F1 Brazilian GP Live Commentary and Updates – Sprint Quali & Race
Saturday's action from the 20th round of the 2023 Formula 1 season
Interlagos hosts the closing leg of the final triple header of the year, with just two races remaining of the 2023 season after the chequered flag falls on Sunday's grand prix.
While Max Verstappen and Red Bull may have respectively wrapped up the titles, the battle between Lewis Hamilton and Sergio Perez for second in the drivers' standings is fierce.
As is the fight at the bottom of the constructors' standings, with the margins separating Williams, AlphaTauri, Alfa Romeo and Haas closing at recent events.
Following yesterday's rain-shortened qualifying session headed by Verstappen, the sixth and final sprint race of the year will start at 6:30pm GMT, following sprint qualifying at 2:00pm GMT.
Live Standings
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Summary
Summary
Verstappen wins the final F1 sprint of the season, his fourth sprint success in 2023
Norris is second with Perez completing in the top three
That wraps up our live text coverage of the Brazilian GP sprint Saturday. Tomorrow it is the main event, with the grand prix starting at 5pm GMT. Be sure to join us then for all the pre-race build-up, action and reaction. Until then, go well!
Lando Norris, McLaren MCL60, Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing RB19, Sergio Perez, Red Bull Racing RB19, George Russell, Mercedes F1 W14, Charles Leclerc, Ferrari SF-23, Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes F1 W14, the rest of the field at the start of the Sprint race
Verstappen on taking the lead into Turn 1: "It was important to get ahead at the start but the launch wasn't amazing. The second part of the start was very good so we got alongside."
Norris on his poor start: "I have to review [the start]. My initial start was good but the second phase of the launch, maybe I was a bit too conservative. I didn't have wheelspin, I was just on the safe side."
Perez on his first top-three finish in any race since Monza: "It was not an easy one at the start, I ended up losing places to George and Lewis. But from then on I was fighting and used up my tyres, so I paid the price towards the end."
Piastri keeps 10th ahead of Alonso, with Stroll 12th in front of Gasly, Ocon, Albon, Magnussen, Zhou, Hulkenberg, Bottas and Sargeant. All 20 drivers make the finish.
Then a huge gap back to Russell in fourth, Leclerc in fifth and Tsunoda in sixth. Hamilton holds on to seventh by 0.3s from Sainz as Ricciardo misses out on a point by 0.1s in ninth.
At the start of lap 22, Tsunoda gets by Hamilton for sixth using DRS on the main straight. Further back, Ricciardo overtakes Piastri for ninth into Turn 1.
Hamilton's tyres look gone. He is a sitting duck to Leclerc into Turn 1, to give the Ferrari driver a free move into fifth. Now Tsunoda is attacking the Mercedes driver.
Into the final five laps and the gaps between those in the points are starting to stretch out. Tsunoda, who has spent the entire race behind Leclerc, still cannot find a way by.
After a brief respite of the overtaking action, Stroll kicks things off again taking 12th place off Gasly. Lots of drivers are struggling for tyre performance now.
At the end of lap 16, Verstappen's lead remains at 1.7s, but he's asking if he can push more through the high speed corners, as he is losing time to Norris at through Turn 6-7.
Ricciardo's next attack on Sainz is a repeat result, getting by at Turn 1 but then conceding the place again at Turn 4. That invites Piastri to the party and he gets by Ricciardo for ninth.
Ricciardo makes his move into Turn 1 on Sainz, but goes wide into the Senna Esses and that hands the Ferrari the chance to gain momentum to return to eighth before Turn 4.
Ricciardo is all over the rear of Sainz in the fight for the final point place in the sprint. AlphaTauri is the only F1 team to never score a point in a sprint but it is looking good today with Tsunoda seventh and Ricciardo ninth.
Perez makes his move on Russell stick. It is the same again, Perez using slipstream and DRS into Turn 1, but he moves across to take the racing line and that denies Russell the run on him to Turn 4.
At the start of lap eight, Perez overtakes Russell for third place using that potent DRS into Turn 1. But it doesn't last as Russell repays the favour down to Turn 4 to regain the place.
Russell is sprinting after Verstappen in the lead on lap two, as Norris tries to recover from his poor opening lap. Hamilton is chasing the McLaren driver with Perez in tow.
