-
Verstappen beats Norris again to win Brazilian GP as Alonso denies Perez podium.
Max Verstappen led almost every lap of the Brazilian Grand Prix to take his 17th grand prix victory of the season ahead of Lando Norris and Fernando Alonso.
Formula 1
Posted on 5th November 2023, 19:12
Written by Will Wood
The world champion held off Norris at the restart after an early red flag stoppage and controlled the majority of the race to win by over eight seconds from Norris behind. Alonso claimed the final podium position in third after winning a long-running battle with Sergio Perez on the final lap by just five hundredths of a second.
Before the race began, the entire field left the grid for the formation lap on soft tyres, except for Logan Sargeant towards the back of the field. But while the field were making their way through Ferradura before the start, second-placed Charles Leclerc suddenly lost hydraulics in his Ferrari, sending him spinning into the outside barriers.
However, on the run to turn one, a clash between the two Haas drivers of Kevin Magnussen and Nico Hulkenberg and the Williams of Alexander Albon sent Magnussen and Albon into the outside tyre barrier. The Safety Car was deployed as both were out on the spot, with Hulkenberg damaged along with the cars of Daniel Ricciardo and Oscar Piastri due to debris caused by the collision
‘Verstappen again’;
https://www.racefans.net/2023/11/05/...-perez-podium/
Race Results – 2023 Sao Paulo Grand Prix
5th November 2023
by Emer Hedderman
FormulaSpy
Results (Classification):
1. Max Verstappen Red Bull Racing -71 laps
2. Lando Norris McLaren +8.277
3. Fernando Alonso Aston Martin +34.155
4. Sergio Perez Red Bull Racing +34.208
5. Lance Stroll Aston Martin +40.845
6. Carlos Sainz Scuderia Ferrari +50.188
7. Pierre Gasly Alpine +56.093
8. Lewis Hamilton Mercedes +62.859
9. Yuki Tsunoda AlphaTauri +69.880
10. Esteban Ocon Alpine +1 lap
‘Sao Paulo Grand Prix – Provisional results from F1 World Championship race at Interlagos’;
https://formulaspy.com/f1/race-resul...and-prix-83493
AS IT HAPPENED: Follow all the action from the 2023 Sao Paulo Grand Prix
05 November 2023
Becky Hart.
Special Contributor.
‘AS IT HAPPENED’;
https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/a...Zzclikqqx.html
F1 Sao Paulo Grand Prix 2023 - As it happened
05 November 2023, 16:25
Connor McDonagh
Crash.Net
‘LIVE UPDATES’;
https://www.crash.net/f1/live/f1-sao...23-it-happened
F1 Live - Brazil GP Race Watchalong | Live timings + Commentary
05 November 2023
Racing Statistics
F1 Live Brazil Grand Prix Race Watchalong | Sao Paolo GP Live | Sao Paulo GP Live F1 Live Timings, Updates and Commentary of all F1 Sessions with Racing Statistics. Lets Watchalong!
‘Race Watchalong’;
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-BsCG5Zlh9s
Brazilian GP red-flagged after mega crash KOs trio within seconds of F1 race starting
Sunday's Brazilian Grand Prix lasted a matter of seconds before the race was red-flagged following a major crash that saw three drivers taken out of contention
05 November 2023, 17:24
BY TOM SUNDERLAND
Daily Star
The Brazilian Grand Prix came to a swift halt on Sunday after the Formula 1 race was red-flagged on the first lap following a major crash. Sao Paulo witnessed early drama after the Haas of Kevin Magnussen and Williams' Alexander Albon made contact almost straight out of the gates. Debris was seen flying across the track as both driver skidded into the tyre wall, but that wasn't the end of the fallout.
AlphaTauri driver Daniel Ricciardo was also caught up as collateral after it appeared his car was struck by a tyre from one of his obliterated opponents. That's in addition to McLaren's Oscar Piastri being told to pit after his team told him his car was unfit to drive.
‘Red-flagged’;
https://www.dailystar.co.uk/sport/f1...crash-31366980
Max Verstappen breaks 71-year-old Formula 1 record with Brazil Grand Prix win
Sunday 5 Nov 2023 7:19 pm
Callum McAvoy
Metro.co.uk
Max Verstappen broke yet another unbelievable Formula One record as he claimed victory at Sunday’s Brazilian Grand Prix. The three-time world champion survived a chaotic start to the race to cruise to his yet another win at Interlagos.
He has now won 17 of the 20 races so far this season, and that means that no matter what happens in the final two races of the year, he’ll have a minimum win percentage of just over 77%. That breaks the record for the highest win percentage for an F1 season, which stood at 75% and had been held by Alberto Ascari since 1952.
The Italian won six out of the eight races that year as he claimed the second of his two world-titles 71 years ago. Given how the sport’s calendar has nearly tripled since then, it was one record that seemed unattainable to even the greatest racers, but that has changed thanks to Verstappen’s perfect driving and the dominance of the Red Bull RB19.
‘71-year-old Formula 1 record broken’;
https://metro.co.uk/2023/11/05/max-v...o=newsnow-feed
Lando Norris shines in Max Verstappen chase as Fernando Alonso thrills at Brazil GP
Charles Leclerc didn't even start a chaotic Brazilian Grand Prix after crashing on the formation lap, leaving Max Verstappen alone on the front row to fight for the win with only Lando Norris for company
19:02, 5 Nov 2023
By Daniel Moxon Senior F1 Writer
The Mirror
Charles Leclerc didn't even start a chaotic Brazilian Grand Prix after crashing on the formation lap, leaving Max Verstappen alone on the front row to fight for the win with only Lando Norris for company
Tyre degradation was heavy for Hamilton and George Russell while their massive rear wing meant they were slow on the straights too – even with the DRS activated. It meant neither of them were ever a threat to Verstappen in the race.
To be fair, few others were either. Only Norris showed the pace to keep Verstappen honest settling for second after driving the wheels off his McLaren in pursuit of the champion. Fernando Alonso came close to joining them on the podium after Aston Martin binned their upgrades and took their car back to basics, fending off Sergio Perez late on to take third.
‘Lando Norris shines in Max Verstappen chase’;
https://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/formu...ilton-31367238
Max Verstappen wins a chaotic Brazilian Grand Prix after Daniel Ricciardo narrowly avoided being hit in the head by a flying tyre on the first lap... with Lando Norris second and struggling Lewis Hamilton finishing down in eighth
• Leclerc crashed due to a hydraulics problem before a red flag just two laps in
• Mercedes struggled for pace throughout the race with George Russell retiring
• Norris took second after a fast start and challenged Verstappen briefly to start
Published: 19:01, 5 November 2023
By Jonathan McEvoy For Mail Online
Mail Online
A flying 13kg tyre carcass narrowly missed Daniel Ricciardo’s head during a chaotic first lap of the Brazilian Grand Prix won by Max Verstappen. The left-rear tyre of Abon’s blue-liveried car came detached and flew in the direction of Ricciardo’s AlphaTauri further back. It missed the Australian by a few inches and instead caught his rear wing. Hulkenberg’s car was largely unharmed, though the tyre bounced worryingly close to the left of him before vaulting its way towards RIcciardo.
Ricciardo turned frantically left in reaction to the incoming stray rubber. ’I tried to miss it but the tyre was in the air and it clipped my rear wing,’ he said over the radio. The red flag was waved and Ricciardo, his car repaired, was ready for the restart. Verstappen, from pole, was in clinical charge throughout with Lando Norris second and Fernando Alonso third.
