Verstappen recovers from P21 to finish second at Sao Paulo Grand Prix

Max Verstappen climbed from 21st on the grid to finish second at the Sao Paulo Grand Prix, a recovery that Red Bull team principal Laurent Mekies claims no simulator could have predicted. The four-time world champion gained 14 positions during the opening five laps while battling for grip on intermediate tyres in wet conditions. This result secures his place in second position in the Drivers’ Championship with 279 points, trailing leader Kimi Antonelli by 111 points ahead of three remaining races.

The penalty and the pace

An unexpected power unit change forced Red Bull into a grid penalty, marking the first such incident of the season for the new Ford partnership. Mekies described the situation as "part of the game," noting that the team had been doing an extraordinary job despite the issues. He admitted it was frustrating because the car’s pace seemed good on Friday and Saturday morning, but the small issue on Friday necessitated the swap. Before the race, projections suggested overtaking would be more difficult at Interlagos this year than in previous campaigns. However, Verstappen defied those expectations, carving his way through the field for the third time in three years after winning from P17 in 2024.

Mekies stated clearly that there is no sim able to predict going from P21 to P2 or gaining 14 places in five laps. "He’s beating the sim on a regular basis," he explained. The Dutchman’s strong pace continued as the track began to dry, keeping him competitive following the switch to slick tyres. Despite starting towards the rear, he maintained his charge through the field before crossing the line in second place behind Lando Norris. This podium finish adds to his recent momentum as he looks to secure second place in the championship standings.

Car balance complaints

Verstappen was far from happy with his RB22’s balance for much of the 71-lap grand prix, fuming over team radio about driving with a "f***** car." He reported an extreme amount of oversteer in high-speed corners immediately after switching to slicks, which made the car super difficult to drive. The driver demanded an investigation to determine if something broke on the car or if there was some kind of aero loss. Even when he swapped back to intermediate tyres at the end, the car felt night and day different to his first stint, indicating a persistent mechanical problem.

Mekies did not have an immediate answer to these concerns but noted that McLaren brought a fair bit of upgrade this weekend. He suggested that even if Verstappen started P2, Lando Norris was probably a bit faster on pace throughout the race. Analysts believe the intermediate tyres behaved unusually in the changing conditions, masking various setup issues for many drivers. Kimi Antonelli and George Russell also complained of similar weirdness with their cars, suggesting the track conditions were confusing for everyone.

The data shows Verstappen was half a tenth quicker than Norris on average during the first stint on intermediates. However, Norris was a tenth quicker on the first soft tyre stint, and the gap widened as Verstappen struggled with the car’s degradation. Jon Noble from The Race podcast argued that the McLaren was probably quicker overall in those specific conditions. Verstappen knows there was more in the race if the car had been in good shape, but he accepted the second place finish. The team must now analyze whether the balance issues cost them the win against the upgraded McLaren.