2022 Formula One Sao Paulo Grand Prix

Charles Leclerc Brazilian Grand Prix.jpg
With just two races remaining in the 2022 Formula 1 season, the teams head to Brazil to take on one of the most historic and exciting circuits on the calendar.

Autódromo José Carlos Pace is the site of F1 racing action this weekend. Last year, Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen were in the midst of a fierce championship battle, and Brazil proved to be one of the most exciting races of that championship.

This year's race has no such uncertainty or drama, as Verstappen and his Red Bull team have been very much in control of the drivers' and constructors' championship for most of the season.

The Interlagos circuit, however, typically produces exciting racing action from the F1 grid, and this year should be no exception. Its long, DRS-enhanced start/finish straight gives drivers ample opportunity to set up overtakes into turn 1, and a second DRS zone follows just a few corners later.

The circuit has remained largely unchanged for the past 30 years, and its windy, hilly nature has been home to epic F1 memories such as Hamilton's last-to-first weekend in 2021, Verstappen's brilliant wet weather driving in 2016, and Ayrton Senna's unforgettable first home win in 1991 despite having only 6th gear by the end of the race.

This is a sprint race weekend, meaning that the race starting order will be decided with a shortened race on Saturday. The weather is looking unkind all weekend, with rain in the forecast for all three days of the grand prix.

Could the weather make for interesting results this weekend? Who do you think will take the win on Sunday? Let us know in the comments below.
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About author
Mike Smith
Mike Smith
I have been obsessed with sim racing and racing games since the 1980's. My first taste of live auto racing was in 1988, and I couldn't get enough ever since. Lead writer for RaceDepartment, and owner of SimRacing604 and its YouTube channel. Favourite sims include Assetto Corsa Competizione, Assetto Corsa, rFactor 2, Automobilista 2, DiRT Rally 2 - On Twitter as @simracing604

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Comments

P
Regarding MV-LH incident, I find two things surprising. One is that Max got penalized for it, if there was somebody who should have gotten a penalty, it was Hamilton. The second, is the people on both sides saying "it was Max corner" or "it was Lewis corner". Nobody owns a corner on side by side racing FFS! They could have navigated it together had Hamilton opened his line. Was Max forcing the issue? Yes, absolutely, and this is why I would have liked for this to be deemed a racing incident. But we will never know Max's true intentions, if he was just looking to upset Hamilton exiting T3 and get a run, or sweep him into the outside kerb. And even if you are dead sure that it would have been the latter, you cannot penalize him for something he did not even get to try to do.

What the FIA did to Yuki on the last restart was laughable. They took too long to get the race going, supposedly for letting the lapped cars by, and they do not even let them all? Michael Masi looks better and better as each GP passes by. Charlie Whiting should be beatified by this point.

Max Verstappen may have had a point in retaliating because of Checo's Monaco actions, but building a team is about building human relationships, and sometimes you need to take the high road for this. Counting ribs is not the way to do it, this was a failure on his part, and backlashing against the orders on team radio at the cooldown lap makes everybody involved to looked like a bunch of idiots.

Even if Leclerc was not right in asking for Sainz to concede a podium finish for helping him, I'm feeling pain for Charles. It seems like anything that can go wrong for him, it does. The Scuderia is a laughing stock.

Congrats Russell! This was a perfectly executed race, hopefully this will unlock a bit of speed that will make him a greater challenge for Hamilton, as Lewis has had an upper hand in race pace terms most of the time.
 
WPxNJ
Revenge. A dish best served cold.

Max couldn't wait to pay ol' Perez back.

Payback's a mother, Checo.
 
LeSunTzu
That was a couple of very good races. They would have been even better without the Verstappen-Hamilton incident. Speaking of which, I was stunned by Verstappen's calm reaction as I think he had every right to complain about his penalty. His refusal to give back his place to Pérez was less surprising, he's so full of himself that he even finds some score to settle with his wingman. :roflmao: Other than that, dominant performance by Russell. Hamilton will need to show something more next year if he doesn't want to replace Vettel in the has-been club.
 
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R
Max was wrong not to let Checo by just before the finish. Big mistake from him.

By the way, did anyone see Checo's side by side Monaco quali laps with input telemetri? Every simracer can see right away what Checo's intentions were the lap he crashed. I make the same inputs when I want to initiate a drift.
 
markg88
Premium
I am actually a fan of Verstappen, not a supporter but a fan, however, I find it hard to understand the reasoning behind his not allowing Perez by. Even if it was anything to do with Monaco, I feel he has supported Verstappen well, albeit that might be just a by-product of his doing the best he can for himself at each race. As much as I'm not happy with Verstappen for this I certainly don't feel the desire to join other sheep with pitchforks to vent their toxicity towards Verstappen. I do feel this gang of pitchfork sheep is Hamilton fans venting like they do too often. The incident at turn 2 is another example.
 
