{"id":22051,"date":"2023-11-07T04:04:03","date_gmt":"2023-11-07T04:04:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/news.pakistaninewspaperlist.com\/verstappen-wins-again-as-alonso-snatches-third-on-the-line-the-express-tribune\/"},"modified":"2023-11-07T04:04:03","modified_gmt":"2023-11-07T04:04:03","slug":"verstappen-wins-again-as-alonso-snatches-third-on-the-line-the-express-tribune","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/pakistaninewspaperlist.com\/news\/verstappen-wins-again-as-alonso-snatches-third-on-the-line-the-express-tribune\/","title":{"rendered":"Verstappen wins again as Alonso snatches third on the line | The Express Tribune"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n
\nSAO PAULO:
\n<\/strong><\/p>\n

Max Verstappen secured his 17th win in a record-breaking season on Sunday, resisting early pressure from Lando Norris to triumph in an accident and incident-hit Sao Paulo Grand Prix.<\/p>\n

Red Bull’s three-time world champion came home 8.277 seconds ahead of McLaren’s Norris on a sunlit afternoon at a packed Interlagos circuit.<\/p>\n

Behind them, Fernando Alonso snatched third for Aston Martin by just 0.053 seconds from Sergio Perez<\/a> in the second Red Bull.<\/p>\n

Alonso and Perez provided a thrilling finale as they battled through the final laps before the Spaniard regained the podium position and held the Mexican at bay as they roared across the line.<\/p>\n

Lance Stroll finished fifth in the second Aston Martin ahead of Carlos Sainz of Ferrari, whose team-mate Charles Leclerc crashed out on the formation lap, and Pierre Gasly of Alpine.<\/p>\n

Seven-time champion Lewis Hamilton<\/a> finished eighth for Mercedes after a race-long survival battle against degrading tyres ahead of Alpha Tauri’s Yuki Tsunoda and Esteban Ocon in the second Alpine.<\/p>\n

For Verstappen, it was his 52nd career win, lifting him one clear of four-time champion Alain Prost on the list of all-time winners.<\/p>\n

“It was really good,” said Verstappen. “A well-executed race by the team, perfect pit-stops and well done I think. I had two good starts which was very important and then managed the tyres.”<\/p>\n

For Norris it was a seventh podium this year and 13th of his career, the most by any driver without recording a victory.<\/p>\n

“I couldn’t have done any better,” Norris said. “P2 is as good as it gets nowadays. So, I’m happy with that. Max always had an answer.”<\/p>\n

Alonso held off Perez after the two swapped places twice in the closing laps.<\/p>\n

“It was like 30 laps of pressure from Checo! When he passed me two laps from the end, I thought a podium was not possible and it was gone, but I got it back,” said the Spaniard.<\/p>\n

After the extreme weather of Friday and Saturday, the race began in moderate conditions with a track temperature of 46 degrees and the air at 23 as Verstappen took the lead from his 11th pole of the year.<\/p>\n

By then, the luckless Leclerc was already out. He lost hydraulics on the formation lap, smacking into the barriers and damaging his front wing.<\/p>\n

“Why am I so unlucky?” he asked.<\/p>\n

Without a front-row rival, Verstappen powered away but a collision involving Williams’ Alex Albon and Kevin Magnussen of Haas brought a red flag.<\/p>\n

Both drivers escaped injury.<\/p>\n

Replays suggested Albon hit both Haas cars, of Nico Hulkenberg and Magnussen, who in turn hit the rear wing of Oscar Piastri’s McLaren.<\/p>\n

In the chaos, a tyre snapped off Hulkenberg’s Haas and bounced onto Daniel Ricciardo’s Alpha Tauri.<\/p>\n

After a 30-minute delay, the race restarted with Piastri and Ricciardo setting off from the pit-lane following repairs.<\/p>\n

Verstappen streaked clear again.<\/p>\n

Norris resisted a Hamilton attack and Alonso used slipstream to profit and pass the Mercedes man who fell to fourth ahead of team-mate Russell.<\/p>\n

Following team advice, Hamilton was preserving his tyres — to avoid a repeat of Saturday’s sprint race debacle. He could not hold off Perez on lap 19 and then pitted, swapping his softs for mediums.<\/p>\n

The leading duo pitted together on lap 27 and rejoined with Verstappen 4.7 seconds clear of Norris and Alonso, who also pitted, third.<\/p>\n

By mid-distance, it was clear Mercedes were struggling and Sainz swept past both for sixth, as Verstappen built his lead.<\/p>\n

Russell began the second round of stops when he pitted again for used softs, on lap 46 and Hamilton on lap 47, before Russell retired with engine heating problems.<\/p>\n

Verstappen waited until lap 57, gifting the lead to Norris until he too pitted on lap 60, leaving Alonso to deliver the final thrills.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n