Hamilton’s race – at the third time of asking
He’d stolen the limelight in the Saturday ‘Sprint’, storming from a controversial relegation to the back of the grid after the Drag Reduction System gap in his rear wing was found to be minutely too large. Fifth from the back in just 24 laps, thanks to pass after pass, the best of which was a stunning move on Lando Norris into Turn 1. This had been pure Hamilton at his very best, as team-mate Valtteri Bottas used the soft Pirelli tyre to beat Verstappen off the line and secure pole position for the grand prix itself.
But Lewis knew he faced more adversity on Sunday, thanks to the five-place grid drop he’d take for requiring another change of his internal combustion engine. So he started 10th. Martin Brundle said he could still win from there after the Sprint performance – and he was spot on. The start was a peach and by lap five Hamilton was already up to third, chasing the Red Bulls down. He made quick work of Sergio Pérez and now we prepared for another tense Hamilton versus Verstappen classic.
After the second stops, the gap from Lewis to Max was 2.6 seconds and the black Mercedes chipped away to close to within DRS range. It was lap 48 when Hamilton had his first shot at the lead, drawing alongside into Turn 4 – only to find himself run out wide by Verstappen on the exit. The stewards ruled no penalty, to the natural dismay of Mercedes and to a general sense of surprise among most onlookers. Max was lucky to get away with that one.
Ten laps later Hamilton had worked his way into position for another crack – and this time Verstappen weaved from side to side on the run to Turn 4, which was Hamilton’s best hope of making a move rather than the long drag from Juncao to the start/finish. Max received a black and white warning flag this time – but by then Hamilton was already through, in the lead and disappearing up the road. The following lap he’d got another run and this time, darting around the outside line, the Red Bull had no answer. It had taken three attempts, and briefly we wondered whether this would end in tears as it had at Silverstone and Monza. But in the end Mercedes’ phenomenal straight-line speed, a fine balance on the brakes and Hamilton at the very top of his game made all the difference.
A post-race scare then followed when the stewards summoned Mercedes’ team manager Ron Meadows for Hamilton undoing his seat belts during his joyous celebrations after the flag, in front of a Brazilian crowd that appears to have adopted Lewis as one of their own. A fine of €5,000, with a further €20,000 suspended until the end of 2022 was the right call – and a chunk less that the €50,000 Verstappen copped for handling Merc’s rear wing in parc ferme after the ‘Sprint’. Red Bull continues to insinuate the Mercedes’ straight-line speed is questionable, but as yet has held back from lodging a protest. Perhaps it’s just a matter of time before this increasingly ill-tempered feud properly explodes.
Mercedes heads Red Bull by 11 points in the constructors’ standings, and between the two drivers the gap is down to 14, as Sergio Peréz claimed a vital fastest lap to snatch one back from Hamilton. All bets are off on how it will all play out.