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PickABetterUsername01
Hamilton about his incident with Verstappen.

Asked if he had any concerns about Verstappen having a specific problem with him, Hamilton said: “I'm not concerned. Yeah, don't have any concerns, I think.

“I think it's natural when you have the success and the numbers on your chest, that you become a bit of a target. But it's okay. It's nothing that I have not dealt with before.”
Click to expand...

How can someone be like that, seriously. One of the reasons why I can't stand the guy.
 
S
Rusty911 said:
Max was wrong not to let Checo by just before the finish. Big mistake from him.

By the way, did anyone see Checo's side by side Monaco quali laps with input telemetri? Every simracer can see right away what Checo's intentions were the lap he crashed. I make the same inputs when I want to initiate a drift.
Click to expand...
I didn't see the telemetry, but people are posting the onboard video/audio and it's pretty clear. That won't initiate a drift, it'll initiate exactly what happened.

Either way, the two of them need to move on from this event and from Monaco or RBR needs to split them up (which won't be good news for Checo). The best outcome for RBR would be for Horner to somehow convince MV to help Checo out in Yas to get second place.
 
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Badwheels
WPxNJ said:
Revenge. A dish best served cold.

Max couldn't wait to pay ol' Perez back.

Payback's a mother, Checo.
Click to expand...
Actually you should tell Max that also.

The incident which appears to have caused it all is the third qualifying session for the Monte Carlo race. An important sidenote to everything here is that Monaco took place a week after Perez had moved over to let Verstappen win the Spanish Grand Prix, a team order he disagreed with, but obeyed.
 
S
davehenrie said:
So? in 2025, what color will Charles' overalls be? Papaya? Silver? Purple? I doubt they will remain Red.
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My hunch is red (although it wouldn't be out of character for Ferrari to screw up the laundry), but if not Ferrari, Mercedes may be in the market for a new driver by then. I know Lewis says he wants to stay until at least 2025, but it wouldn't surprise me if Mercedes has other plans if LeClerc becomes available.
 
S
markg88 said:
I am actually a fan of Verstappen, not a supporter but a fan, however, I find it hard to understand the reasoning behind his not allowing Perez by. Even if it was anything to do with Monaco, I feel he has supported Verstappen well, albeit that might be just a by-product of his doing the best he can for himself at each race. As much as I'm not happy with Verstappen for this I certainly don't feel the desire to join other sheep with pitchforks to vent their toxicity towards Verstappen. I do feel this gang of pitchfork sheep is Hamilton fans venting like they do too often. The incident at turn 2 is another example.
Click to expand...
I think part of it's the nature of the beast when dealing with someone who is ultra-competitive (he wouldn't be where he is if he wasn't) and just 25. And he knows that at the end of the day, RBR won't impose any substantial penalty to him.
 
THK84
Scottt said:
it wouldn't surprise me if Mercedes has other plans if LeClerc becomes available.
Click to expand...

That would be interesting, finally biting the silver bullet over screwups from the red donkey

Yes, I'd like the horse back. We've had enough memes to last us for bit.
 
BP
Gentlemen, a short view back to the past...

At the 2021 Silverstone GP, Max Verstappen and his fans (and detractors of Lewis Hamilton) were convinced that a murder attempt had taken place simply because Hamilton, on the inside of a corner, who was not ahead but had significant overlap, hit Verstappen's car because Hamilton did not back out and Verstappen left no room for error, causing a collision. They were adamant that it wasn't a racing incident, and Hamilton should be punished severely. Hamilton received a 10 sec stop-and-go time penalty and was allowed to continue. They continued for the rest of the season saying that 10 seconds was not enough, the punishment too light.

1 year later, at the 2022 Sao Paolo GP, Max Verstappen, on the inside of a corner, who was not ahead but had significant overlap, hit Hamilton's car because Verstappen did not back out and Hamilton left no room for error, causing a collision. The Max Verstappen fans/Hamilton detractors are now also adamant that it wasn't a racing incident, but, unlike the 2021 incident, they claim it was Hamilton on the outside who should have backed off, and not Verstappen on the inside. They lay the blame solely on Hamilton and claim Verstappen being penalized at all is outrageous. Verstappen received a 5 second (not 10) time penalty.

Question to whom it concerns: How can Silverstone 2021 be considered as "Max's corner only" and not both drivers, with Lewis 100% at fault on the inside...and Sao Paulo 2022 be considered as "both drivers' corner" and not Lewis' corner, with Lewis 100% at fault on the outside? Has keeping track of your favourite driver become so complicated, that you can't keep your rules straight? Do we need less rules?...More? Can we finally address the elephant in the room as to why one driver is always at fault no matter the circumstance or will this song and dance continue ad nauseum?

