Max Verstappen secured another win in the Brazil Sprint, whilst Yuki Tsunoda executed a strong drive to silence the criticisms post-Mexico.
Verstappen wasted no time to claim the race lead in Brazil, which he kept until the last lap. Lando Norris was able to pressure the Dutchman for some portions of the race, but the #33 car always had something in reserve.
Perhaps the biggest revelation from the Sprint was further down the field, with Yuki Tsunoda and Daniel Ricciardo showing brilliant pace in the AT04. The Japanese driver finished in P6, whilst his more experienced teammate was within tenths of the top 8.
Mercedes and Ferrari were one step behind the Red Bull duo and Lando Norris in today’s Sprint. However, the lack of tyre management at Mercedes was unprecedented. The Silver Arrows plummeted in the final stages of the race, unable to keep the soft tyres alive. Coupled with their relatively uninspiring race overall, the German constructor won’t be expecting any miracles tomorrow.
This gives some hope for Aston Martin, whose performance was once again encouraging. Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll impressively climbed the field, even amidst extensive DRS trains. Starting from 3rd and 4th tomorrow, they have a good chance to score points and re-assert themselves as contenders.
Oscar Piastri will be disappointed with his pace in the MCL60. As seen in recent weeks, the Australian is struggling to match the efforts of his teammate. Points won’t be easy to achieve, especially given the resurgence of the Faenza-based team.
Further down the order, Haas will be bitterly disappointed. Not only was their raw speed lacking, but their tyres fell off relatively quickly. This is despite starting the race on the medium tyres. Alfa Romeo was similarly poor, with both teams likely to finish the year in 9th and 10th overall. Alpine, meanwhile, were relatively mediocre after a controversial day at Interlagos.
In any case, tomorrow’s race promises plenty of battles across the field – with at least six teams capable of scoring big points.
