George Russell wins a thrilling Sao Paulo sprint race from the 3rd spot on the grid. Qualifying hero Kevin Magnussen made a valiant start, but Haas’s lack of pace meant he couldn’t hold onto the lead of the sprint race for long. Max Verstappen suffered front wing damage to his front wing in a battle with Carlos Sainz. Mercedes will start the Sunday race from the front row.
Table of Contents
- Magnussen made a brilliant start
- Verstappen and Russell were involved in a thrilling battle for the lead.
- Alonso and Ocon collided together.
- Verstappen damaged his front wing in battle with Sainz.
- Stroll was handed a 10-second penalty for dangerous driving.
- Sao Paolo delivered an exciting Sprint Race spectacle.
- Sprint Race Classification
Magnussen made a brilliant start
Kevin Magnussen maintained his lead on the first lap. He was ahead of the faster cars at the end of Turn 1 and held his lead for one whole lap. Sadly for Magnussen, he only went backward from there on, but he still maintained a good enough pace to finish the sprint race in the 8th position.
Verstappen and Russell were involved in a thrilling battle for the lead.
Max Verstappen took the lead on Lap 2 and had a contentious battle with George Russell for the race’s lead. Russell came close to overtaking Verstappen 3 times, but the Dutchman placed his car expertly in the right areas to block Russell’s advances. Finally, on Lap 15 of 24, Russell managed to take the lead. From then on, Russell maintained his position and won the race.
Alonso and Ocon collided together.
Alpine drivers Alonso and Ocon collided together on Lap 4. The French driver pushed his teammate wide and, as a result, damaged Alonso’s front wing as well. Alonso was understandably furious with Ocon and vented his frustration to the pit wall.
“I lost the front wing thanks to our friend:” said Alonso. Ocon also suffered damage to his side pod due to the collision. He struggled for pace and was passed by other cars during the race. Alonso had to pit for a new front wing and came out dead last. Remember, Alpine and Mclaren are still entangled in a battle for the 4th spot on the constructor’s table, and Saturday’s result would make McLaren more bullish in their hopes of catching Alpine.
Verstappen damaged his front wing in battle with Sainz.
On Lap 18, Sainz passed Verstappen for second place. Verstappen, along with Latifi, was the only driver to start the race on medium tires, while the rest of the grid started the race on softs. Verstappen’s hope of his rival’s tyres failing didn’t materialize, and he was caught by Sainz and later Hamilton after Russell overtook him. During their battle for second place, Verstappen made contact with Sainz’s car, and his front wing endplate ripped off.
Hamilton then later overtook the ailing Red Bull driver for 3rd place. Here is a reminder that the position in which drivers finish the sprint race will be the position they will start the Sunday Grand Prix on. Sainz will take a 5-place grid penalty for taking new engine parts. This means that the front row will be occupied by both Mercedes cars.
Stroll was handed a 10-second penalty for dangerous driving.
Sebastian Vettel was trying to get past his teammate Lance Stroll for 11th but was forced onto the grass. Unperturbed, the experienced German made a move at the end of the lap. However, the German driver was visibly upset with Stroll’s tactics. “OK.”: was his response to the dangerous move made by his Aston Martin teammate. The stewards handed stroll a 10-second time penalty for dangerous driving.
Sao Paolo delivered an exciting Sprint Race spectacle.
After announcing the addition of sprint races into the F1 calendar in 2021, the 2022 Brazilian Grand Prix sprint delivered the desired result for the sport’s governing body. The Interlagos track layout provided ample opportunities for drivers to overtake each other. The brilliant contest reiterated the importance of giving Sprint races to host circuits where overtaking is possible.