But what a sorry mess for Mercedes – as bad a day as any in their two years of serial non-achievement. At the end of Saturday’s sprint over just 24 laps, George Russell had been 26 seconds back and Lewis 35. This is light years in a sport of thousandths. And the real affair over 71 laps was even worse for being a longer-endured agony. Hamilton finished eight, one minute and three seconds back. Russell retired with rising oil temperature while running 11th – engine failure, baldy speaking.
‘Chaotic Brazilian GP’;
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/fo...is-second.html
Leclerc details cause of Brazil GP formation lap shunt
05 November 2023, 18:17
by Sam Tomlinson
Motorsport Week
Charles Leclerc has explained the cause of the crash on the formation lap that saw his Sao Paulo Grand Prix come to an end on the formation lap. “Hydraulics. Why the f— am I so unlucky!” Leclerc exclaimed over the team radio.
While Leclerc was able to get his SF-23 moving again, he only dragged the wounded Ferrari as far as the nearest escape road to withdraw from the race. Despite a red flag for a subsequent multi-car incident at the race start, there would be no opportunity for Ferrari to examine or repair the damage to Leclerc’s car.
"Hydraulics. Why the f— am I so unlucky!”;
https://www.motorsportweek.com/2023/...ion-lap-shunt/
-
Winners and losers from F1's 2023 Brazilian Grand Prix.
The Brazilian Grand Prix rarely disappoints and the 2023 edition was another that packed plenty in, with all three podium finishers having cause for celebration - but a painful race marking a particularly stark contrast for the team that won here last year.
Nov 5, 2023
The Race
A familiar winner, a welcome return to the podium, and a miserable turn of pace for Formula 1's former dominant force.
‘Here are our pick of winners and losers from Interlagos’;
https://www.the-race.com/formula-1/w...-brazilian-gp/
F1 2023 Brazilian GP Review - Alonso's Defensive Master Class
6th November 2023, 07:24
Motorsport.com
The wait goes on for Lando Norris for his first win as Max Verstappen takes his 17th of the season, in a race that started with a bang. But while it straight forward for him others had misfortune and in some cases didn't make it to the start.
‘F1 2023 Brazilian GP Review’;
https://www.motorsport.com/f1/video/...-class/643076/
Brazil GP conclusions: Alonso’s genius, Perez’s pulse and Brundle’s gem
06 Nov 2023 6:00 AM
Oliver Harden
PlanetF1.com
Red Bull driver Max Verstappen claimed a record-extending 17th victory of the F1 2023 season in the Brazilian Grand Prix at Interlagos. The three-time World Champion dominated from pole position and was joined on the podium by Lando Norris, who equalled his career-best result of second for McLaren, and Aston Martin driver Fernando Alonso, who came out on top in a thrilling battle with Verstappen’s team-mate Sergio Perez.
With the DRS zones connected at Interlagos, it seemed inevitable late in the race that Perez would steal that much-needed podium finish for himself. Yet if there was one driver who is capable of holding back the tide – who thrives in situations when he has an obvious car disadvantage, when his back is pinned firmly against the wall – it is Alonso, ingeniously missing the apex at Juncao to carry as much speed as possible on to the main straight to counteract the Red Bull’s straight-line speed.
And when a leak did slip through – Perez finally forcing his way past on the penultimate lap – Fernando reached with all his plate-spinning might to somehow plug it and save the day, repassing him with the very last chance he had at Turn 4 on the final lap to complete one of his most heroic drives.
‘Brazil GP conclusions’;
https://www.planetf1.com/features/br...23-conclusions
Norris: Verstappen had ‘an answer to everything’ in Brazil GP
21:30 Sun, 05 Nov 2023.
by Sam Tomlinson
Motorsport Week
Lando Norris had to settle for second place in the Sao Paulo Grand Prix, insisting Max Verstappen had “an answer to everything”. “It couldn’t have gone much better, to be honest,” said Norris, who had qualified seventh on Friday.
“Good pace, similar to yesterday, which is the main thing,” continued Norris who also ended the Saturday Sprint as runner-up. “P2 is as good as you can get nowadays and for the time being,” the 13-time podium finisher added as Verstappen claimed a 17th win of the season. “At the second start I was just a little bit aggressive on it. I’m still happy.”
“There’s little bits where the tyres come back to you a little bit and then you can push on, but Max always seemed to have an answer to everything,” Norris rued. “Which is a shame, but fair play to him – he drove a good race. So tough with the wind conditions and everything, but P2 is a good result.”
‘An answer to everything’;
https://www.motorsportweek.com/2023/...-in-brazil-gp/
Sergio Perez shows true colours after losing in Fernando Alonso photo finish at Brazil GP
Sergio Perez and Fernando Alonso gave everything to beat each other to third place on the last lap of the Brazilian Grand Prix, culminating in a sprint to the finish line
21:12, 5 Nov 2023
By Daniel Moxon Senior F1 Writer
Sergio Perez shared an embrace with Fernando Alonso after cruelly losing a spot on the podium to the Spaniard. Alonso spent the vast majority of the race in that position (THIRD). But Perez had been saving his tyres for a late attack on the Aston Martin driver and launched that assault with a few laps to go.
It looked as though the Mexican had his rival's number after getting past on the penultimate lap. But Alonso used all his experience to make sure he got past the Red Bull on the final lap to set up a desperate dash to the line. The Red Bull driver was the one to miss out on a place on the podium. He sought out Alonso in the media pen to hug and congratulate his rival. And he was very complimentary towards the Spaniard as he reflected on how the conclusion of the Grand Prix had panned out.
"It was quite an intense battle – we tried everything," he said. "Unfortunately, we didn't succeed on that, but it was well deserved for Fernando. I think we had a great fight, very fair and to the limit. I think this is something that a lot of drivers can learn from because what we did, the way we fought today, it's how it should be done. I'm on the wrong side, I end up losing but it's fine because it was a great fight.”
‘Hug and congratulate his rival’;
https://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/formu...razil-31368199
Sergio Perez's 9th-to-4th drive at Brazil GP not enough to silence gossip mongrels
6th November 2023, 04:43
Charlen Raymond
Wheels24
‘9th-to-4th drive’;
https://www.news24.com/sport/motorsp...grels-20231106
Sao Paulo Stroll and Sargeant's major F1 boost – five things Brazil GP headlines missed
Brazilian Grand Prix race reports led with Lando Norris challenging winner Max Verstappen and the glorious battle for third between Fernando Alonso and Sergio Perez, but there were plenty of other stories which didn't get the limelight
6th November 2023, 07:14
By Daniel Moxon Senior F1 Writer
The Mirror
Max Verstappen won the Brazilian Grand Prix, but Sergio Perez and Fernando Alonso stole the show with their mad dash to the finish line. Both wanted desperately to stand on the podium alongside Verstappen and runner-up Lando Norris. But only Alonso earned the right to do so after a thrilling late battle which ended in a photo finish – the Spaniard just doing enough to hold off his Red Bull rival.
‘Sergio Perez and Fernando Alonso stole the show’;
https://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/formu...astri-31368695
Wolff bemoans Mercedes’ 'worst weekend' since F1 return
06 November 7:30AM
Author Fergal Walsh
Co-author Aaron Deckers
RacingNews365
Mercedes Team Principal Toto Wolff has labelled the São Paulo Grand Prix as the team's “worst weekend in 13 years”. “I think Sprint weekends haven't been our strengths,” he told media including RacingNews365.com.
“We are working ourselves out of problems on most weekends. But swings are not on from being almost quickest [in Mexico] to being eighth. For me personally, the worst weekend in 13 years.”
