he cannot be classed as a rookie having now competed in three grands prix weekends.
One big consequence of this is that with 3 Grands Prix under his belt, Bearman will no longer qualify as a rookie for the end of season test https://t.co/wUCeAtags5
Stroll celebrations postponed after Sao Paulo disaster
Aston Martin have experienced a year to forget in F1, the team clearly shifting their focus to 2025 and 2026 instead, with high hopes of becoming championship contenders thanks to the arrival of design guru Adrian Newey.
Heading into the Brazilian GP weekend however, Lawrence Stroll's outfit would have ideally been looking for points at Interlagos, with Fernando Alonso having delivered a stunning podium at the track just one year ago.
In a disastrous turn of events though, both cars exited qualifying early providing the garage with the tricky task of repairing both cars ahead of the race, all for Lance Stroll to beach his Aston Martin into the gravel before the grand prix had even officially begun.
As a result of his crash on the formation lap, Stroll did not technically start the race, meaning he failed to break the record this weekend for the most race starts by a Canadian driver in F1, currently still tied with Jacques Villeneuve on 163.
As the eventful Sao Paulo Grand Prix weekend finally drew to a close on-track, eagle-eyed viewers may have spotted a new addition to the chequered flag proceedings.
As Verstappen and (most) of the other drivers on the grid cross the finish line, a 'next race' graphic was proudly displayed above the track, appropriately lit up to excite the crowd and viewers at home for the next event, starting November 22, 2024.
F1 returns to the strip after an immediate two-week break following the action in Brazil, for the first race of the final triple-header of the season, where championships could be decided.
Verstappen bests Schumacher record with showstopping drive
Red Bull's star driver returned to top form this weekend, reminding the grid that he still has what it takes to reclaim the drivers' title as early as next time out in Vegas.
With an already impressive career under his belt and persistent heartbreak this season thanks to the controversial decisions of the FIA, who knows how many seasons the Dutchman has left before he finally throws in the towel?
Regardless of his disdain at the recent state of the sport, Verstappen continues to push the boundaries and break records, the Brazilian GP providing yet another historic weekend for him, this weekend seeing him break Michael Schumacher’s record of 896 consecutive days in the lead of a drivers' championship, a record that looks to be extended by Verstappen even further.
Max Verstappen (R) has beaten Michael Schumacher's (L) drivers' championship lead record this weekend
It was almost impossible to miss the shock success of Alpine this weekend as the often problematic driver duo of Ocon and Gasly claimed a spectacular P2 and P3 result not only for the Enstone-based team but for French drivers in F1 as well.
The 21st race in the 2024 season saw the French pair of Ocon and Gasly secure what will certainly be a memorable result for the stars who have been fierce rivals since childhood and have just three races left as team-mates ahead of Ocon's switch to Haas for 2025.
The last time prior to this weekend that there were two French drivers finishing on the podium in F1 was back in 1997, Ocon and Gasly putting all past qualms aside to become the first French pair to do so in 27 years.
GP ITALY
17 - 19 May
GP MONACO
24 - 26 May
GP CANADA
7 - 9 Jun
GP SPAIN
21 - 23 Jun
GP AUSTRIA
28 - 30 Jun
GP GREAT BRITAIN
5 - 7 Jul
GP HUNGARY
19 - 21 Jul
GP BELGIUM
26 - 28 Jul
GP NETHERLANDS
23 - 25 Aug
GP AZERBAIJAN
13 - 15 Sep
GP SINGAPORE
20 - 22 Sep
GP USA
18 - 20 Oct
GP MEXICO
25 - 27 Oct
GP BRAZIL
1 - 3 Nov
GP QATAR
29 Nov - 1 Dec
GP ABU DHABI
6 - 8 Dec
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