The race weekend at Interlagos, Brazil ended as most have this year- Max Verstappen on the top step.

However, this weekend was anything but straightforward, with the Red Bull driver coming out of the muddle with another F1 victory in round 21 (November 5).

Sprint weekends mean there is only one free practice session and then qualification to set the grid for race Sunday. Qualification was cut short by a ferocious thunderstorm in q3, with six minutes to go. This meant that most drivers did not get a chance to test their cars’ true pace in order to move up the grid and were left with only 1 or 2 laps completed, with all the teams electing to start their runs late in the session but getting caught by the rain stoppage.

Sprint Saturday saw young Brit Lando Norris cross the line with the fastest time to take pole position for the sprint later that day. It was Norris’ first sprint pole and a testament to his recent form in the upgraded McClaren.

However, the Red Bull’s superior start meant the Dutchman would lead Norris into Turn 1 and remain at the front for the entire race. Verstappen’s teammate Sergio Perez made amends for his showing in Mexico with a third-place finish, to ensure a double Red Bull podium in the Sprint.

Race Sunday was shaping up to be a spectacle, with some unexpected cars battling further up the grid than usual. Charles LeClerc would continue his run of hard luck in recent weeks when he crashed his Ferrari into the barrier on the formation lap ending his Sunday before the lights even turned green.

More drama was added to the day with a first-lap crash between Alex Albon of Williams and Kevin Magnussen of Haas, which saw Albon’s tyre completely detach from his car. Oscar Piastri and Daniel Ricciardo became associate casualties of the crash as well. Even though they (Piastri and Ricciardo) both would return to track once the race restarted, none had any real pace to make up for their initial troubles.

Lando Norris had DRS on Verstappen in the opening laps and was only a mere three seconds behind the Dutchman. However, after both drivers pitted for fresh rubber, Verstappen would reestablish his usual lead and Norris would be behind him the rest of the way.

A real hard fought battle went on for the final podium place as Perez and Fernando Alonso raced each other tightly for the last four laps. Perez passed Alonso on lap 70 but did not put enough distance between himself and the two-time champion, and Alonso was able to regain his third place position on the final lap. Perez chased him all the way to the line and only narrowly missed him. This is Alonso’s first podium in the second half of the season, after making six podiums in the first nine rounds.

Lance Stroll completed an unexpectedly strong weekend for Aston Martin with a fifth place finish, while Ferrari’s remaining driver, Carlos Sainz, moved up one place to end in sixth.

After being put back two places as penalty for impeding the pit lane during qualifying, Pierre Gasly of Alpine improved a stellar 8 places from 15th, to end the day in seventh ahead of Sir Lewis Hamilton, who struggled mightily in his Mercedes all weekend.

Yuki Tsunoda ensured a double score over the weekend with a ninth place finish, to compliment his sixth place finish on sprint Saturday.

Esteban Ocon, who received the same penalty as his teammate moved up four places into the final scoring place to ensure both Alpines scored on the day.

Lando Norris has now moved into fifth in the driver’s championship, with Perez putting some breathing room between himself and Hamilton in the battle for second.

The season moves onto its penultimate stop of the season with a Las Vegas weekend on November 16-18.