Rounds 21 and 22 of the 2024 Formula 1 (F1) World Championship were held in Brazil on Nov. 3 and Las Vegas on Nov. 23, respectively.
Autódromo José Carlos Pace, Brazil
In São Paulo, the Autodrómo Jose Carlos Pace hosted both the race and qualifying on the same day due to the rainy weekend. Amidst the heavy rainfall, qualifying, originally scheduled for the day before, was postponed until the morning of race day.
The rainy conditions and wet track led to five drivers crashing, leaving engineers and mechanics only four hours to repair the cars. One car, driven by Alexander Albon of Williams, had extensive damage and could not be repaired in time, resulting in the driver being unable to participate in the Grand Prix. His teammate Franco Colapinto, who also crashed, was the team’s only representative. A red flag, caused by the crash of Aston Martin’s Lance Stroll during the second qualifying session, resulted in Red Bull’s Max Verstappen being unable to set a faster time.
Verstappen, leader of the Drivers’ Championship, qualified 12th and took a five-place grid drop penalty after obtaining a new internal combustion engine (ICE), meaning he would start the race at 17th. Lando Norris of McLaren, second in the Drivers’ Championship, started on pole, followed by Mercedes’ George Russell in second and Yuki Tsunoda of Racing Bulls in third.
On the formation lap, Stroll spun into the gravel and was unable to get out, resulting in an aborted start. Once the Grand Prix started, Russell quickly took the lead. Haas’ Nico Hülkenberg received a black flag–meaning disqualification—on lap 27 for getting outside assistance from the marshals after spinning out of the track. This was the first time a black flag had been given since the 2007 Canadian Grand Prix.
Russell and Norris pitted on lap 29, though they were hesitant to do so as the rain began to get heavier. Given the conditions, they suspected either the safety car would come out to neutralize the race or a red flag would be called. The safety car was released on lap 31, and Colapinto crashed the following lap, resulting in a red flag. Much to Russell and Norris’ annoyance, this allowed other drivers to change tires without losing time.
On lap 43, Verstappen climbed to second place and overtook Alpine’s Esteban Ocon for first place, with Alpine’s Pierre Gasly in third place. Ocon started fourth, and Gasly started 13th. This is Verstappen’s first win in 11 races, 62nd career win and Alpine’s first double podium of the season.
Las Vegas Strip Circuit, Las Vegas, NV
The second consecutive year racing at Las Vegas Strip Circuit had Russell starting on pole, Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz in second and Gasly in third. Due to the cold air, the drivers had difficulty maintaining tire temperatures and experienced low-grip conditions. On lap 16, Gasly retired due to losing power in his car.
The pit stop was unfavorable for Sainz. The team initially told him to pit but, at the last moment, told him to stay out because they were not ready. This left the Spanish driver furious at their lack of action, but he redirected himself back onto the track and pitted a lap later, on lap 29. Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton qualified 10th but climbed up to second position, resulting in a Mercedes one-two finish. This is Russell’s third career victory.
Sainz finished third, followed by teammate Charles Leclerc in fourth and Verstappen in fifth. Since Verstappen placed above Norris, who placed sixth, he won the Drivers’ World Championship, making it mathematically impossible for Norris to surpass him in points.
This is Verstappen’s fourth consecutive World Championship. He is the sixth driver in F1 history to win at least four Drivers’ Championships after Juan-Manuel Fangio, Alain Prost, Michael Schumacher, Sebastian Vettel and Hamilton. Verstappen has led the Drivers’ Championship since his win at the Spanish Grand Prix in May 2022 and is the longest someone has held the position. This is the first season in history in which seven drivers have won multiple Grands Prix, and four different constructors have finished one-two in a Grand Prix.
Two rounds remain in the season, and the battle for the Constructors’ Championship remains between McLaren, Ferrari and Red Bull. McLaren has a 24-point lead over Ferrari, and Red Bull needs at least 29 points to overtake Ferrari. The last two races of this season will take place on Dec. 1 in Lusail, Qatar, and Dec. 8 in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.
