Brazilian Grand Prix: Winners, Losers and What It Means for the 2024 Championship
Lando Norris clinched his third win of the season in São Paulo, while Mercedes and Red Bull face setbacks that could reshape the title fight.
The Brazilian Grand Prix at Interlagos delivered a dramatic finale to the season’s second half, with Lando Norris securing his third victory of 2024. Norris, who started from fourth on the grid, capitalised on a late‑race safety car and a flawless pit strategy to pull away from Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc, who finished second, and Red Bull’s Max Verstappen, who completed the podium in third.
Mercedes endured a disappointing weekend, with both drivers finishing outside the points. Lewis Hamilton, who qualified a modest eighth, was forced to retire on lap 38 after a hydraulic failure, while George Russell, despite a strong qualifying performance, was caught out by a tyre‑degradation issue and dropped to 12th. The German team’s double‑DNF marks a stark contrast to their dominant start to the season and raises questions about their development pace heading into the final races.
Red Bull, the early‑season champions, also felt the sting of a sub‑par performance. Verstappen, who entered São Paulo with a 15‑point lead over Ferrari, was unable to challenge for the win after a sub‑optimal tyre choice forced an early pit stop, relegating him to third. Team principal Christian Horner admitted post‑race that the car’s low‑downforce setup struggled on Interlagos’s bumpy surface, a factor that could influence their approach to the remaining circuits.
Ferrari, meanwhile, emerged as the biggest beneficiary of the chaotic race. Leclerc’s second place, combined with Carlos Sainz’s fourth‑place finish, narrowed the gap to Verstappen to just eight points. The Scuderia’s improved tyre management and a flawless pit stop sequence were highlighted by team boss Frederic Vasseur as evidence of the team’s growing consistency.
For Indian Fans
The Brazilian Grand Prix was broadcast live in India on FanCode, with the race starting at 02:30 IST. Indian viewers saw the drama unfold in real time, and the post‑race analysis on FanCode’s studio panel highlighted the implications for the championship battle heading into the final two rounds in Japan and Qatar. With the title race tightening, Indian fans can expect an intense showdown, especially as the next race will be streamed on FanCode with a dedicated pre‑race show covering the strategies of the leading teams.
Source: Motorsport.com