Hamilton and Verstappen face uphill battle at Interlagos

Lewis Hamilton will make his 400th Formula 1 Grand Prix start at Interlagos on Sunday, lining up 20th after qualifying, with Max Verstappen starting 21st behind him. Both drivers have produced famous recoveries at the Brazilian circuit before, with Hamilton winning from 10th in 2021 and Verstappen winning from 17th on the grid three years later.

Hamilton believes the current technical regulations make another such charge far harder. He pointed to the removal of DRS and the arrival of the new overtake mode, saying that overtaking will be "very, very, very hard" unless wet conditions change things. Verstappen agreed, noting that the energy demands of the new power units shrink the speed advantage a pursuing driver can build on the long straight.

Asked about his strategy, Hamilton said simply: "Try to win, somehow." Verstappen is hoping for a chaotic race with several safety cars to help him get back into contention.