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Two down and one to go when it comes to the latest triple header of races, and it’s a Sprint weekend to add to the action. With the past two Grands Prix in Austin and Mexico City providing plenty of drama, here are a few of the storylines that are likely to be the key talking points as the paddock arrives in Sao Paulo…
It was already a hot topic even before the trip to Mexico City, but incidents in Sunday’s race only served to increase the focus on how racing is policed.
EXPLAINED: Why the stewards decided to hit Verstappen with not one but two penalties in Mexico
Penalties in Austin quite often focused on Turn 12, and whether a car on the inside had to leave racing room for a car on the outside in both attacking and defending scenarios. The drivers and the FIA discussed it on Friday in Mexico, and there was a desire to update the guidelines moving forward.
But it’s a change that won’t be rushed, in order to make sure there are no unforeseen consequences, and that hard but fair racing is encouraged.
And that meant the same rules applied in Mexico City, where Max Verstappen picked up two 10-second time penalties for incidents with title rival Lando Norris. McLaren had unsuccessfully looked to overturn a penalty Norris got in the United States, and while Christian Horner says Red Bull won’t be doing the same this week, he insists the current guidelines made Verstappen’s first penalty – for forcing Norris off at Turn 4 – harsh.
These incidents usually come down to extremely fine margins between two cars at the point they reach the apex, and as the title battle hots up there’s every chance there will be more tough calls for the stewards to make in Brazil.
READ MORE: Horner labels Verstappen penalties as ‘very harsh’ and calls for overtaking regulations to ‘get back to basics’
The penalties that Verstappen picked up limited him to sixth place in Mexico City, and with Norris improving to second with a strong final stint of the race he took 10 points out of the championship leader’s advantage.
There are now 47 points between the two with four race weekends to go, meaning Norris needs to outscore Verstappen by an average of 12 points at each venue to win the title. But two of those – Brazil and Qatar – are Sprint events, so there are a maximum of 34 points on offer rather than 26.
It’s Ferrari who have been winning so far in this triple header, though, with Carlos Sainz delivering an excellent performance in Mexico, following Charles Leclerc’s victory in the United States. And that could be both a blessing and a curse for both of the main title rivals.
Ferrari’s pace creates the potential for bigger swings in the championship picture, because it’s not just a straight fight between Verstappen and Norris for first and second. If one of them wins and the other is beaten by the two Ferraris to finish fourth, then it’s a 13-point difference. And that’s without factoring in team mates or Mercedes.
READ MORE: Vasseur hails ‘perfect weekend’ from Sainz but bemoans ‘idiots’ that hampered Leclerc
With every passing weekend the championship fight remains alive, the tension grows that little bit more.
Mexico was always going to be a massive weekend for Sergio Perez, in front of his adoring home fans who make for an incredible atmosphere. It’s one of the most amazing crowds of the season, and that is only heightened when he is performing well.
Unfortunately, the entire weekend was a struggle for Perez, who had to try and recover from a disappointing qualifying when he was eliminated in Q1. The initial signs were good as he made significant progress on the opening lap, but a penalty for being out of position on the grid was the first step in his race unravelling.
After damage picked up in contact with Liam Lawson, and an unsuccessful attempt to take the fastest lap off Charles Leclerc, he was last of the classified finishers.
READ MORE: ‘There comes a point in time that difficult decisions have to be made’ – Horner on Perez’s future as Red Bull lose ground
Team Principal Christian Horner refused to confirm Perez would see out the season on Sunday night, describing Mexico as “a horrible weekend” for him and adding, “there comes a point in time that difficult decisions have to be made”.
There might only be three race weekends left after this one but Red Bull have made decisive calls before. Perez can ensure talk of potential replacement – at least this year – quietens down with a competitive result at Interlagos.
While Perez might be struggling, a former team mate of his is part of a team that is in excellent form. Nico Hulkenberg partnered Perez for a number of seasons at Force India, but now at Haas he is enjoying an extremely productive final year before his move to Sauber/Audi in 2025.
Haas have scored points in each of the last six events – covering both Grands Prix and the Sprint – and in Mexico City it was double points as Hulkenberg came home ninth behind Kevin Magnussen in seventh.
Hulkenberg has been consistently scoring, doing so in four starts in a row, but for Magnussen, it was just reward for a really strong run since missing the Azerbaijan Grand Prix due to suspension. Seventh was his best result of the season and has helped Haas move 10 points clear of RB in sixth place in the constructors’ championship.
READ MORE: ‘I’m finding my rhythm again’ – Magnussen overjoyed with ‘perfect day’ in Mexico after Haas secure double points finish
Interlagos has been the scene for a number of dramatic championship developments and this year could well be the same, with 34 points on offer across the Sprint weekend.
With the passionate Brazilian crowd and an iconic track that encourages exciting racing, it’s the perfect venue to have more competitive sessions, with all of the drivers having just one practice session on Friday to prepare as best as possible.
While the last Sprint in Austin generally saw the quickest teams at the front throughout, Interlagos has provided some mixed-up grids in recents years due to the chance of rain that can often hit the circuit. Most recently in 2022, it was Haas and Magnussen who ended up on pole for the Sprint after timing their best SQ3 lap perfectly.
There’s so much at stake up and down the field as the latest run of races comes to an end, it could prove to be a pivotal weekend in the context of the entire season.
READ MORE: 5 Winners and 5 Losers from Mexico City – Who got the fiesta started at the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez?
But whatever happens during the race itself, the whole weekend is set to be a special one as Interlagos remembers one of the greatest drivers to ever grace the sport.
This year marks 30 years since the passing of Ayrton Senna, and he has been recognised at multiple events this year. At Interlagos, the opening corners are named after Senna, and there will be a number of tributes at his home race that will allow the incredible fans – themselves a sign of his legacy – to celebrate the Brazilian three-time world champion.
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