'Tsunoda to partner Verstappen' and more - Brazilian Grand Prix Hot Takes

A bizarre Brazilian Grand Prix saw Max Verstappen recover from 17th on the grid to not only win, but win by almost 20 seconds.

That victory puts the Dutchman in such a position of strength that not only has he almost wrapped up the drivers' championship, he can win it at the next race in Las Vegas.

READ MORE: FIA announce Norris investigation after UNUSUAL multi-car incident

The Brit endured a nightmare outing in Brazil, losing the lead on the opening lap to George Russell and was plagued by an FIA investigation for a starting infringement.

Norris finished the race in P6, with not just Ferrari and Mercedes finishing above but also both Alpines.

Esteban Ocon and Pierre Gasly claimed second and third respectively, and a vital spot on the podium that has helped lift the team above Haas in the constructors' standings.

If that wasn't enough there were multiple crashes, wheel-to-wheel battles and wet conditions which ensured the Brazilian GP was a race to entertain all.

Here is what the GPFans team had to say about all the drama in Sao Paulo.

Dan Ripley - Deputy Editor

This is Verstappen's best ever Formula One win - and that's saying something given some of the victories he has chalked up over the years.

Granted nothing will perhaps ever top his Abu Dhabi 2021 success on results alone but in terms of performance this was not just the drive of a champion but the drive of a legend.

Going from 17th on the grid in the wet and not only keeping it on the road but going on to win by a dominant margin - even with the red flag assistance - that is astonishing. It's a drive that is worthy of winning any world championship and it may be the key one to secure his fourth.

READ MORE: FIA issue TRIPLE penalty at Brazilian Grand Prix

Chris Deeley - US Lead Editor

Focusing on anything other than Max Verstappen’s astonishing comeback – not just one of his best drives, but one of the best drives in the history of Formula 1 – feels ridiculous, so here’s the obligatory mention of it.

Now onto the other bit. How many weekends this season have we been able to say ‘McLaren shot themselves in the foot’? Too many for a title, without doubt. Remember Hungary, when they managed to turn a 1-2 finish into a crisis event? Remember Monza, when botched pitstop strategy allowed Ferrari to take a 1-2 of their own? Remember the sprint race yesterday, when Norris was getting mardy on the radio about not getting past Piastri soon enough?

That Italian Grand Prix feels particularly relevant today, though. The obvious play, when conditions were bad and getting worse, was to stay out and wait for the inevitable safety car or red flag. Sure enough, McLaren pitted Norris at the exact wrong moment, not even getting the benefit of a Virtual Safety Car and losing out on both the full safety car and red flag which followed. You know who didn’t do that? The team who know how to win the title.

After Monza, I wrote: “This is a team that isn’t ready to win a title. This is a team of children sitting at the adults’ table. If they don’t grow up soon, they’re going to waste the best car they’ve had in a generation.”

They’ve still got some growing up to do.

Kerry Violet - F1 News Editor

Brazil 2024 presented the most insane grand prix weekend of the season so far and with just three races left this year, isn’t likely to be beaten to that title any time soon. BUT, despite the endless drama, red flags, Virtual Safety Cars, incidents and FIA investigations, the sport’s governing body STILL managed to suck all the fun out of what should have been an unforgettable weekend.

Postponement, race restarts, five drivers out of the main event and the reigning champion starting all the way back in P17 was a recipe for entertainment if nothing else and whilst George Russell’s corker of a start to overtake Lando Norris in pole did make for wonderful viewing, that felt like yesterday’s news by the time the driver’s finally made it across the line.

Despite an FIA penalty and bad luck in qualifying, Verstappen managed to make up seven places in the first lap alone, delivering a clear statement that he was not willing to sit back and take their controversial decisions on the chin any longer. Charging his Red Bull through the pack from P17 to claim the top spot of the podium as the chequered flag was waved proved that the Dutchman prefers to let his performance on track do the talking.

As for the rest of the pack, an unbelievable double podium for Alpine in Sao Paulo has stirred up the championship standings lower down the grid, but with Pierre Gasly, George Russell, Yuki Tsunoda and Lando Norris all under investigation over their starting procedure infringement, the FIA managed to remove the magic of such an unpredictable race.

Watching a race order mixed up as much as it was at Interlagos should result in edge-of-your-seat viewing, but for both the casual viewer and F1 fanatic, knowing that Verstappen’s closest championship challenger is likely to be slapped with a post-race penalty and shake up the final classification anyway provides little incentive to stay tuned for what was a much-delayed and indecisive affair.

Simmey Hannifin-Donaldson - F1 Journalist

Look, it has become a freezing-cold take to suggest that Sergio Perez should lose his Red Bull seat. In fact, at this stage, it would genuinely be shocking if he remains alongside Max Verstappen next season after yet another shocking display across the Brazilian Grand Prix weekend.

However, there is one man being seriously overlooked in the debate surrounding who could replace the Mexican - Yuki Tsunoda.

Forget Liam Lawson, forget Franco Colapinto, Tsunoda could be Red Bull’s man. The Japanese star has already seen off Daniel Ricciardo this season and put on an excellent display in Brazil on Sunday.

Sure, his P8 in the race saw him drop five places from his starting spot, but the fact he was able to put his car on the second row in qualifying - in a session when FIVE of his colleagues could not even keep theirs on the track - was truly impressive.

Christian Horner, Helmut Marko and those making the decisions at Red Bull can overlook their former junior star no longer.

At the very least, Tsunoda deserves to be in contention for a drive alongside the three-time champion in 2025 - particularly when the team are being linked with drivers outside of the Red Bull pool.

Sheona Mountford - F1 Journalist

We have to talk about how much damage Aston Martin are doing to themselves by keeping Lance Stroll at the team.

His embarrassing crash in Brazil was just one of his many incidents that leaves you shaking your head, and questioning how he has remained in F1 for so long.

After a strong showing in Sao Paulo, Alpine edged closer to taking fifth from Aston Martin in the constructors' championship and Stroll's antics are unacceptable when it could cost them crucial funds in the future.

Whilst it is possible to centre a championship winning bid around Fernando Alonso, Stroll is holding the team back from extracting the most out their design, a flaw that not even the genius of Adrian Newey may be able to remedy.

Stroll’s crash is not just a reminder of his incompetence, but also that Newey should have signed with Ferrari.

If Aston Martin are serious about winning a championship they need to drop the driver who is holding them back, and instead should find a driver that can fight with Alonso, and the big boys at the front of the grid.

READ MORE: Surprise F1 star tipped to REPLACE Perez at Red Bull

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