Oscar Piastri, who started from pole, kept his word: the young Australian driver left victory to his teammate Lando Norris in the Sprint of the Brazilian Grand Prix.
As soon as the lights went out, Oscar Piastri adopted an aggressive strategy, blocking his teammate Lando Norris from the first meters of the race.
At the same time, Charles Leclerc found himself under pressure from Max Verstappen, who tried to slip through at the first corner. This intense fight between the drivers immediately set the tone for a race filled with rivalries.
From the third lap, Verstappen once again looked for an opening to overtake Leclerc's Ferrari, but the Monegasque resisted tenaciously. Meanwhile, the other drivers continued to progress: Carlos Sainz, George Russell, Pierre Gasly, and Liam Lawson moved into the top 8, hinting at battles to come.
The team instructions in question for Piastri
In the fifth lap, Oscar Piastri slowed his pace, probably in order to allow Norris and Leclerc to get closer.
Verstappen, meanwhile, seemed to be losing momentum compared to the leaders. Then, on the seventh lap, Norris expressed his dissatisfaction on the radio, surprised that his teammate did not let him pass, despite instructions given at the start of the race.
Faced with this tense situation, Piastri's engineer reminded the driver that he had to give Norris a DRS advantage by slowing down further.
Leclerc under threat from Verstappen
As the twelfth round began, Norris found himself under pressure from Leclerc, ready to seize the slightest opportunity. Further back in the peloton, Sergio Pérez delivered a great comeback, chaining overtakes on several opponents, including the Haas, to find himself in Liam Lawson's mirrors.
Meanwhile, Verstappen did not let go of Leclerc one step. On the radio, he did not hesitate to highlight the errors of the Ferrari driver, who had made several approximations in the first sector, which had widened the gap with Norris. Finally, on lap 18, Verstappen managed to overtake Leclerc, continuing his climb towards Norris.
Further down the hierarchy, Pérez managed to overtake Liam Lawson despite fierce resistance from the young driver. Shortly after, Nico Hülkenberg, driving his Haas, was forced to retire due to white smoke escaping from his exhaust, triggering an alert on the track.
Change of positions at McLaren
The 22nd round marked a decisive moment. Under the threat of a possible safety car, the McLaren team instructed its drivers to swap positions. Shortly after, race management installed a virtual safety car, withdrawn on the last lap, preventing Verstappen from attempting a final attack on Piastri.
Ultimately, Norris crossed the finish line in first position, followed by Piastri and Verstappen. The Ferraris of Leclerc and Sainz complete the top 5, followed by Russell, Gasly, and Pérez to complete this top eight ranking.
2024 F1 Brazilian GP Sprint Standings:
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