Starting 17th, Max Verstappen wins Brazil GP to boost points lead

With his sights set on a fourth straight F1 World Drivers' Championship title, Max Verstappen increased his lead in the standings with a 19-second victory on Sunday at the Brazilian Grand Prix in Sao Paulo.

Despite starting 17th on the grid and driving in wet conditions, the Red Bull driver had no issues securing his eighth win of the season. With the victory, Verstappen widened his lead to 62 points over Lando Norris, who started on the pole for McLaren but finished sixth.

The lead is significant because a 60-point margin is required after the Las Vegas Grand Prix later this month to secure Verstappen his fourth straight title.

"My emotions today have been a rollercoaster," Verstappen said.

"With qualifying being really unlucky with the red flag, starting 17th, I knew that would be a tough race but we stayed out of trouble, we made the right calls, we stayed calm and we were fine.

"So, all of these things together make that result possible but I think it's unbelievable to win here from so far back on the grid."

Verstappen, 27, hadn't won since the Spanish Grand Prix in June, but easily topped Alpine drivers Esteban Ocon and Pierre Gasly, who finished second and third, respectively. For Alpine, it was their first double podium finish since 2013.

Toward the end of the race, Verstappen set a new fastest lap, securing the bonus point, and stretched his lead to 19.4 seconds over Ocon. Meanwhile, Norris was able to move up to sixth but dropped 18 points to Verstappen by the end of the race.

George Russell of Mercedes came in fourth after leading the first 30 laps, followed by Ferrari's Charles Leclerc in fifth. Following Norris, seventh place went to RB's Yuki Tsunoda, while Norris' teammate, Oscar Piastri, came in eighth after a 10-second collision penalty. RB's Liam Lawson and Mercedes' Lewis Hamilton rounded out the Top 10.

--Field Level Media