MONDAY MORNING DEBRIEF: Was there any way that Verstappen could have won in Brazil – or was a podium as good as it could ever get?

On Lap 51 of the Sao Paulo Grand Prix, with 20 laps to go, Gianpiero Lambiase radioed his driver Max Verstappen: “Something I didn’t think I’d say: you are the race leader.”

“Not bad,” replied Verstappen.

Not bad indeed considering that he had started from the pit lane after the team took the car out of parc ferme to change its set-up and install a new power unit, following a disastrous Qualifying in which he’d failed to make it out of Q1.