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Formula 1 Brazilian GP

F1 Brazilian GP Live Commentary and Updates – Sprint Quali & Race

Saturday's action from the 20th round of the 2023 Formula 1 season

Lance Stroll, Aston Martin AMR23, Carlos Sainz, Ferrari SF-23

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 Text

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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.
Piastri is defending in an all-Aussie battle for ninth, as he keeps Ricciardo behind him.
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.
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.
Two laps to go and Verstappen, barring a disaster, has this sprint race won with a 3.0s lead on Norris and Perez a further 9.3s back.
Piastri is now defending from Alonso for 10th but his tyres are also on the way out.
On the final lap Alonso attacks Piastri for 10th but overshoots at Turn 1 and that allows the young Aussie back through.
Checkered flag
Verstappen wins the Brazilian GP sprint race! Norris is second and Perez takes third.
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.
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.
Another pretty straightforward contest for Verstappen, as Norris just didn't have the pace to challenge after losing two places on the first lap.
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."
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."
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."
Breaking news
Here's the Brazilian GP sprint race report: https://www.autosport.com/f1/news/f1-brazilian-gp-verstappen-passes-norris-at-the-start-to-win-sprint-race/10542807/

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

Photo by: Andy Hone / Motorsport Images

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

Checkered flag
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!

By: Autosport Staff

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