And gentlemen please do not forget my first question.

;)
 
S
BP said:
Gentlemen, a short view back to the past...

At the 2021 Silverstone GP, Max Verstappen and his fans (and detractors of Lewis Hamilton) were convinced that a murder attempt had taken place simply because Hamilton, on the inside of a corner, who was not ahead but had significant overlap, hit Verstappen's car because Hamilton did not back out and Verstappen left no room for error, causing a collision. They were adamant that it wasn't a racing incident, and Hamilton should be punished severely. Hamilton received a 10 sec stop-and-go time penalty and was allowed to continue. They continued for the rest of the season saying that 10 seconds was not enough, the punishment too light.
Click to expand...
You have to know that what you are staying isn't true. Lewis was a full car width off the apex when the collision in Silverstone occurred. Max was over the curb when the collision in Brazil occurred. And Lewis front wheel collided with Max's rear wheel in Silverstone, that's not what I would call a "significant overlap".
 
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LeSunTzu
BP said:
Gentlemen, a short view back to the past...

At the 2021 Silverstone GP, Max Verstappen and his fans (and detractors of Lewis Hamilton) were convinced that a murder attempt had taken place simply because Hamilton, on the inside of a corner, who was not ahead but had significant overlap, hit Verstappen's car because Hamilton did not back out and Verstappen left no room for error, causing a collision. They were adamant that it wasn't a racing incident, and Hamilton should be punished severely. Hamilton received a 10 sec stop-and-go time penalty and was allowed to continue. They continued for the rest of the season saying that 10 seconds was not enough, the punishment too light.

1 year later, at the 2022 Sao Paolo GP, Max Verstappen, on the inside of a corner, who was not ahead but had significant overlap, hit Hamilton's car because Verstappen did not back out and Hamilton left no room for error, causing a collision. The Max Verstappen fans/Hamilton detractors are now also adamant that it wasn't a racing incident, but, unlike the 2021 incident, they claim it was Hamilton on the outside who should have backed off, and not Verstappen on the inside. They lay the blame solely on Hamilton and claim Verstappen being penalized at all is outrageous. Verstappen received a 5 second (not 10) time penalty.

Question to whom it concerns: How can Silverstone 2021 be considered as "Max's corner only" and not both drivers, with Lewis 100% at fault on the inside...and Sao Paulo 2022 be considered as "both drivers' corner" and not Lewis' corner, with Lewis 100% at fault on the outside? Has keeping track of your favourite driver become so complicated, that you can't keep your rules straight? Do we need less rules?...More? Can we finally address the elephant in the room as to why one driver is always at fault no matter the circumstance or will this song and dance continue ad nauseum?

And gentlemen please do not forget my first question.

;)
Click to expand...
I'm not sure I'm concerned but here is a couple of answers:
- Verstappen is always right, he keeps saying he was right, even when stewards found he was wrong. So you can't blame his fans too much for doing the same.
- Objectively you can't compare incidents, if only because at Silverstone Max left enough room inside, which Lewis obviously didn't do at the last race.
 
PickABetterUsername01
BP said:
Gentlemen, a short view back to the past...

At the 2021 Silverstone GP, Max Verstappen and his fans (and detractors of Lewis Hamilton) were convinced that a murder attempt had taken place simply because Hamilton, on the inside of a corner, who was not ahead but had significant overlap, hit Verstappen's car because Hamilton did not back out and Verstappen left no room for error, causing a collision. They were adamant that it wasn't a racing incident, and Hamilton should be punished severely. Hamilton received a 10 sec stop-and-go time penalty and was allowed to continue. They continued for the rest of the season saying that 10 seconds was not enough, the punishment too light.

1 year later, at the 2022 Sao Paolo GP, Max Verstappen, on the inside of a corner, who was not ahead but had significant overlap, hit Hamilton's car because Verstappen did not back out and Hamilton left no room for error, causing a collision. The Max Verstappen fans/Hamilton detractors are now also adamant that it wasn't a racing incident, but, unlike the 2021 incident, they claim it was Hamilton on the outside who should have backed off, and not Verstappen on the inside. They lay the blame solely on Hamilton and claim Verstappen being penalized at all is outrageous. Verstappen received a 5 second (not 10) time penalty.

Question to whom it concerns: How can Silverstone 2021 be considered as "Max's corner only" and not both drivers, with Lewis 100% at fault on the inside...and Sao Paulo 2022 be considered as "both drivers' corner" and not Lewis' corner, with Lewis 100% at fault on the outside? Has keeping track of your favourite driver become so complicated, that you can't keep your rules straight? Do we need less rules?...More? Can we finally address the elephant in the room as to why one driver is always at fault no matter the circumstance or will this song and dance continue ad nauseum?

And gentlemen please do not forget my first question.

;)
Click to expand...
All that wall of text and for nothing. Hamilton missed the apex at Silverstone by a mile, Verstappen was fully at the apex in Brazil, if he went even more over the apex he would have been launched by the sausage kerb.

Seriously.
 
BP
Scottt said:
You have to know that what you are staying isn't true. Lewis was a full car width off the apex when the collision in Silverstone occurred. Max was over the curb when the collision in Brazil occurred. And Lewis front wheel collided with Max's rear wheel in Silverstone, that's not what I would call a "significant overlap".
Click to expand...

Watch the replay again (Silverstone), Lewis had at minimum 80% overlap until turn in, which is when he started to brake, which is why he hit Verstappen's rear wheel and not the sidepod. Over a year and people act like they didn't see hamilton start to lose overlap just before the collision...which means Max sped up, Lewis slowed down, or both. Either the guy on the inside is at fault in these scenarios for sending it through a imminently closing door, or they are racing incidents. That's the point of rules: consistency...can't be flip flopping around on definitions; it can't be both.
 
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Badwheels
BP said:
Gentlemen, a short view back to the past...

At the 2021 Silverstone GP, Max Verstappen and his fans (and detractors of Lewis Hamilton) were convinced that a murder attempt had taken place simply because Hamilton, on the inside of a corner, who was not ahead but had significant overlap, hit Verstappen's car because Hamilton did not back out and Verstappen left no room for error, causing a collision. They were adamant that it wasn't a racing incident, and Hamilton should be punished severely. Hamilton received a 10 sec stop-and-go time penalty and was allowed to continue. They continued for the rest of the season saying that 10 seconds was not enough, the punishment too light.

1 year later, at the 2022 Sao Paolo GP, Max Verstappen, on the inside of a corner, who was not ahead but had significant overlap, hit Hamilton's car because Verstappen did not back out and Hamilton left no room for error, causing a collision. The Max Verstappen fans/Hamilton detractors are now also adamant that it wasn't a racing incident, but, unlike the 2021 incident, they claim it was Hamilton on the outside who should have backed off, and not Verstappen on the inside. They lay the blame solely on Hamilton and claim Verstappen being penalized at all is outrageous. Verstappen received a 5 second (not 10) time penalty.

Question to whom it concerns: How can Silverstone 2021 be considered as "Max's corner only" and not both drivers, with Lewis 100% at fault on the inside...and Sao Paulo 2022 be considered as "both drivers' corner" and not Lewis' corner, with Lewis 100% at fault on the outside? Has keeping track of your favourite driver become so complicated, that you can't keep your rules straight? Do we need less rules?...More? Can we finally address the elephant in the room as to why one driver is always at fault no matter the circumstance or will this song and dance continue ad nauseum?

And gentlemen please do not forget my first question.

;)
Click to expand...
And you honestly expect folks on this forum to respond objectively to your questions ? You are crazier than they are. :D
 
markg88
Premium
BP said:
Gentlemen, a short view back to the past...

At the 2021 Silverstone GP, Max Verstappen and his fans (and detractors of Lewis Hamilton) were convinced that a murder attempt had taken place simply because Hamilton, on the inside of a corner, who was not ahead but had significant overlap, hit Verstappen's car because Hamilton did not back out and Verstappen left no room for error, causing a collision. They were adamant that it wasn't a racing incident, and Hamilton should be punished severely. Hamilton received a 10 sec stop-and-go time penalty and was allowed to continue. They continued for the rest of the season saying that 10 seconds was not enough, the punishment too light.

1 year later, at the 2022 Sao Paolo GP, Max Verstappen, on the inside of a corner, who was not ahead but had significant overlap, hit Hamilton's car because Verstappen did not back out and Hamilton left no room for error, causing a collision. The Max Verstappen fans/Hamilton detractors are now also adamant that it wasn't a racing incident, but, unlike the 2021 incident, they claim it was Hamilton on the outside who should have backed off, and not Verstappen on the inside. They lay the blame solely on Hamilton and claim Verstappen being penalized at all is outrageous. Verstappen received a 5 second (not 10) time penalty.

Question to whom it concerns: How can Silverstone 2021 be considered as "Max's corner only" and not both drivers, with Lewis 100% at fault on the inside...and Sao Paulo 2022 be considered as "both drivers' corner" and not Lewis' corner, with Lewis 100% at fault on the outside? Has keeping track of your favourite driver become so complicated, that you can't keep your rules straight? Do we need less rules?...More? Can we finally address the elephant in the room as to why one driver is always at fault no matter the circumstance or will this song and dance continue ad nauseum?

And gentlemen please do not forget my first question.

;)
Click to expand...
Completely different circumstances. You are spinning like something spinning a lot.
The ONLY similarities are, the same drivers and it's a corner on a race circuit.
I can't properly say what I think of your 'theory' and keep civil :)
 

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