F1, Brazil 2019 GP: Interlagos report cards – Formula 1

Everything happened in the last ten laps of the Brazilian Grand Prix, but he – Max Verstappen – he didn't notice: at the restart he immediately dismissed the Hamilton practice and at that point he was taken to the checkered flag, for once the only one far from the messes. A demonstration of strength after a perfect weekend, where if we look at the progress of Albon (which however did not demerit, far from it) we understand that the Reb Bull was particularly competitive at Interlagos, but also that the Dutch did as always the difference. So grade 10 and praise: he will not be the nicest of the company, but the foot is infinite.

Behind him, incredibly 2nd Gasly, with Toro Rosso after he hadn't taken a spider out of the hole in Red Bull for half a season. Because sometimes even in F1 life is strange, indeed very strange. The fact is that the French arrived on the podium, taking advantage of the disasters and the misfortunes of others, but with merit, because you try to place a Toro Rossa in 6th place on the grid … Gasly was fast and precise for the whole weekend and when you run like this, if you are in the right place at the right time, if something beautiful happens then it's not just luck. Rated 10, reborn.

3rd place for Sainz, to crown a year that in our opinion has definitively consecrated it among the most talented pilots of F1. Starting from the bottom with no particular faults, he reassembled with great determination but without taking unnecessary risks, also making himself found in the right place at the right time at the restart. The only big regret is that 3rd place arrived when … the podium ceremony had already been done without him. It will mean that he will celebrate twice next time, that we wish him an early arrival. Rated 10 also for him. Fighter.

Great 4th place of Raikkonen, who also stood out in qualifying and remained at the top of the ranking throughout the race. Then when too many people were wrong in front of him, the Finn made himself ready. A true iceman, vote 9.

Immediately behind, great race of Giovinazzo, slightly less brilliant than the Finn in qualifying but this time good at climbing back from the early laps in the points where he remained until the decisive restart. The 5th final place is the deserved prize for a perfect race that crowns great growth in the second half of the season. Rated 8.5, very good.

Incredibly 6th Ricciardo, despite a contact with Magnussen, a broken wing with a pit stop and a 5 second penalty. In fact in the incident a bit of guilt we had, but the Australian was good at not giving up even when he was last. And when you run like that something good always comes. Rating 7 for tenacity.

Only 7th Hamilton, he who was very keen on winning this race to beat Verstappen: he pushed very hard throughout the grand prix, then found himself with the old tires in the final (but it was a conscious, wrong choice) and at that point he became a hunter prey. In contact with Albon he could and should have been more careful. Not a six-time world champion move: vote 5 for the excess of enthusiasm and for the lack of clarity in the choice to stay out of the pits in the final.

A little in the shade Norris: after a difficult start he took the pace, but in a race that rewarded the riders of the second bracket he stayed out of the spotlight, losing the comparison with Sainz. Rating 6, what happened?

Discrete 9th place for Perez, another that usually in crazy races has accustomed us to surprising results: this time it has not happened, but miracles cannot always be done. Especially with a Racing Point: rating 6.5.

10th place for Kvyat and if it is true that it is not possible to give insufficient points to a driver in points with Toro Rosso, this time the Russian raced on completely different levels than his team mate, since Saturday when he took 4 tenths from him remaining out already in Q1. So vote only 6, because he could do more.

Out of the points, vote 8 to Albon, who continues to pay a pledge compared to Verstappen but the posting is reasonable and for the entire race he raced holding the Ferraris and Bottas. In the final he was about to take a beautiful and deserved 2nd place, then contact with Hamilton. By the way: the Englishman pretended that Red Bull did not exist and for this he was sanctioned, but also Albon should have learned that against certain sharks it is better to think about it before leaving the door open and then closing it again, because they hardly raise the leg. In short, a little more caution would not be spoiled. But this too is experience.

Rating 6 to Bottas, once again impalpable after a great race in Texas. The Finn continues to run on alternating current, that's the problem. At Interlagos, so to speak, if the safety car had not been released for his retirement no one would have noticed that he was on the track …

And finally we come to the two cockerels – or rather, to the two chickens – at home Ferrari. We were in Binotto, instead of infinitely looking at the slow motion to understand who has widened and who has tightened, we would take them by the ear and let them kneel on the chickpeas in the mess hall, at the Reparto Corse. Just to remember that laughing and joking have thwarted the work of more than 500 people. Then, if we look closely, it is Vettel who has moved to Leclerc, and if the German really is convinced that he has gone straight, something is wrong. And always Vettel took a big risk getting into a very narrow space to overtake his teammate. But this is not even the problem: the fact is that when you race with your teammate you should always keep a bit more margin, just to avoid such disasters. And neither of them did it. Among other things, Leclerc with new red tires would probably have been able to pick up and overtake Hamilton, taking at least a 3rd place.

So, vote 5 to Leclerc, even if we liked his race up to that point, especially in the first laps, and vote 4 to Vettel, that of the two should also be the one with more experience.

Rated 10 on the other handAlfa Romeo, who with a bit of luck took a beautiful result in Brazil after a series of races in decline: one wonders, however, why they came back so competitive at Interlagos and what was missing in the previous grand prizes. We hope that at least they have an answer.

Rating 3 instead of the Haas because if even in such a grand prize they manage to score points, well it is really late at night. Luck for them that the season is almost over.

Brazil GP 2019, report cards

Verstappen 10 and praise

Gasly 10

Sainz 10

Alfa Romeo 10

Raikkonen 9

Giovinazzi 8.5

Albon 8

Ricciardo 7

Perez 6.5

Bottas 6

Norris 6

Kvyat 6

Hamilton 5

Leclerc 5

Vettel 4

Haas 3