“Worst weekend in 13 years”;
https://racingnews365.com/wolff-bemo...ince-f1-return
Hamilton: Red Bull “so far away” they’ll remain ahead “for the next couple of years”
Formula 1
Posted on 6th November 2023, 7:15
Written by Keith Collantine and Claire Cottingham
RaceFans
Lewis Hamilton has little hope of catching Red Bull in the near future after Mercedes’ poor Brazilian Grand Prix performance. “I knew that we would have a difficult day,” Hamilton told media after yesterday’s race. “Nothing changed in the car from yesterday to today so I knew it would be a tough one.”
“Yesterday I just ate through the tyres with an unexpected lack of pace. I think I drove better today in terms of at least making my stints, but we were just slow. The tyres were always overheating for us,” he added. “The tyres were overheating, slow on the straights, no grip in the corners.”
“So far away”;
https://www.racefans.net/2023/11/06/...uple-years-f1/
'Guy Fawkes wouldn't have picked a Mercedes' - Brazilian Grand Prix hot takes
Monday 6 November 2023 09:27
Sam Cook
GPFans.com
Sam Cook - F1 Journalist: If Guy Fawkes was attempting a speedy getaway having been caught trying to blow up parliament on this day in 1605, he certainly wouldn't have picked a Mercedes F1 car as his mode of transport.
‘Where has all their pace gone to?’
https://www.gpfans.com/en/f1-news/10...kes-fireworks/
-
Mercedes will RIP UP designs for next season's car after nightmare display at the Brazilian Grand Prix, admits Toto Wolff... with beleagured team boss claiming there is 'something fundamentally wrong'.
'This car, the development of this car, has been more plasters we put on something not right, and it shows that it is so unpredictable that it can swing either side.' Toto Wolff.
Published: 13:25, 6 November 2023
By Jonathan McEvoy For Mailonine
Mail Online
Beleaguered Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff has admitted he will rip up the Mercedes' car design for next year. The 51-year-old Austrian is under the biggest strain of his career to piece back together the threads of his once dominant outfit, and is at a loss to explain the extraordinarily poor performance in Sunday's Brazilian Grand Prix.
Lewis Hamilton was 1min 3sec off winner Max Verstappen, while George Russell retired with engine failure. The Silver Arrows were way off the pace and only the sixth best team behind Red Bull, McLaren, Aston Martin, Ferrari and Alpine. Wolff said: 'A lot of change (is needed). We need a different car next year. And today proves that is the right thing to do.”
'At least we know that the trajectory of changing is right. It feels horrible for the whole team. And I wish we could start the new season concentrating on the new car. There is something fundamentally wrong mechanically. It's not a rear wing and it's not the car being slightly too high. Because we are talking a millimetre or two. That is performance but it is not the explanation for a total off-weekend.
‘Been more plasters we put on something not right’;
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/fo...lly-wrong.html
Lewis Hamilton and George Russell humiliation confirmed after Brazilian Grand Prix result
Lewis Hamilton and George Russell both suffered during the Brazilian Grand Prix as Mercedes struggled for pace.
14:33, Mon, Nov 6, 2023
By Harry Smith
Daily and Sunday Express
Mercedes’ miserable performance at the Brazilian Grand Prix means that Max Verstappen is now guaranteed to end the 2023 season with a points tally that is greater than that of Lewis Hamilton and George Russell combined. Hamilton could only manage a P7 finish in the sprint race on Saturday, even falling behind AlphaTauri driver Yuki Tsunoda before the chequered flag. Things got even worse for the seven-time world champion on Sunday as he dropped from third to eighth after the red flag restart.
Russell’s weekend was even more miserable than his team-mate's. The 25-year-old became agitated while stuck behind Hamilton during the early stages of the race before his form tailed off dramatically. He slumped to the outskirts of the top ten before an engine cooling issue forced the Mercedes crew to box the No.63 car and retire. This will add insult to injury for Mercedes boss Toto Wolff, who was left furious following their miserable weekend in Brazil. Speaking to Sky Sports F1 after the race he said: “Inexcusable performance. There’s even no words for that.”
"That car finished second last week and the week before, and whatever we did to it was horrible. Lewis survived out there, but George, I can only feel for the two driving such a miserable thing. It shows how difficult the car is, it’s on a knife’s edge. You’ve got to develop that better for next year because it can’t be that within seven days you’re finishing on the podium, solid, with one of the two quickest cars, and then you’re nowhere and finishing eighth."
‘Humiliation’;
https://www.express.co.uk/sport/f1-a...ian-Grand-Prix
Mercedes and Ferrari progress hit setback after 'miserable' Brazilian Grand Prix
After the encouragement from Austin and Mexico, both teams had weekends to forget in Sao Paulo
6th November 2023, 04:41
Byron Young
The National
Wolff branded their sudden lack of form as “unacceptable” and “baffling”, saying Mercedes appeared to be racing on “three wheels not four” in their “miserable” car. Lewis Hamilton has predicted Max Verstappen’s staggering domination could continue for the next couple of years.
Hamilton’s analysis also rings true for Ferrari, who also suffered badly in Brazil. Having qualified on the front row, Charles Leclerc failed to make it to the start after a hydraulics failure pitched him into the barriers and teammate Carlos Sainz complained publicly about their troublesome clutch.
Bemoaning his misfortune, Leclerc joked he might detour before Vegas to the Christian religious site of Lourdes to try to turn his luck around. Such is Red Bull’s scorching pace under genius designer Adrian Newey, their nearest rivals in Brackley and Maranello are falling apart just when the foundations of next year’s challenge should be materialising.
‘Setback’;
https://www.thenationalnews.com/spor...an-grand-prix/
10 things we learned from the 2023 F1 Brazilian Grand Prix
PUBLISHEDNOV 6, 2023, 2:59 PM
AUTHORAlex Kalinauckas
Max Verstappen returned to sprint winning ways at the final much shorter event of 2023, following up his Austin sprint victory, after his surprise defeat to Oscar Piastri in the Qatar weekend’s first race. In Brazil, Verstappen quickly overcame the other McLaren of Lando Norris to earn his fourth sprint win of the year.
The weekend also included plenty of major news lines during the off-track moments – including surprise revelations about F1’s future tyres and the results of the recent US GP, plus a calendar contract extension for the Brazilian race. All that and more is included here in the pick of what we learned from F1's latest visit to Sao Paulo.
‘10 things we learned’;
https://www.motorsport.com/f1/news/1...prix/10543772/
Lando Norris equals unwanted F1 record with Brazilian Grand Prix podium
05 Nov 2023 9:30 PM
Jamie Woodhouse
PlanetF1.com
Lando Norris has joined Nick Heidfeld on the unwelcomed record of most F1 podiums without a win, following his P2 finish in Brazil. Norris was unable to turn his sprint pole into a victory on Saturday, but having been the only driver to show anywhere near enough pace to make the dominant Max Verstappen sweat, his prospects of a strong Brazilian Grand Prix showing were very high, even from P6 on the grid.
Lando Norris claims record-equalling 13th podium without win. For the sixth time in F1 2023, Norris took to the P2 podium step at Interlagos, while this marked the 13th Grand Prix podium in his career.
A first victory continues to elude Norris though, which has seen him join Heidfeld on 13 podiums without a win, an unwanted record in Formula 1. Heidfeld scored twelve of his podiums with Sauber, while his final F1 podium came in 2011 with Lotus-Renault.
‘Most F1 podiums without a win = 13’;
https://www.planetf1.com/news/lando-...podiums-no-win
-
Ferrari make statement on Charles Leclerc after driver's Brazilian Grand Prix nightmare.
Ferrari have released a statement explaining that Charles Leclerc's formation lap incident was caused by a "loss of hydraulics supply", meaning he could do nothing to avoid hitting the barriers.
