Max Verstappen fourth in sprint race Brazil: 'We maximized what we could'

Published on 08 November 2025 by Florence Cobben

Max Verstappen has come fourth in the sprint race of the Brazilian Grand Prix. Although Max gained a place on the first lap from his sixth-place starting position, he was unable to make any significant inroads into the pack ahead for the remainder of the race. The race was red-flagged after a crash involving Oscar Piastri, Niko Hülkenberg, and Franco Colapinto, who all left the track at the same corner. In the ensuing chaos Max was promoted to P4, a position he defended to the finish line. Lando Norris won the sprint race for McLaren, followed by Mercedes drivers Kimi Antonelli and George Russell.

After the race, Verstappen identifies his struggles: “On the soft tyres, you couldn't really push that much. I just tried to keep my laps consistent, because I couldn't match the lap times of the guys in front of me in the first few laps anyway. We were a diesel engine today and it's just not fast enough.”

Even after the restart, Max struggled to keep up with the drivers ahead of him: "The first lap was a bit tricky, with low grip. After that, it was the same story. I can't keep up with them in the first few laps, and I'm just driving my own lap times. Because Norris was on the soft tyres, it created a distorted picture as the gap seemed a bit closer, but on the mediums, he just drove away. So, we maximized what we could. We're going to make some adjustments to the car and hopefully that will give us a bit more grip."

Overnight rain drenched the Interlagos circuit in São Paulo. Although the track dried significantly before the sprint race, several wet patches remained on the racing line. Polesitter Lando Norris and his McLaren teammate Oscar Piastri (P3) are both on the medium compound. Splitting the two McLarens is Mercedes' Kimi Antonelli, who has opted for the soft tyre, a choice shared by Max starting from sixth. Carlos Sainz and Yuki Tsunoda will start the race from the pitlane.

Max has a clean start, and is promoted into fifth after turn one. Norris maintains control of the lead, followed by Antonelli and Piastri. Further down the field, Oliver Bearman is tapped by Liam Lawson going into turn four, but both gentlemen carry on without damage. In the opening phases of the race the top of the grid is stable, but in lap six the race was thrown into chaos. Oscar Piastri hits a damp patch on the curb, causing him to spin into the tyre barrier at turn three. The Australian is out of the race. Moments later, Nico Hülkenberg and Franco Colapinto find the same treacherous spot and also fly off the track. Hülkenberg, with a badly damaged nose, manages to return to the pits, while Colapinto has too much damage and retires from the race. A safety car is called, but the tyrestacks are too damaged, and the race is formally red-flagged. As it stands, Norris leads the race, followed by the Mercedes drivers (Antonelli and Russell), with Verstappen in P4.

After 20 minutes, the race is resumed. While waiting for the track to be released, Norris switches to the soft tyre compound, while Max adopts the opposite strategy by donning the medium compound. The stewards choose for a rolling start, and Norris manages to protect his lead, followed closely by Antonelli and Russell. Verstappen manages to keep a charging Fernando Alonso behind him to retain P4, despite running wide in the first turn.

Meanwhile, Antonelli is hot on Norris’ heels, and in the closing phases of the race the young Italian comes within DRS-distance of the championship leader. It doesn’t lead to a real attack, and Lando Norris crosses the finish line in first, gaining a 9-point lead on the nearest championship contender, Piastri. Verstappen comes fourth, placing him 40 points behind Norris in the overall standings. Charles Leclerc finishes P5, followed by Fernando Alonso, Lewis Hamilton and Pierre Gasly.

The race ended in dramatic fashion with a last-lap crash for Gabriel Bortoleto. While attempting to overtake Alexander Albon, the Brazilian lost control of his Sauber. Bortoleto slammed hard into the pit wall and then flew at high speed into the tyre barriers at the first corner. Miraculously, Bortoleto was able to step out of the completely destroyed Sauber unharmed, and it remains to be seen whether he will be able to participate in the qualifying session later in the day.

Contest GP Brazil: win a by Max Verstappen signed Red Bull Racing cap!

Max’s special Brazilian helmet is now available as a scale model (1:2 and 1:4). In addition, a Brazilian cap, sport shirt, and zip hoodie have been launched! Check it out: https://www.verstappen.com/collections/brazil-collection

Results sprint race Brazil: