Max Verstappen now has one hand on the 2024 F1 world championship after a crushing display in the Sao Paulo Grand Prix.
Verstappen struck a potentially fatal blow to Lando Norris' title hopes by storming through the field to win from 17th on the grid in the wet and wild Interlagos conditions for a remarkable victory - as Norris could only trail home in sixth place from pole.
In doing so, Verstappen now has a 62-point lead in the drivers' standings, and with 60 left on the board after the Las Vegas Grand Prix, it means he can win his fourth crown in Nevada next time out.
His record-breaking Sao Paulo win will have gone a long way to helping him get there, with it being one that broke an all-time record he jointly held with Fernando Alonso.
Verstappen and Alonso had both previously won from nine different grid positions, but in winning from 17th on the grid, Verstappen now has 10.
He has won from 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 6th, 7th, 9th, 10th, 14th, and now 17th to become the first F1 driver to record double-figures, with the Sao Paulo win standing alongside Michael Schumacher's 1996 Spanish GP or Lewis Hamilton's 2008 British GP as examples of wet-weather dominance.
The win for Verstappen - as the table below shows - was also just the sixth win in 1,122 world championship grands prix from 17th or lower on the grid. And it is one record Verstappen will arguably never break...
Was Verstappen's Sao Paulo win the best of his career? Let us know by voting in the poll and in the comments!
F1 wins from lowest grid positions
| Driver | Grid position | Race | Team |
|---|---|---|---|
| John Watson | 17th | 1982 Detroit | McLaren |
| Kimi Raikkonen | 17th | 2005 Japan | McLaren |
| Max Verstappen | 17th | 2024 Sao Paulo | Red Bull |
| Rubens Barrichello | 18th | 2000 German | Ferrari |
| Bill Vucovich | 19th | 1954 Indianapolis 500 | Kurtis Kraft |
| John Watson | 22nd | 1983 United States - West | McLaren |
Also interesting:
Join RacingNews365's Ian Parkes, Sam Coop and Nick Golding, as they look back on last weekend's spectacular São Paulo Grand Prix. Max Verstappen's incredible victory from 17th is a leading talking point, and how the Dutchman is within touching distance of a fourth F1 drivers' title.
Rather watch the podcast? Then click here!
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