21:28, Sun, Nov 5, 2023
By Harry Smith
Charles Leclerc didn't even start the Brazilian Grand Prix as Ferrari endured an afternoon to forget at Interlagos. The Monegasque driver was meant to start the race from the front row alongside pole-sitter and eventual race winner Max Verstappen, but he never got the opportunity to see the green lights come on.
Leclerc was making his way around the Ferradura corner on the formation lap when he lost control of his SF-23, spinning into the barriers and out of the race in a shocking turn of events. Ferrari have since explained the cause of the incident, taking to the X social media platform to explain: "During the formation lap, Charles experienced an issue with one of our car systems which led to a loss of hydraulics supply, meaning he had no power steering and no gearbox command.
‘Ferrari make statement’;
https://www.express.co.uk/sport/f1-a...ian-Grand-Prix
Vasseur takes aim at social media over Leclerc crash: 'It's not his fault'
06 November 11:40AM
Author Fergal Walsh
Co-author Aaron Deckers
RacingNews365
Ferrari Team Principal Frederic Vasseur has described the São Paulo Grand Prix as a “missed opportunity” following Charles Leclerc's non-start but admonished his driver of any blame. Leclerc was due to start on the front row alongside polesitter Max Verstappen and after a bold tyre strategy through the weekend aimed at maximising the race, Vasseur told media including RacingNews365.com: “It's very frustrating for Charles and for the team.”
“The issue also is that strategically over the weekend, we put all the effort into the long run to save tyres. We didn't put new tyres on for the Sprint and we didn't take the start [of the Grand Prix].”
“For sure it's frustrating, it was more than disappointing but I'm sure that he will be back we'll be focused on Vegas. It was not the Charles' fault at all that. Someone told me about social media, they were complaining about Charles but without the gearbox and the power steering, you can't do anything.“
'It's not his fault';
https://racingnews365.com/vasseur-ru...ercs-non-start
Electronics issue triggered Leclerc's Brazil F1 formation lap crash
Ferrari team principal Fred Vasseur confirmed that the Leclerc’s failure to get away from the accident scene had been caused by “the same issue, the system switched off the hydraulic and engine”.
11:38 Mon, 06 Nov 2023.
AUTHORAdam Cooper
Motorsport.com
"I went to the corner, I lost the power steering first, and then the engine cut off for safety reasons,” he explained. “And then the rear wheels locked up, and that made me spin.”
“So I had no control over the car to any point. Hydraulics, that is what I felt. But at the end, I don't think that is the issue, speaking with the engineers. We know what that is, but I cannot go too much into details.” Leclerc said he could have kept going as only his front wing was damaged in the accident if his electronics issue hadn't kept happening.
"I moved the car again. There was only the front wing that was damaged," he explained. "But apart from that, nothing else. I started again, I got the hydraulics for 15 seconds. But then exactly the same thing happened. I lost the hydraulics, and then the engine cuts off. And obviously, it was clear that I couldn't go forward anymore, because I went 20 metres."
‘Electronics issue’;
https://www.motorsport.com/f1/news/c...rash/10543508/
‘Why am I so unlucky?’ – Leclerc left devastated by formation lap failure in Brazil
06 November 2023
Formula One - Official Site
For the Monegasque, this latest failure was another blow in what has been an incredibly tough season. Starting from second on the grid and one of the few front runners still to have some fresh soft tyres in his locker, he had hoped to have a strong race. Instead, it all unravelled before the lights had even gone out.
“I turned into Turn 6, everything was fine and then as you can see, I basically lose the wheel because there is no power steering anymore, the steering wheel feels extremely stiff, then I go straight,” he said afterwards. “Then the engine stopped for safety reasons, which made the rear wheels lock, which made me spin. Then I touched the wall, I started to start the car again, I did 20 metres then exactly the same thing happened. So that’s it.”
Leclerc’s anguish was clear to see, the Monegasque driver holding his head in his hands in the cockpit. “Why the **** am I so unlucky, why the **** am I so unlucky?” he repeated down the radio to his race engineer, before climbing out of his cockpit and sitting on the wall, head bowed.
‘Why am I so unlucky?’;
https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/a...nUuTkPLw9.html
LECLERC ADMITS 2023 IS ‘A SEASON TO FORGET’ WHILST SAINZ REFLECTS ON ‘MISSED OPPORTUNITY’ IN BRAZIL
2023 hasn't gone the way Charles Leclerc planned with him saying it's been a "season to forget" whilst Sainz hopes Ferrari can bounce back in Las Vegas
November 6, 2023
Abby Bathurst
FormulaNerds
The Sao Paulo Grand Prix was one to rue for Charles Leclerc after he failed to start the Grand Prix whilst Carlos Sainz reflects on the “missed opportunity” Ferrari had during the race. Speaking after his early retirement from the formation lap, Leclerc said: “I don’t know what to do anymore. Obviously, it’s been a season to forget. There’s been quite a few races where I felt I was on it and then for some reason or another it wasn’t the result I wanted on Sunday. And today’s part of that, so of course, the frustration is big today and it’s like this, now I need to get over it and focus on the last two races, which are still important.”
‘An eventful race’ for Sainz: The Spaniard had an “eventful” race having initially gone back a few places on the start, before being able to overtake those in front. Sainz was able to overtake both Mercedes drivers during the race, which was crucial for the Constructors’ Championship. LAP 37/71 Sainz picks off Hamilton in the run down to Turn 4 P6 for the Spaniard! #F1 #BrazilGP pic.twitter.com/9BfhjBZJ8S — Formula 1 (@F1) November 5, 2023
However, it wasn’t plain sailing for him as a clutch issue persisted all weekend. Speaking after the race, Sainz reflected on his race and the “missed opportunity” Ferrari had. He said: “Yeah, a bit of an eventful race. We had again a problem with the clutch in the two starts like yesterday in the Sprint. We’ve been struggling with this part all weekend.”
‘A SEASON TO FORGET’;
https://www.formulanerds.com/news/le...ity-in-brazil/
Leclerc frustrated with Brazilian fail but ‘I need to move on’
06/11/2023 at 15:06
Phillip van Osten
F1i.com
Charles Leclerc was dealt a bitter blow in Brazil when his car failed on the formation lap of the Sao Paulo GP, but the Ferrari charger says he needs to regroup and “move on”. “I'm annoyed because obviously, especially in the second part of the year I finally found the confidence with the car, and then you start second, you sacrifice a whole weekend for Sunday's race, you do six corners, and that's it.”
“So, I'm very frustrated for now but now I need to move on and obviously focus on the last two races, that's the best thing I can do as a driver.” Vasseur said that Ferrari will investigate the issue that befell the Leclerc, before setting off for next week’s round in Las Vegas. “Now, we have to stay calm to understand what has happened to avoid any issues in the future,” he said.
“I think the pace over the weekend was not that bad. We were in a good position today, and it is a missed opportunity because we were catching up with Mercedes a little bit over the weekend but with Charles on the front row with two sets of tyres, it could have been much better. We have still two attempts with Vegas and Abu Dhabi. Vegas could be a chaotic one and if we have the same pace as this weekend and Mercedes the same pace as this weekend, we have an opportunity.”
‘I need to move on’;
https://f1i.com/news/493067-leclerc-...o-move-on.html
-
McLaren was gunning for Verstappen and Brazilian GP win – Stella.
McLaren set its sights on winning the Brazilian Grand Prix with Lando Norris but fell short as Red Bulls secured its 19th victory of the campaign while Norris had to settle for second place in Sao Paulo.
