With only four races to go, the rivalry between Max Verstappen and Lando Norris has intensified following last week’s race in Mexico.
Even though he was handed two 10-second penalties last week for what Norris described as “dangerous” driving, Verstappen is still leading the drivers’ championship standings, maintaining a 47-point gap over Norris, who has been his strongest challenger lately.
The Dutchman will take a five-place grid penalty into Sunday’s race at the Autódromo José Carlos in São Paulo following engine issues.
While all eyes are on Red Bull and McLaren, Ferrari is now in the strongest position looking ahead to the end of the season, having an opportunity to enter the competition for the 2024 Formula 1 title.
With perhaps the last ever win for Carlos Sainz with the Italian team last week before he departs Ferrari at the end of this season, the “scuderia” moved up in the standings, giving hope for a dramatic title challenge.
For Mercedes, the focus remains on their performances, being unpredictable in their last races. Even if Lewis Hamilton finished fourth and George Russell fifth in Mexico, their performances were far off the best. They have been struggling to challenge the front-runners, with recent results suggesting they won’t be on top in São Paulo.
Rainy conditions still remain a problem for Saturday and Sunday, highlighting the unpredictability of this race at the Interlagos Circuit, starting with Sprint qualifying at 2pm.
The race will start at 5pm on Sunday.
