Max Verstappen seeks more Brazil magic to maintain pressure on McLaren duo
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Red Bull's Max Verstappen celebrates after finishing third in the Mexican Grand Prix.
PHOTO: EPA
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SAO PAULO – Max Verstappen may be 36 points off Formula One title leader Lando Norris, but he will be the man to beat this weekend as he seeks to complete a hat-trick of Interlagos victories.
The four-time world champion has won the Sao Paulo Grand Prix three times for Red Bull – in 2019, 2023 and 2024. Last season he triumphed from 17th on the grid with a virtuoso drive in heavy rain as Norris, seeking to cut the Dutchman’s lead, finished sixth.
This time, it is the champion who is hunting down the McLaren men who head the title race.
Norris leads teammate Oscar Piastri by one point after his Mexican Grand Prix win
Three wins and six consecutive podium finishes have lifted him back into contention after being 104 points behind at the end of August and, as he has admitted, he loves to race in Brazil.
“It is a special place for me,” the 28-year-old said.
“Not only because of the incredible races and great moments that we have had there, but also because my ‘family-in-laws’ are from Brazil.
“It can rain heavily, so you can have crazy races like last year, which was emotional and very important in the championship.”
Verstappen’s partner Kelly Piquet is the daughter of Brazilian three-time champion Nelson Piquet and mother of his daughter Lily, born in May.
He has been staying with the family in Brazil ahead of this weekend’s race.
“I will wear my special Brazil helmet for this race,” added Verstappen.
“It’s a place that has a lot of history and a great legacy and holds so many great memories for me. And I always love racing at such an old-school track.”
Victory in Mexico was a boost for Norris, whose best Brazil result was second in 2023, while Piastri, struggling to recover his earlier vim and consistency, was a personal-best eighth in 2024.
As Red Bull continue to develop their 2025 car, McLaren have turned their attention to 2026’s new rules, apparently allowing others to steal the initiative – until Norris responded emphatically.
Team chief Andrea Stella said after the Briton’s win that he believed both McLaren drivers had reasons to be confident ahead of the final four race weekends, with sprints included in Brazil and Qatar.
“We go into these races with more understanding of how to extract performance from our car consistently, because over the four races before Mexico, we left some performance in the garage,” he said.
Having struggled in low-grip conditions, Piastri has worked to adapt his style and felt after Mexico that he was in a better position than many observers believed, even if Norris has reeled off five straight successes against him in their intra-team duel.
“In the final four races, I think there is no reason to believe that one track may favour one driver or the other,” added Stella, aware also of the mounting late threat from not only Verstappen, but also Ferrari and Mercedes as three teams scrap for second place in the constructors’ championship.
McLaren wrapped up the title in Singapore in October and arrive in Brazil on 713 points, but behind them Ferrari on 356 lead Mercedes on 355 and Red Bull on 346.
“We’ve had a couple of tough weekends, but we’re still in the fight for P2,” said Mercedes boss Toto Wolff. “Our advantage over our rivals disappeared across Austin and Mexico, but we can strike back in Brazil.”
Mercedes’ George Russell won in Brazil in 2022, while Ferrari’s seven-time former world champion Lewis Hamilton has also revelled in some thrilling triumphs at Interlagos in 2016, 2018 and 2021 while driving for Mercedes. AFP