07 November 9:50AM
Author Fergal Walsh
Co-author Aaron Deckers
RacingNews365
McLaren Team Principal Andrea Stella has explained how the team chucked everything it had at Max Verstappen after the Sao Paulo Grand Prix restart through Lando Norris. "I think certainly in terms of our approach, especially after the red flag, we wanted to win it,” Stella told media including RacingNews365.
"So we put, at the start, our best set of Softs on, we decided to start on a new set so that we could try and take the lead. From there, [we hoped to maybe] put Verstappen in an unusual position and see what we could do, maybe we can just cover any time he pits, and so on.”
“We couldn't take the lead at the start, we went very close to doing that on track [but could not]." Stella confirmed that McLaren tried all it could to reel in the Red Bull driver later in the race but was forced to concede defeat.
‘Gunning for Verstappen’;
https://racingnews365.com/mclaren-re...n-brazilian-gp
Verstappen: Norris early stint pace applied pressure in Brazil
11:23 Mon, 06 Nov 2023.
by Taylor Powling
Motorsport Week
Max Verstappen believes his route to victory in the Sao Paulo Grand Prix appeared easier from the outside than it was inside the cockpit of his Red Bull RB19 car. Verstappen aced two standing starts to be uncontested away from the line, but Lando Norris, who’d moved into second, maintained pace with the leader during the early stages.
Following one attempted overtaking manoeuvre on the seventh lap, Verstappen instantly pulled away out of DRS range to ultimately prevail over the McLaren by 8.2s. However, the reigning champion contends that the race was tougher than his winning margin suggested, citing how Norris was a match for him at the beginning of stints.
“I think it was good,” Verstappen said. “I mean, also, maybe it looks fully easy from the outside, but I think for most of every stint, Lando was matching my lap times. It was always like the last five to ten laps when it seemed like then, of course, we had better tyre deg. But yeah, the beginning of every stint, I definitely had to focus a lot and I couldn’t afford to make mistakes.”
“It looks fully easy from the outside”;
https://www.motorsportweek.com/2023/...-in-brazil-gp/
Max Verstappen caught by surprise by ‘unexpected’ Lando Norris attack
05 Nov 2023 9:18 PM
Thomas Maher
PlanetF1.com
Max Verstappen admitted he was caught on the hop by Lando Norris as the McLaren driver launched an attack early on in Brazil.
Opening up on how Norris had suddenly appeared on his gearbox as the duo started Lap 8, Max Verstappen told media how he had had to keep a close eye on Norris throughout the race as the McLaren’s pace proved enough to be a threat. “He suddenly closed a lot – I didn’t expect him to have a run into Turn 1!” he said.
“But yeah, I had to use my battery a bit for one lap, into [Turn] 1 and [Turn] 4 to defend and then I had to, of course, try and maintain that gap. But I think what also was very important at that stage of the stint was to really look after the tyres to make sure that you have a good lap to pit.”
‘Caught by surprise’;
https://www.planetf1.com/news/max-ve...nd-prix-attack
Norris says second is as good as he can get for time being
00:21 Mon, 06 Nov 2023
The Straits Times
As Norris pointed out, since the team brought a major upgrade to Austria in July he has scored more points than any driver other than Verstappen.
"Very good, couldn’t have gone much better, to be honest," said Norris of a race in which he seized second place into the first corner after starting sixth. P2 (second place) is as good as we can get nowadays and for the time being, but very happy for the rest of it."
Norris, who had started on pole position in Saturday's sprint race and also finished second, said there was no point where he felt Verstappen might leave the door open for him. "Max always seemed to have an answer to everything, which is a shame. But fair play to him, he drove a good race, so yeah, tough, with the wind conditions and everything but P2 is a good result," he said.
‘Second is as good as he can get’;
https://www.straitstimes.com/sport/f...for-time-being
Norris: Verstappen Brazil GP pursuit ‘wasn’t worth the risk’
09:21 Mon, 06 Nov 2023
by Taylor Powling
Motorsport Week
Lando Norris believes a second overtaking attempt on Max Verstappen in the Sao Paulo Grand Prix “wasn’t worth the risk” of compromising his overall race.
Norris reckons he was capable of mounting another attack on Verstappen, but the prospect of being vulnerable to Fernando Alonso’s Aston Martin deterred him.
“The opportunity to race against Max was only going to be for a few laps,” he said. “We weren’t going to find, all of a sudden, the pace we needed to compete against him for a whole race.”
‘Wasn’t worth the risk’;
https://www.motorsportweek.com/2023/...orth-the-risk/
Lando Norris: McLaren have “plenty more to come” in 2024
November 6, 2023
By: Jaden Diaz-Ndisang
Last Word On Sports
Lando Norris is very pleased with the progress at McLaren this year, revealing his optimism about the team’s chances for 2024. Speaking after the Brazilian GP, Lando Norris outlined his belief in McLaren for 2024:
“Since we bought this upgrade to Austria, I’ve been the second-highest-scoring driver on the grid… Considering we’re talking about fighting the Red Bull, I think it’s still a very, very good thing – what we’ve achieved this year. To go from where we were in Bahrain to getting close and talking about fighting a Red Bull, I think, are very good signs for us.”
“And we know we still have plenty more things to come next year. So I’m excited. Having that as a thought, it’s quite a faraway thought. I don’t want to think of that just now. There’s no point thinking of it until next year, but I’ll be optimistic, and I believe we can do it as a team.”
“Plenty more to come”;
https://lastwordonsports.com/motorsp...-come-in-2024/
Piastri accepts partial blame over costly start crash
06 November 10:00PM
Author Fergal Walsh
Co-author Aaron Deckers
RacingNews365
Oscar Piastri has accepted he put himself at extra risk of contact on the opening lap of the São Paulo Grand Prix after a disappointing qualifying result.
McLaren repaired Piastri's car during the subsequent red flag period which allowed him back into the race, albeit a lap down on the rest of the field. “I hit the brakes for Turn 1 and then looked in the mirror,” Piastri told media including RacingNews365.com.
“I saw someone's tyre flying through the air and thought that didn't look very good. Sure enough, I got an impact after that, it's a shame. There was nothing I could have done.”
‘Partial blame’;
https://racingnews365.com/piastri-ac...ly-start-crash
-
Fernando Alonso piles misery on Lewis Hamilton with Sergio Perez comments after Brazil GP.
Fernando Alonso may have performed heroics to pip Sergio Perez to third place at the Brazilian Grand Prix, but it was getting past Lewis Hamilton on the first lap that thrilled the Spaniard the most.
17:00, Mon, Nov 6, 2023
By Richard Garnett
Daily and Sunday Express
Two-time world champion Alonso has proved the doubters wrong this season by clocking up eight podium finishes for Aston Martin. The 42-year-old is currently fourth in the drivers' championship and now sits just 28 points behind Hamilton, who could only finish a disappointing eighth at Interlagos.
In a frantic finish to the race, Alonso finished just a tenth of a second ahead of Perez, but outscoring the Mexican's Red Bull was not the most satisfying part of the day for the Aston Martin man. As per the Mirror, Alonso said: "Obviously the last lap overtake was quite a lot of commitment. We were both just all-or-nothing in a few corners. But I think, to be honest, the most important overtake of the race was on Hamilton into turn four in lap one. That changed my race.”
‘Most important overtake of the race was on Hamilton’;
https://www.express.co.uk/sport/f1-a...erez-Brazil-GP
Perez found ‘intense’ battle with Alonso ‘super enjoyable’ despite missing out on the podium
06 November 2023
Formula One - Official Site
Sergio Perez missed out on a top three finish in Sao Paulo by just 0.053s, as Fernando Alonso pipped him in a drag race across the finishing line. It was the perfect end to an epic battle that had been going on for many laps between the Red Bull and the Aston Martin, with the two racers giving it everything for that final podium slot.
