SAO PAULO — Red Bull driver Max Verstappen took a big step towards securing his fourth consecutive F1 championship by winning the Brazilian Grand Prix on Sunday despite starting 17th and increasing his lead over McLaren driver Lando Norris with three races remaining.

The Dutchman can secure the trophy in Las Vegas later this month. All he has to do is finish the race ahead of the McLaren driver. Other combinations could also enable the 27-year-old player to secure the championship.

Performing one of the best drives of his career, Verstappen overcame pre-race penalties as well as the rainy weather at Interlagos and achieved his first victory since June and his eighth Grand Prix win of the year. He won by almost 20 seconds and earned extra points for fastest lap at Interlagos 17 times during the race.

The Dutch driver increased his point difference from 44 to 62 points over Norris, who won Saturday’s sprint race. Norris started on pole position but finished in a disappointing sixth place. He avoided losing further points after being investigated by the stewards, who fined him and Mercedes’ George Russell 5,000 euros ($5,440) for breaching the FIA’s starting procedure.

Verstappen was preparing for a difficult weekend in Sao Paulo. He received a five-place grid penalty after changing his engine for the sixth time in the season; The maximum number allowed is four. He lost a point in Saturday’s sprint race due to another penalty. Then the qualifying session early on Sunday was interrupted when he was in 12th place and trying to make a fast lap to reach the final part of the session.

“My emotions were up and down today,” Verstappen said after the race. “We stayed out of trouble, made the right decisions and were flying.”

Verstappen later told a press conference that winning in Brazil was “incredibly important” for his bid for a fourth title and that he expected the overall gap to narrow.

“I felt like I was driving a boat,” Verstappen said jokingly. When asked what he expected next, he said: “I just want clean races, that’s all. “I’m not looking to win the title in Vegas or anything like that.”

Following the Las Vegas GP on November 23, there are races in Qatar (December 1) and Abu Dhabi (December 8), with a total of 86 points available.

Two Alpine pilots Esteban Ocon and Pierre Gasly completed the podium. Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc, who started the race aiming for the drivers’ championship, finished fifth.

F1 governing body the FIA ​​has rescheduled the qualifying session for 7:30am local time (10:30 GMT) on Sunday following Saturday’s heavy rain. While the start of the Grand Prix was postponed from 14:00 to 12:30 (1530 GMT), many in the paddock were still wondering whether the drivers would get their cockpits in the morning.

A tense race in the rain in Sao Paulo was cut short when Aston Martin’s Lance Stroll crashed out on the formation lap. Norris was unable to maintain his leading position in the first round and lost to Russell. The McLaren driver struggled to find his line in the rain until the end of the race, Verstappen clearly did so from the start, finding grip around the track where others could not.

A big boost for Verstappen, and arguably a key moment in the drivers’ championship, came when Haas driver Nico Hulkenberg spun on 27 of 69 laps. A virtual safety car was activated and many drivers opted to go to their own pit lanes, but Verstappen, Ocon and Gasly chose not to stop and the gamble paid off.

Five rounds later, around 10,000 Argentine fans at Interlagos were greatly disappointed. Williams driver Franco Colapinto collapsed. This meant a red flag just minutes after leaders Russell and Norris pitted. Ocon, Verstappen and Gasly changed tires without losing their places, putting Norris under even greater pressure.

“It was the right time to box,” Norris said after the race. “We were just unlucky.”

“I did my best today. That’s all. Max won the race. Good for him, good for him, but it doesn’t change anything for me,” he added.

Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton, who finished 10th, also praised Verstappen’s performance in the rain in Sao Paulo.

“Great ride, congratulations,” the seven-time champion said on Instagram.

Hulkenberg was disqualified after receiving a rare black flag before the restart as he sought help from stewards to return to the track.

Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso was treated for back pain after the race as Interlagos’ bumpy circuit came under fire from drivers.

Most before emotional moment At Interlagos at the weekend, many fans in the stands cried when Hamilton drove Ayrton Senna’s championship-winning car before the race. The seven-time champion took a few laps in the pouring rain in the historic McLaren MP4/5B he used during Senna’s 1990 championship campaign, where he beat Ferrari’s Alain Prost.

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