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Formula 1
São Paulo GP
F1 Brazilian GP Live Commentary and Updates - race day
Updates from Formula 1's Sao Paulo Grand Prix at Interlagos
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F1’s sprint race format returns at the penultimate round of the 2022 season, which has shaken up the Brazilian GP at Interlagos.
George Russell will start from top spot for Mercedes after winning the sprint race on Saturday, having seen a shock pole position for Kevin Magnussen in a wet qualifying on Friday.
Carlos Sainz finished the sprint race second but drops to seventh due to a Ferrari engine change, meaning it is a Mercedes front-row lockout with Lewis Hamilton in second ahead of Red Bull duo Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez.
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Verstappen passes Albon at Turn 1 to take back 16th place. That's something nobody expected at the start of this race.
Stopwatch
Hamilton pumps in a 1m15.047s on his first lap on those mediums - which brings him to within 5.6s of Sainz in third.
It was unseen by the TV cameras but Schumacher was also noted for a pitlane incident earlier, but no investigation for him at present, so it might have been related to the Alfa Romeo one.
Pit stop
Hamilton stops at the end of lap 29, which gets him out into a comfortable fourth place behind Sainz. Alonso is some way behind in fifth, after the Alpine driver stopped early.
A pitlane incident involving the Alfa Romeo team will be investigated after the race. That's a new one.
Vettel duly gets by Gasly at Turn 1 to move up to eighth place. Double pain for AlphaTauri, as Tsunoda is passed by Leclerc for 14th at the same spot later on.
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Just Hamilton and Stroll yet to stop - Stroll's shuffled out into the top five. Mercedes looks like it's going long with Hamilton. "Is there rain coming?" Hamilton asks, as the sky is a bit darker than before.
On lap 28, Bottas dives by Gasly to take seventh place, with Vettel in close company having just pitted.
After serving his penalty Norris has dropped back to 12th place and is three seconds off Zhou, who has just been overtaken by Ocon. This race is all action, I hope you are keeping up at home!
Pit stop
Hamilton leads then, as Vettel comes in to stop from third place. Medium tyres for the Aston Martin driver.
Pit stop
Verstappen also pitted in the same moment, serving his penalty, and he comes out in 17th behind Leclerc.
Pit stop
Norris, Bottas and Ocon all pit together in a flying formation, and the McLaren driver comes out behind them all having served his five-second penalty.
Russell takes the opportunity to pit as Perez has to wrestle against Bottas. That'll be enough for Russell to get up to speed, and stays ahead of Vettel.
Pit stop
Scratch that, Perez is pitting - he bolts on a set of mediums and heads off on his merry way. He comes out behind behind Bottas, so that's hardly an ideal situation.
Sainz continues his march up the order, getting by Ocon to take seventh at Turn 1.
Hamilton's actively catching Perez now, as Russell is dropping the Red Bull.
Pit stop
Leclerc makes a second stop to switch to the softs and while he only loses one place to Tsunoda he is now over one minute off the leaders. It's going to be a long afternoon for the Ferrari driver.
A lap later Sainz repeats the same move up the inside at Turn 8, this time on Schumacher, to move up to eighth place.
Sainz, free from his visor in brake duct woes, charges by Stroll at Turn 8 to take ninth place.
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"Let's go long," Russell says, having now started to up his gap over Perez. He's 2.7s clear of the Red Bull now, as of lap 21.
Gasly is the next to pit and comes out right in front of Leclerc in 16th. Verstappen has caught the back of the pack and passed Latifi to get up to 13th place.
"It was a tear-off stuck in the brake duct," Sainz is told, hence why there was a great plume of smoke pouring out. He'll need to make some progress now - while Hamilton is free to close down Perez.
Pit stop
Sainz pits, and grabs the soft tyre - perhaps finding the mediums less than ideal. The right-rear brake was smoking like a teenager behind some bikesheds, but it seems to have sorted itself out.
Pit stop
Zhou pits to take fresh mediums and comes out in last place.
Russell's opened up the gap to Perez to 2s at the start of lap 17, while Vettel springs a move on Norris to grab fifth place. Are you sure this man is retiring?
Pit stop
Alonso is the first of the non-safety car or crash damage pitstoppers, taking on mediums and comes out in 17th place, in between Verstappen and Leclerc.
Hamilton breezes past Norris for fourth, and he can now start catching Sainz.
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"Where did they expect me to go? He just closed the door on me. But, it doesn't matter," Verstappen responds after being told of his penalty for clashing with Hamilton.
Hamilton gets the move done on Vettel now, and takes fifth place. Norris is next up, but a move at Descida do Lago is not on just yet.
Penalty
Norris has also been found the guilty party for his clash with Leclerc and he is also given a five-second penalty.
Penalty
Verstappen has been given a five-second penalty for his clash with Hamilton. That'll go down well.
Both Verstappen and Leclerc are the fastest drivers on track, in free air at the back, but over 18s off the next on the road which is Albon.
Norris is struggling with his steering into right-handed corners, likely a legacy of that crash with Leclerc. Vettel's about a second behind, as Hamilton is closing them down.
Both the Verstappen vs Hamilton and Norris vs Leclerc incidents are under investigation with the stewards.
Sainz puts the move on Norris to grab third place, while Russell is continuing to build a gap over Perez. It's 1.6s out in front.
We've got a few recovery drives to keep track of now. Hamilton is on the move, taking Schumacher into Turn 1, and a lap later he gets by Gasly at the same spot to gain sixth place.
It's lap 8 and Norris is defending hard from Sainz over third, as Russell tries to breakbuild over Perez in second. Vettel's on the back of Sainz too, as he's looking racey.
Pit stop
Leclerc also pits after his Norris clash and is now in last place, with Verstappen in 17th. What a crazy start to this race!
Pit stop
Both Verstappen and Hamilton are still in this race, as the Red Bull driver pits due to a damaged front wing while Hamilton continues on in eighth.
And Leclerc hits the wall! Leclerc was battling with Norris for third place, and gets tipped into the wall at Turn 6 - but manages to get it out! Good save from the Ferrari driver!
By: autosport.com
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