It took until Lap 54 for Perez to get into DRS range of Alonso ahead, and the Mexican soon went for a move into Turn 1. But Alonso knew he was coming and took a wider line to cut back across the apex, preventing his rival from squeezing down the inside. That was the status quo for lap after lap, Perez harrying and Alonso defending for all he was worth.
But on the penultimate lap, the Mexican finally found a way past into Turn 1, and managed to almost break the DRS to ensure Alonso couldn’t return the favour into Turn 4. The Spaniard admitted that he thought his chance of a podium had gone, only for Perez to brake a fraction too late into Turn 1 on the final lap, giving Alonso a run into Turn 4 where he retook the position.
‘Super enjoyable’;
https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/a...eyAPp3KHR.html
Trackside footage shows just how close Brazil GP finish was between Alonso & Perez
12:56 Mon, 06 Nov 2023.
By Mitchell Weaver
Give Me Sport
Alonso takes P3 just ahead of Perez in Brazil: On turn 4 of lap 71, Alonso had one last chance to use his DRS and attempt an overtake on Perez. The Spaniard made it look easy as he slipped round the outside of Perez, before making a brilliant defensive move on the next corner to keep his place. The two drivers then went on a pure sprint to the finish, leading to an epic finale that will go down as one of the highlights of the season.
As the two drivers made it down the final stretch to the checkered flag, Perez had time to catch up and get alongside the Aston Martin, with the nose of Alonso's car just making it over the line ahead of the Red Bull. The official time between the two drivers would go on to be confirmed as +0.053, making this one of the closest finishes the sport has seen, and providing an exhilarating finish for fans who have not had too much drama to cheer about this season.
‘Exhilarating finish for fans’;
https://www.givemesport.com/tracksid...-alonso-perez/
‘Well deserved’: Sergio Perez seriously impressed with ‘intense’ driver during Brazilian GP
18:07 Mon, 06 Nov 2023.
F1 Oversteer
Red Bull Racing driver Sergio Perez was full of praise for Aston Martin star Fernando Alonso after their intense battle in Brazil. Perez was speaking to the press after narrowly missing out on a much-needed podium on the final lap.
Perez hails Alonso after Brazil race: Speaking about their encounter in the final laps, Perez said: “It was quite an intense battle. We tried everything. Unfortunately, we didn’t succeed on that, but it was well deserved for Fernando. I think we had a great fight, very fair and to the limit. I think this is something that a lot of drivers can learn from because what we did, the way we fought today, is how it should be done. I’m in the wrong side, I end up losing but it’s fine because it was a great fight.”
“We’ve seen in the last couple of races that the pace has been there, that we’ve been really strong, and for some reason or another we haven’t been able to get the final end result, but I just know that it’s a matter of time.” Martin Brundle praised Perez’s overtaking in Brazil and he did get the better of Alonso on the penultimate lap. But the Aston Martin’s straight-line speed and the Mexican getting slightly out of shape going into turn one on the final lap was all the 42-year-old needed to retake third.
‘Sergio Perez was full of praise for Aston Martin star Fernando Alonso’;
https://www.f1oversteer.com/news/ser...-brazilian-gp/
Alonso “cannot wait” to tackle final races in rejuvenated Aston Martin
RaceFans Round-up
Posted on 7th November 2023, 0:01
Written by Ida Wood
Aston Martin claimed their second biggest points haul of the past three seasons in last weekend’s Brazilian Grand Prix, and Alonso believes more of the same is possible after they turned around their mid-season slump in form. “I was a little bit concerned, no doubt, for the last few races and maybe the final part of the championship,” he admitted. “Now I cannot wait to go to Vegas. So it’s a very different energy when you have a performing car.”
After taking the final podium place by five hundredths of a second in Brazil, Alonso conceded a repeat may not be on the cards in the final two races, but he believes they will be “at least closer than Mexico” where they had failed to contend for points the week prior. “I think there are a couple of things that have been understood inside the team and the direction to go,” he said. “We had some hopes for this race and they proved to be right. And now, why not to be competitive in the last two?”
“Cannot wait”;
https://www.racefans.net/2023/11/07/...nd-up-07-11-6/
-
'We both want the best': Verstappen and Lambiase on their 'fiery' Red Bull F1 partnership.
Max Verstappen and Gianpiero Lambiase have shared a few harsh words over the course of the 2023 season — even in the midst of overwhelming dominance.
November 8th 2023
Author: Cambridge Kisby
Motor Sport Magazine
In 2016, Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg collided at Catalunya‘s Turn 4, spilling both title-challengers into a gravel trap and out of the Spanish Grand Prix. With the dominant duo on the sidelines, a rare opportunity beckoned for a non-Mercedes win and the young Max Verstappen, in his debut race for Red Bull, seized it with both hands.
Guided by his own natural talent and, for the first time, the experienced voice of race engineer Gianpiero Lambiase, the Dutchman fended off challenges from team-mate Daniel Ricciardo and Ferrari‘s Kimi Raikkonen to claim his first F1 victory.
Seven years on from that auspicious day and Verstappen is now a three-time world champion, having claimed his 17th grand prix victory of the season in Brazil (and the 52nd win of his career so far). Through it all, Lambiase — known as GP — has remained a constant presence in his ear.
'We both want the best';
https://www.motorsportmagazine.com/a...?nowprocket=1#
Lambiase opens up about Verstappen: 'Max is my little brother'
08 November 6:00PM
Author Rory Mitchell
RacingNews365
Lambaise: We've had a few ups and downs: Although Verstappen won his first race on debut with Red Bull, it did not bring instant success as the team struggled to match the might of Mercedes. "In 2018, 2019, and 2020 when the car wasn't quite as competitive as the team would have liked, especially for Max," Lambiase recalled.
"At that point you can see his frustration coming through already that he wasn't able to compete for the championships at that point. We had a few ups and downs I would say in that period; the middle, third, fourth, fifth year. But since 2021 - which was so intense - the relationship and the bond was cemented that year."
'Max is my little brother';
https://racingnews365.com/lambiase-o...little-brother
Ex-F1 racer Jolyon Palmer dissects the thrilling Alonso-Perez battle for P3 from a driver’s POV
08 November 2023
Former F1 Driver
Jolyon Palmer
Formula One - Official Site
Until the penultimate lap Alonso hadn’t had to cover the inside, but you could see him constantly scanning his mirrors, sizing up where Perez was. Finally the Mexican deployed as much energy as he could and grabbed an opportunity into Turn 1. Alonso covered a bit late and a bit half-heartedly and it looked like the move was done. After a dozen laps of stalking, the faster car had finally gobbled up it’s prey.
But that wasn't the end of the story – not with Alonso in this mood. Perez knew it as well and it was a mixture of his late race angst, Alonso’s driving and reputation that gave the Spaniard a chance to fight back against the odds. As Perez came through, Alonso was close enough to fight back into Turn 4 without looking seriously like re-passing.
Crucially the 42 year old kept harassing the back of the Red Bull for the next corners as well, making Perez drive in his mirrors, defensively through the fast Turns 6 and 7 of Ferradura, where it’s notoriously difficult to follow, as well as making the Mexican jink late to the inside to cover the inside of the next slower right.
‘Thrilling Alonso-Perez battle’;
https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/a...fytdVbmTn.html
Perez on Alonso duel: “With 95% of the field, I would’ve crashed”
November 7, 2023
By: Jaden Diaz-Ndisang
Last Word On Sports
Sergio Perez believes Fernando Alonso is one of the few drivers who can race wheel-to-wheel at the very limit in F1. Moreover, he explained post-race that very few drivers could have sustained such a duel:
“Slowly but surely, we got closer to Alonso until the end,” he told Spanish outlets at Interlagos. In truth, it was a really fun race. Because [I was] fighting with a driver like Alonso at the limit – I think with 95% of the grid, I would’ve crashed. But with Fernando, you can have these kinds of battles – and they are always entertaining.”
