Max Verstappen pulled off a masterclass at Interlagos, seizing victory in the 2024 Brazilian Grand Prix from an unlikely 17th on the grid. In treacherous wet conditions, the Dutchman powered through, while Lando Norris, his pole-sitting title rival, stumbled in a chaotic race for McLaren.

Alpine celebrated a double podium as Esteban Ocon and Pierre Gasly took second and third, vaulting the French outfit to sixth in the constructors’ standings. George Russell, the early leader, faded to fourth, with Norris crossing the line in sixth behind Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc. However, Norris faced a post-race investigation after a bizarre aborted start incident earlier in the heavily disrupted event.

The drama kicked off at Turn 4 when Lance Stroll's Aston Martin spun into the gravel, prompting an "Aborted Start" message. Norris and a handful of drivers reacted, pulling away, while Verstappen and a separate group waited for the lights. After a 10-minute delay, Russell seized the lead from Norris at Turn 1, and Verstappen stormed from 17th to 11th by the end of the opening lap.

Verstappen carved his way up the pack with fearless overtakes, particularly at Turn 1, where he consistently out-braked his rivals in the RB20. Russell and Norris managed to pull ahead of Yuki Tsunoda, Ocon, and Leclerc, though the McLaren never looked like it had the pace to challenge the Mercedes up front.

By lap 15, Verstappen reached the tail of this lead group, getting stuck behind Leclerc in a similar fashion to Norris. Leclerc made a surprise early pit stop as rain intensified around lap 24, freeing up Verstappen's path.

The race took another twist when Nico Hulkenberg spun off solo at Turn 1, triggering a virtual safety car on lap 27. With several drivers opting to pit, Ocon and Verstappen stayed out, cycling to the lead as Russell and Norris slipped back. The rain only got heavier, allowing Norris to capitalize on Russell’s cautious approach at Turn 4 on lap 30. Just as he closed in on Gasly and Verstappen, a safety car paused the action, triggered by a crash from Franco Colapinto that led to a nearly 25-minute delay.

This gave Ocon, Verstappen, and Gasly the opportunity to switch to intermediate tires without losing track position. Hulkenberg, however, was black-flagged after being pushed backwards from the Turn 1 runoff.

At the restart, Ocon sprinted ahead, building a 3.3-second lead. But another safety car emerged after Carlos Sainz’s low-speed crash on lap 39. At the restart, Verstappen pounced, overtaking Ocon with a sharp move at Turn 1.

As the race intensified, Norris slipped off at Turn 1 under pressure from Leclerc, who in turn fell back at Turn 4, ceding fourth to Russell. Out front, Verstappen unleashed a series of blistering laps, extending his lead to over three seconds with 20 laps to go, ultimately winning by a commanding 19.3 seconds despite worsening rain in the closing laps.

Ocon came home well clear of Gasly, who fended off Russell for third. Leclerc held fifth, with Norris in sixth and a frustrated Oscar Piastri dropping to eighth after a 10-second penalty for a pre-red flag collision with Liam Lawson.

Lawson clinched ninth, defending against Lewis Hamilton and Sergio Perez in the closing stages - two more victims of Interlagos’ chaotic conditions, with both sliding off at various points in the action-packed race. 

In the end, Verstappen’s win in Sao Paulo was his first since Spain in June, marking a triumphant comeback and a spectacular feat in what was arguably one of the season's most thrilling races.