Max Verstappen admitted he never thought he would win the São Paulo Grand Prix after his stunning and unexpected victory from 17th on the grid. The Dutchman called it an emotional day after a significant setback in qualifying, followed by a remarkable comeback drive that was arguably the best of the season. Meanwhile, his title rival, Lando Norris, pointed out that Verstappen's win was partly due to lucky timing with red-flag rules that most drivers, including Verstappen himself, have previously criticized.
Verstappen navigated through challenging wet conditions to secure a well-deserved win, while Norris finished in sixth place. This thrilling race puts Verstappen in a strong position to clinch his fourth consecutive world drivers’ championship at the next round in Las Vegas in three weeks. He currently leads Norris by 62 points, with 86 points still up for grabs in the final three races. Verstappen described the victory as one of his finest, expressing disbelief at the outcome. “It is an emotional win,” Verstappen said. “I never thought I would win today. I had a feeling I could come forward. I am incredibly pleased with this result, an unbelievable race for us. I feel comfortable in the wet anyway but when the car is performing you can really pick up the pace.”
Norris, on the other hand, was frustrated by the mid-race red flag, which allowed Verstappen to change tyres without losing time in a pit stop. This rule, which Norris and many other drivers have criticized in the past, worked in Verstappen's favor. “That’s luck for them, nothing more. They got lucky,” Norris said. “A rule that no one agrees with. Probably today they will agree with it, but every driver has disagreed with it in the past. Today it benefited them, it could have benefited us if we’d stayed out, but that’s a stupid thing to think. Of course, disappointed with the result, it could have been better.”
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