RACE START REPLAY: Verstappen grabs the lead into Turn 1 as Sao Paulo GP gets under way
In the F1 Sprint on Saturday afternoon Max Verstappen was beaten into Turn 1 by P2 starter Valtteri Bottas. But in Sunday's Sao Paulo Grand Prix, the roles were reversed as pole-sitter Bottas lost out to Verstappen off the line, with the Dutchman sweeping into the lead of the race.
It got worse for Mercedes just a few corners later as Bottas ran wide and Sergio Perez nipped through to give Red Bull a one-two lead.
There was drama just behind them as well, as Lando Norris picked up a puncture on the run down to Turn 1 after tangling with the Ferrari of Carlos Sainz. And further down the field Lewis Hamilton managed to make up several places on the first lap alone after starting P10. Hit play on the video above to see how the start played out at Interlagos and follow all the action from the race in our live blog here.
Next Up
Related Articles
UnlockedHow an unraced Newey McLaren compares to Aston Martin’s car
UnlockedQUIZ: Test your knowledge on the 2026 season so far
Newey assesses Aston Martin’s chances of keeping Alonso
How F1 drivers recharge over the summer break
Unlocked5 Winners and 5 Losers from the 2026 season so far
The points Mercedes have lost to reliability issues so far