It is no surprise that Perez and Alonso have such respect for each other. Over ten years ago at the Malaysian GP, the two drivers battled for victory at the Sepang circuit. On that occasion, it was the Spaniard who secured the race win for Ferrari.
“With 95% of the field, I would’ve crashed”;
https://lastwordonsports.com/motorsp...uldve-crashed/
HORNER ADMITS ‘THIS IS THE CHECO THAT WE KNOW’ AFTER ‘CONFIDENCE’ BOOSTING DRIVE FOR PEREZ IN BRAZIL
Christian Horner has stated that Perez's strong drive at the Sao Paulo Grand Prix "was important for his confidence"
November 8, 2023
Oliver Brindle
FormulaNerds
Red Bull Team Principal Christian Horner has claimed that it was a “very strong weekend” for Sergio Perez at the Sao Paulo Grand Prix despite losing out on a podium on the final lap. Despite this late knockback, Horner confirmed that he was impressed by Perez’s drive and was pleased with the 12-point gap he had gained on his Drivers’ Championship rival Lewis Hamilton.
Speaking to Motorsport.com, Horner said: “I thought he drove brilliantly well, he had a little bit of a wobble at [turn] two, which allowed Fernando, who was pretty quick on the straights today, to have a go. He did his best to hang on to it though.”
“But I think for Checo to outscore Lewis [Hamilton] by 12 points this weekend, it’s been a very strong weekend for him. A third in the sprint, fourth from ninth on the grid with the yellow flag he got in qualifying. I think there’s been very good points for him.”
‘THIS IS THE CHECO THAT WE KNOW’;
https://www.formulanerds.com/news/ho...rez-in-brazil/
-
Pierre Gasly: Sao Paulo GP ‘one of our best races of the season’.
Pierre Gasly fought his way up from 15th on the grid to P7 in the race at Interlagos and was extremely pleased at his progress after the final lap.
05 Nov 2023
Formula One - Official Site (Video)
‘One of our best races of the season’;
https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/v...494633330.html
OCON REVEALS FRUSTRATIONS AMIDST GASLY’S SAO PAULO GRAND PRIX JUBILATION
The Alpine teammates secured a double-point finish in Brazil, with Pierre Gasly finishing P7 ahead of Esteban Ocon in P10
November 7, 2023
Rhiannon Temporal
FormulaNerds
The Sao Paulo Grand Prix weekend saw a mixture of fortunes for the Alpine duo. Both drivers were eliminated in Q2 during qualifying for the Grand Prix. While Esteban Ocon was involved in a major crash during the sprint shootout. His collision with Fernando Alonso saw the Frenchman drop out of the first part of the session, with Pierre Gasly then out in SQ2.
‘FRUSTRATIONS’;
https://www.formulanerds.com/news/oc...ix-jubilation/
‘Incredible’: 27-year-old F1 driver admits he sacrificed qualifying in Brazil for Sunday’s race
12:06 Tue, 07 Nov 2023.
F1 Oversteer
Gasly hails qualifying set-up for Brazil success: Speaking about his display in Sao Paulo, Gasly said: “It was an incredible race, I’m very happy with the work as a team we have done this weekend. “We purposely decided to compromise the car set-up a bit for qualifying to improve our chances to race and have a bit more straight-line speed.
“And from P15, made up eight positions, managed to you know get in that group with Carlos, with the Mercedes, with Aston for quite a while, yeah, one of our best races of the season. Good tyre management, good pit stops, good strategy. Strong team race overall with Esteban in P10 and me P7 so very positive.”
Gasly will hope that Alpine can produce a car next year that doesn’t require him to sacrifice qualifying pace like he did in Brazil to compete during races. The team are the definition of mid-table right now and will hope they can replicate McLaren’s resurgence this season to fight at the front of the grid. They’ve got to make sure the team go in that direction and don’t get caught up in the fight between the bottom four teams instead.
‘Sacrificed qualifying’;
https://www.f1oversteer.com/news/27-...-sundays-race/
Gasly backs 'compromised' Alpine plan on 'strongest weekend'
08 November 7:45PM
Author Jake Nichol
Co-author Aaron Deckers
RacingNews365
Gasly supportive of Alpine 'compromise': "It was one of our best races of the year," Gasly told media including RacingNews365 after the team elected to opt for a skinny rear-wing set-up for the race.”
"I had two very, very strong starts, I managed to pass cars on both occasions and on the second start, I was able to get up the gearbox of [Carlos] Sainz. For pretty much the whole race, I was keeping up with Sainz, the Aston Martins in front and the Mercedes as well and we managed to make the two-stop work with good tyre management.”
"I passed George [Russell] and Lewis [Hamilton] on the race-track and in the end, I was lapping like a tenth away from Carlos. I'm very happy because we were struggling a lot on this track since we arrived. We knew that it was a compromise, we accepted it, and missed Q3 by four-tenths, and that is what we were seeing from the [data].”
‘Gasly supportive of Alpine compromise';
https://racingnews365.com/gasly-back...ongest-weekend
Gasly: Brazil GP recovery ‘one of our best races of the year’
15:01 Tue, 07 Nov 2023.
by Taylor Powling
Motorsport Week
Pierre Gasly was thrilled by his recovery to seventh place in the Sao Paulo Grand Prix, hailing it “one of our best races of the year” amid a tough weekend for the Alpine team.
“I think it was one of our best races of the year to be fair,” Gasly reflected. “It was two very, very strong starts. Managed to pass cars on both occasions and [the] second start I managed to get in the gearbox of Sainz and pretty much the whole race I was, you know, keeping up with Sainz, the Aston in front, the Mercedes I had as well.”
“And we managed to make the two-stop work, good tyre management, good pit stop, pass George [Russell] and pass Lewis [Hamilton] on the race track and in the end I was managing to lap like a tenth from Carlos in the whole race. So I’m very, very happy, especially because we’ve been struggling a lot on this track since we arrived. So one of the best performances.”
‘Thrilled by recovery to seventh place’;
https://www.motorsportweek.com/2023/...s-of-the-year/
‘Inside the team’: F1 journalist says mood inside ‘chaotic’ F1 team has really improved this Season…
09:37 Wed, 08 Nov 2023.
F1 Oversteer
The mood at Formula 1 team Alpine has improved during 2023 after widespread changes were made midway through the season. Journalist Frederic Ferret has shared the latest he’s heard from within the French outfit as the F1 season comes to an end.
The final two races of the season could earn plenty of teams in the paddock tens of millions of pounds if they pick up some positive results. Mercedes and Ferrari are fighting to finish runners-up to Red Bull and it’s still all to play for between McLaren and Aston Martin.
The bottom four teams are separated by just 16 points and there’s a huge difference in prize money between finishing seventh and last. There are only two teams who have nothing to play for in the Constructors’ Championship. Red Bull have more than doubled the points tally of Mercedes and Max Verstappen would be leading the standings on his own at this stage.
‘Mood inside ‘chaotic’ F1 team has really improved this Season’;
https://www.f1oversteer.com/news/moo...d-this-season/
-
Tsunoda: ‘P16 to P9 is still good… but I could have done more’.
Yuki Tsunoda drove a strong race in Brazil, making his way from 16th on the grid up to the points and P9 – though he said afterwards he could have done even better had he not had to manage an engine issue on his AlphaTauri.
