Max Verstappen has explained how a turbulent start to his Sao Paulo Grand Prix Sunday made his crucial victory so “emotional”.
Verstappen started 17th but showed his class in the rain to end his 10-race winless streak and take a 62-point lead over Lando Norris with just three rounds remaining.
The Dutchman’s lowly grid position was the result of an unfortunate Q2 exit earlier on Sunday after Saturday’s storms had seen the session pushed back to the morning of the race.
Verstappen, who was pushed further down the grid by a five-place penalty for taking a new engine at the start of the weekend, admitted he had struggled to deal with the disappointment at the time of his elimination.
“It’s definitely an emotional win. This morning I was very upset and my emotions have been going from left to right today,” Verstappen told Sky Sports F1.
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Highlights of Sunday’s race from the Sao Paulo Grand Prix, which saw Max Verstappen win after having started in 17th!
“I surprised myself today to win here. We had a really good start, stayed out of trouble, made good overtakes and were very fast.
“We made the right calls with the red flag to stay out. Suddenly the rain came down and it was even undrivable on a wet tyre.
“The calls with the team as well, I know they are super calm and just amazing in helping me as well on the pit wall make the right decisions. In races like this, it’s massive to have that.”
He later added to the written press: “I don’t even know where to start, because my emotions today have been from almost trying to destroy the garage to winning the race.”
Verstappen reveals secrets behind wet prowess
Verstappen made a great start in Sunday’s race after gaining six places in just over a lap, including a move on Lewis Hamilton at Turn One, a corner he used to great effect as he picked off cars one by one, eventually taking the lead from Esteban Ocon following a Safety Car restart.
The key move came when Red Bull decided to keep him out during a Virtual Safety Car, enabling Verstappen to jump ahead of three cars, including Norris, before a red flag allowed him to fit fresher tyres without any time loss.
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After Carlos Sainz’s crash brought out the safety car, Max Verstappen overtook Esteban Ocon for the lead of the race in Brazil
“I had a good feeling I could come forward. I felt comfortable. From a young age I drove a lot in the wet together with my dad and best friends,” continued Verstappen.
“We have been practicing a lot of different scenarios every time. Naturally that makes you comfortable in these conditions but the car still needs to work. It gave me confidence today.
“I’m just incredibly pleased with this result. It’s been an unbelievable race for us.”
Verstappen ranks Sao Paulo win among his best
Verstappen has now won 62 races, with only Michael Schumacher (91) and Lewis Hamilton (105) having stood on the top step of the podium more times.
Sunday’s performance was reminiscent of Verstappen’s drive to the podium at Interlagos in 2016 when he stormed through the field in the wet.
“This one is definitely much more crucial than back in the day. There I had nothing to lose. I was not in a championship fight and I was coming from the back after the strategic mistake we had,” Verstappen said.
“Now there was a lot more at stake. So I had to be more controlled, more aware of the championship. So for me, definitely this one is the best one [of the two].”
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George Russell overtook Lando Norris for the race lead on the opening corner, while Max Verstappen quickly overtook Lewis Hamilton to climb to 10th
Red Bull team principal Christian Horner said that the team “never expected” to win and thinks Verstappen is the “best in the world” in all conditions.
“It was a masterclass and in those conditions the driver’s skill really comes to the fore and he was in a league of his own,” he told Sky Sports F1.
“As a team we got all the calls right and the car had great pace. An outstanding drive to come from 17th. This morning it felt like everything was against us, but he turned it around.
“He got a great start, six cars on the first lap. It was an incredible performance from him, one of his very best.”
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