2023 Rolex São Paulo Grand Prix Race Recap

2023 Rolex São Paulo Grand Prix Race Recap،

Max Verstappen beat Lando Norris into Turn 1 and led to the finish.

Max Verstappen took victory in Saturday’s Sao Paulo Grand Prix sprint race after taking the lead from pole-sitting Lando Norris on a descent into the first corner.

The 24-lap race was the last of six sprint races this year and offered a number of exciting battles further down the order.

Sprint races award points to the top eight finishers, with the winner getting eight, second place seven, third place six and so on.

Verstappen, who will start from pole position in Sunday’s Grand Prix, never looked threatened after taking the lead into the first corner, while Norris also fell behind George Russell at Turn 8 after the Mercedes driver took a lightning start from fourth place on the grid.

Norris reclaimed second place at Turn 1 on lap five before Russell lost the final podium spot to the second Red Bull of Sergio Pérez on lap eight.

Perez started third but lost two positions in the first four corners of the race as a slow escape saw him overwhelmed by both Mercedes drivers. The under-pressure Red Bull driver overtook Lewis Hamilton for fourth place on lap four and retook third place from Russell a lap later.

Mercedes, who entered the weekend confident of a good result, struggled as the race progressed, with Hamilton losing fifth place to Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc on lap 21 and sixth to a late Yuki Tsunoda inspired.

Hamilton’s seventh place means he has dropped four points to Perez in their battle for second in the championship.

Carlos Sainz took the last point on offer in eighth position after resisting pressure from Daniel Ricciardo throughout the race.

Sunday’s Sao Paulo Grand Prix will see Verstappen start from pole position ahead of Leclerc and the two Aston Martins, who finished 11th and 12th in the sprint race.