05 Nov 2023
Formula One - Official Site (Video)
‘P16 to P9 is still good’;
https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/v...960589191.html
Yuki Tsunoda adds more Mercedes pain with Lewis Hamilton feedback
06 Nov 2023 7:30 PM
Henry Valantine
PlanetF1.com
Yuki Tsunoda believes passing Lewis Hamilton would have been within reach in Brazil, had he not experienced car issues late on. But having had seven-time World Champion Hamilton in his sights late on, he felt frustrated to have not been able to mount a challenge.
“Yeah, I would say so,” Tsunoda said when asked if he was pleased with his performance in Sao Paulo. Definitely I could have done more, but yeah, sorry for the team. Also in the end I wasn’t able to push [to the] maximum for several reasons. But yeah, overall, I mean, P16 to P9 is still good. Well done to the team, I think it’s also unfortunate for Daniel that he had also been off on his side, we would have scored points.”
When asked what problems befell his car, he did not want to reveal too many secrets, but felt that the issue stopped him from piling more misery on Mercedes by pushing Hamilton further down the order come the chequered flag.
‘Experienced car issues late on’;
https://www.planetf1.com/news/yuki-t...on-pain-brazil
Tsunoda 'sorry' he couldn't score more points in Brazil as AlphaTauri look to chase down Williams
08 November 2023
Formula One - Official Site
Yuki Tsunoda’s Sao Paulo Grand Prix weekend brought some much needed points to AlphaTauri, as the racer finished P6 in the Sprint and P9 in the race itself. But despite those positive results, Tsunoda was still left believing he could have done more to help cement his team’s place higher up the standings.
With eyes now firmly fixed on chasing down Williams one place above – only seven points separating the teams in a congested area of the constructors’ standings – Tsunoda felt he could have helped narrow that gap even further in Brazil. “I’m happy for scoring points, but I definitely could’ve done more,” said Tsunoda. “I made a mistake in Turn 10, which caused me to lose one position, so I’m really sorry to the team.”
“I think more was possible, especially as we were managing some reliability issues that we’ll look into. It’s such a shame about Daniel as well because he was also really fast. I think we both could’ve scored points today. Looking at the positives, starting P16 and ending up P9 shows the strong pace of the car and that we’ve definitely made a big step in the last races since we introduced the upgrades in Austin.”
AlphaTauri look to chase down Williams’;
https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/a...LVwYMMVCo.html
‘Like taking candy from a baby’: Sky commentators very impressed with ‘feisty’ driver in Brazil …
Paulo Grand Prix
Mon 6 November 2023 19:30
Ben Evans
F1 Oversteer
AlphaTauri driver Yuki Tsunoda had one of his best weekends of the season in Brazil, scoring points for in both races this weekend. Commentating on Sunday’s race for Sky Sports F1, David Croft and Martin Brundle were both impressed with the young Japanese driver.
Watching the 23-year-old at Interlagos, Martin Brundle said: “This looks a bit feisty doesn’t it?” David Croft added: “Doesn’t it just? Yuki Tsunoda on Valtteri Bottas, it’s like taking candy from a baby that one. Yuki Tsunoda up to tenth place as the AlphaTauri gets past the Alfa Romeo after they started the race on level points.”
Tsunoda should have added to his points tally before arriving in Brazil with AlphaTauri looking very fast in Mexico City. Unfortunately, contact with Oscar Piastri saw him spin out and he could only recover to 12th on that occasion.
‘Like taking candy from a baby’;
https://www.f1oversteer.com/news/fei...lo-grand-prix/
‘We could have got a lot of points’ – Ricciardo rues getting hit by debris from Lap 1 crash.
05 Nov 2023
Formula One - Official Site (Video)
Daniel Ricciardo was hit by a flying tyre from the crash involving Kevin Magnussen and Alex Albon on the first lap in Sao Paulo.
‘Hit by a flying tyre’;
https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/v...388250973.html
-
Williams ‘just not quick enough’ to pick up points in Brazil – Sargeant.
Logan Sergeant just missed out on points in Sao Paulo, finishing in P11 – but he said after the race he just didn’t have the speed to finish any higher.
05 Nov 2023
Formula One - Official Site (Video)
‘Just not quick enough’;
https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/v...992943155.html
Alex Albon’s dig at ‘traffic makers’ Haas after ‘big’ Brazil Grand Prix crash
06 Nov 2023 11:00 AM
Michelle Foster
PlanetF1.com
Alex Albon says he is fine after a heavy shunt on the opening lap of the Brazilian Grand Prix, a racing incident triggered by the “backstop” Haas teammates. Lining up 15th on the grid, Albon made yet another flying start and looked to challenge the Haas teammates around the outside on the run-up to Turn 1.
Momentarily three abreast, Kevin Magnussen moved to the right to get a better line into the corner and tagged Nico Hulkenberg who in turn crashed into Albon. Hitting the rear left of the Williams, which pitched Albon to the right and he then speared into Magnussen’s VF-23 before sliding off the track at speed and into the barrier.
‘Traffic makers’;
https://www.planetf1.com/news/alex-a...ilian-gp-crash
Alex Albon blameless in Brazilian GP crash, with Hulkenberg claiming he wanted a kiss
Three cars failed to make the first turn at Interlagos, including Albon
November 6, 2023
By Brandon Sutton
Total Motorsport
Alex Albon says he felt he couldn’t do any more in an opening lap 2023 Brazilian Grand Prix crash that involved himself, Nico Hulkenberg and Kevin Magnussen at Interlagos.
Hulkenberg made contact with both cars but managed to continue, but Albon and Magnussen‘s races were over before they even managed to get through Turn 1 leaving the Thai-British driver frustrated about the situation.
“Both cars attracted to me,” Hulkenberg said to press. “They wanted to come and give me a kiss, and they got to kiss. I think they don’t come again. There was minor damage on my car, which were able to repair in the red flag, but it was a shame because we lost the new set of soft tyres. Soft tyres were very handy today, they were almost definitely by far the best tyre to be on.”
‘They got to kiss. I think they don’t come again’;
https://www.total-motorsport.com/f1-...g-wanted-kiss/
Albon: Being ‘number one’ on race starts factor in Brazil GP crash
17:03 Tue, 07 Nov 2023.
by Sam Tomlinson
Motorsport Week
Alex Albon has rued that making the ‘number one’ start amongst the Formula 1 field contributed to his crash with Nico Hulkenberg and Kevin Magnussen on Lap 1 of the Sao Paulo Grand Prix.
“The last three races, so Mexico, the sprint race yesterday and today, we’ve been number one on starts,” Albon told Motorsport.com when asked about the race ending incident. “We’ve had very good starts, three in a row now. Sometimes it works for you like it did in Mexico. And sometimes it works against you, like it did here today.”
‘Number one’;
https://www.motorsportweek.com/2023/...azil-gp-crash/
Albon laments first corner exit as rivals gain ground on Williams
07 November 9:30PM
Author Jake Nichol
Co-author Aaron Deckers
RacingNews365
Alex Albon believes Williams opened the door for "championship rivals" to reel it in over the fight for seventh in the Constructors' following his first lap DNF in the Sao Paulo Grand Prix. Williams currently has 28 points, to AlphaTauri's 21, but Albon believes a chance was opened for the Faenza-based team to capitalise after the crash.
AlphaTauri is Williams' nearest challenger, with Yuki Tsunoda going onto bank two points for a ninth-place finish, coupled with the three he scored in the Sprint for a five-point haul. It moved the team onto 21 points, seven behind Williams with just two rounds remaining in the season.
‘Albon laments first corner exit’;
https://racingnews365.com/albon-lame...nd-on-williams
