F1 Brazilian GP Live Commentary and Updates - Sprint race
Minute-by-minute updates for the sprint race for the 2024 Formula 1 Brazilian Grand Prix
Oscar Piastri starts the Formula 1 Brazilian Grand Prix from pole position in a McLaren 1-2 after beating team-mate Lando Norris in Friday’s sprint qualifying.
Championship leader Max Verstappen starts from fourth place for Red Bull, just behind Charles Leclerc in third for Ferrari, while both Aston Martin drivers Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll start from the pitlane after making set-up changes in parc ferme. Zhou Guanyu also starts from the pitlane for Sauber.
The Brazilian GP sprint race starts at 2pm GMT.
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So, a McLaren 1-2 and Verstappen under investigation... and we've still got grand prix qualifying to come later today. That starts at 6pm GMT so until then keep an eye on Autosport.com for the latest news and reaction. Until then, go well!
Here's the developing race report on the Brazilian GP sprint.
Oscar Piastri, McLaren MCL38 , Lando Norris, McLaren MCL38, Charles Leclerc, Ferrari SF-24, Carlos Sainz, Ferrari SF-24, Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing RB20 George Russell, Mercedes F1 W15, the rest of the field at the start
Photo by: Lubomir Asenov / Motorsport Images
Norris on his sprint race win: "I am not proud about it but we worked well as a team together so I thank Oscar. We did a great job as a team today. Oscar deserved it but we are doing what we have to do so I thank him and the team."
Piastri on second place: "It was a bit tricky, very bumpy, the racing line was incredibly narrow and if you missed it by a tyre width you were in trouble. A great day for the team and a lot of points. We learned a lot for the race tomorrow."
Verstappen on third place in the sprint: "It was quite a tricky race but it was a good race as you could always follow with the DRS. I am quite pleased with that, it took a bit too long with Charles [to overtake him]."
Verstappen isn't asked about this stewards investigation in parc ferme.
And now Verstappen will be investigated after the sprint for that infringement. At the moment it is not clear what the reason is, likely to be either going too fast under the virtual safety car or blasting off too soon before the green flag, but more on it when we get it.
Uh-oh, race control has noted Verstappen for a virtual safety car infringement...
Norris jumps out of his McLaren and immediately goes over to Piastri with a thank you for being the ideal team-mate.
Russell is sixth as Gasly and Perez round out the points places in the sprint. Norris gets the maximum points and takes two points out of Verstappen's lead in the drivers' standings, so it is down to 45 points with four grands prix and one sprint to go.
Norris wins the Brazilian GP sprint race! Piastri keeps Verstappen behind to complete a McLaren 1-2! Leclerc takes fourth ahead of Ferrari team-mate Sainz in fifth.
Piastri just about keeps Verstappen behind into Turn 4, but this fight will go all the way to the finish!
The virtual safety car period ends as the top three exit the Senna Esses on the final lap!
So Norris leads from Piastri and Verstappen with the race neutralised. There is a lap-and-a-half to go, but this race could return to green flag racing before the end.
McLaren acted at the right time from their perspective, as the virtual safety car is called for in order to remove Hulkenberg's car safely from the side of the track. Two laps to go.
With that threat of a safety car, McLaren acts to tell the drivers to swap positions. Norris sweeps by into the lead at Turn 4 on lap 22, but that has invited Verstappen into the fight.
No sign of a safety car yet, as Hulkenberg parks up at the side of the track. Three laps to go.
Hulkenberg's Haas is smoking... he's pulled over and the yellow flags are out.
Perez nails the Turn 1 lunge on Lawson this time to take eighth place.
At the start of lap 19 Piastri leads by 0.7s on Norris, with Verstappen another 1.5s back and then another 1.5s splits him to Leclerc.
"The gap to Leclerc is 1.3s, if Norris attacks do not make it too difficult," Piastri is told. Well, the gap to Leclerc isn't the problem now, as Verstappen uses DRS to power by the Ferrari and into third place at Turn 4 on lap 18.
Perez lunges on Lawson but locks up at Turn 1 and that allows the Kiwi to sail back by to keep eighth place and the final points place in the sprint.
"We're happy to hold these positions and make the switch on the last lap," Joseph tells Norris over team radio. There's the game plan for McLaren.
On lap 16 Piastri still leads, with a 0.5s gap over Norris, with the pair now 1.2s clear of Leclerc who is still defending from Verstappen.
Alonso has repassed Stroll to move into 18th place for Aston Martin. I'm sure he'll be delighted...
Amusingly, Verstappen complains of Leclerc making "so many mistakes" ahead of him, which you'd think would be a good thing for the Red Bull driver, but it is letting both McLarens creep ahead.
This one is bubbling up nicely, as Verstappen forces Leclerc into defensive moves at the start of lap 13.
Hamilton has made zero progress after his poor start and remains 14th for Mercedes behind both Williams drivers.
Norris duly gets DRS from Piastri but he cannot take off Leclerc and Verstappen right behind him on lap 11. Further back Perez has got by Bearman to move up to ninth place.
Piastri is told by McLaren to give Norris DRS - and he needs it to keep Leclerc and Verstappen at bay.
On lap nine, Bearman overtakes Hulkenberg to take ninth into Turn 1, and moments later Perez gets by the German to take 10th off him at Turn 4.
"Keep doing what you are doing," Joseph tells Norris. "Yeah, whatever," the British driver replies. He's not happy.
Norris is on the radio to McLaren with a less than subtle request to get Piastri to move aside. He appears to be struggling in the dirty air of his team-mate and has lost DRS, while both Leclerc and Verstappen do have DRS.
Verstappen posts the fastest lap of anyone to move within half a second of Leclerc... but he cannot make a move at Turn 4 on the seventh lap.
Just 2.8s covers the top four at the start of lap six. They've dropped Sainz and Russell already.
Russell locks up coming down the Senna Esses and goes on to the run-off on lap three. No harm done as he continues on in sixth place.
Piastri still leads by 0.7s which means Norris has DRS as they look to pull away from Leclerc and Verstappen.
"Take your time, Max. You know the game," Verstappen is told over team radio by Lambiase.
Further back Perez has cleared both Williams cars and is up to 11th place.
At the start of lap three, Verstappen looks for a way around the outside of Leclerc into the first corner but has to back out of it as he is too far back.
The top eight is as you were but Hulkenberg made a mega start to move up to ninth ahead of Bearman and Albon. Hamilton had a shocker of a start and lost three places so is 14th.
By: Haydn Cobb
