F1 News
Sunday Night Shift: Max wins, Ferrari's collide, Gasly & Sainz on the podium!
- Nicolás Quarles van Ufford
The drama didn't stop as the checkered flag waved at Interlagos! Several investigations were done and a penalty was given post-race. We recap the best stories from Sunday night, in case you missed it.
Best race of the season?
The second half of the Brazilian Grand Prix was some of the most spectacular racing we've seen all season. Overtakes, crashes, collisions, and unexpected drivers at the front; this race had it all. Not to mention the two Ferrari drivers crashing into each other and ending each other's races.
Max Verstappen was victorious, but behind him was Pierre Gasly, who drag raced Lewis Hamilton to the finish line as the two finished within a tenth of each other. Gasly, who has had an extremely difficult year, was overcome with emotion after securing his first-ever podium. Fun fact: it was the first Honda-powered one-two since 1991!
Hamilton was third because he overtook Alex Albon in the penultimate lap, although the move wasn't clean - they made contact, and the FIA investigated it...
Read the full race report here
Hamilton gets a penalty, Sainz gets podium
After investigating the overtake, the FIA punished Hamilton by giving the Brit a five-second penalty, dropping him to seventh place. It meant he got kicked out of the podium places and that Carlos Sainz, who started in 20th place following his engine failure in qualifying, finished on the podium for the first time in his career.
Incredibly, he made up 17 places in his McLaren to claim their first podium since Australia 2014 and the first in Sainz's 101 Grands Prix.
As for Hamilton, he held his hands up and admitted he was in the wrong, apologising to Albon as he dived into the Thai driver's inside.
Sainz gets investigated but keeps podium
Hamilton wasn't the only one who got investigated after the race, however.
Sainz was put under investigation as well, with the claim being he opened his DRS under yellow flag conditions, as did five other drivers. They reportedly did so on the back straight when approaching the parked car of Valtteri Bottas.
Opposite of Hamilton, Sainz wasn't penalised, meaning he could keep his podium place and the celebrations at McLaren could start. The podium seals their fourth place in the constructors' championship.