Verstappen recovers from 21st to second at Interlagos

Max Verstappen started 21st after Red Bull's engine change triggered a 30-place grid penalty, but his decision to save wet-weather tyres in qualifying paid off on a wet Interlagos track. He quickly moved into the top six by lap eight, passing Lewis Hamilton's Ferrari on the hill, and later climbed as high as second.

His progress stalled once the track began to dry and he switched to soft tyres, with Verstappen describing the car's balance as different from anything he had felt all weekend. Red Bull ran a three-stop strategy, bringing him back to intermediates as rain returned in the closing laps.

The race ran 71 laps without a red flag, safety car or virtual safety car, so every position Verstappen gained on track stayed gained, finishing second.