Verstappen makes one demand over becoming four-time F1 champion

Max Verstappen may have basked in the glory of arguably the greatest victory of his F1 career, but there is one key demand he would like to see realised for this season over and above him becoming a four-time champion.

Verstappen became only the sixth driver in F1 history - a total of 1,122 grands prix - to take the chequered flag from 17th on the grid or lower, such was his phenomenal performance at Interlagos.

The Red Bull driver's display was of such a calibre that in atrocious conditions he set 17 fastest laps, and finished almost 20 seconds ahead of runner-up, Alpine's Esteban Ocon.

The win also ended a run of 10 grands prix without a victory, during which time Red Bull and Verstappen have been questioned, the latter most notably over his driving standards after incidents with McLaren's Lando Norris in the United States and Mexico City GPs.

Verstappen delivered on track when it mattered most, although, after the trials and tribulations of late, he now has just one wish as he stands on the brink of his fourth title, holding a 62-point cushion over Norris with only 86 up for grabs. He could do so at the next race in Las Vegas.

Asked whether he felt his win in São Paulo was a pivotal moment, Verstappen replied: "Looking at it, it was incredibly important because in a way I was expecting to lose points.

"So from now on, I just want clean races to the end [of the season]. I'm not thinking about clinching the championship in Vegas, or whatever. I just want clean races."

The victory not only sent a message to all the critics who had dared to question Verstappen but more importantly it raised the morale of a team that may have been wondering whether it would again this season.

The performance of the RB20 was significantly enhanced, evident in the dry in the Saturday sprint when Verstappen comfortably kept pace with Ferrari's Charles Leclerc and McLaren pair Norris and Oscar Piastri.

Expressing the importance of the win, and what it means for the last three races in Las Vegas, Qatar, and Abu Dhabi, Verstappen said: "I wanted to win a bit sooner, but it's been tough for us.

"We always kept pushing. We didn't really understand why the others were so fast in the race, especially. I've been trying a lot of things to improve the car.

"Starting P17 it didn't look like we were going to win again, so it's an incredible result for us. A massive boost for the team, because honestly, it's been tough.

"But it is also a big strength of the team to stay calm and just try to work on performance and improve our situation. And I'm confident.

"I'm confident for the last three races that we can fight again, and especially in the race that we will be more competitive."