Рубрика: Autosport News

Why Vegas’s Monza and Baku similarities aren’t good news for Ferrari and McLaren in 2024

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Based on previous results on similar circuits, Ferrari and McLaren are the pre-race favourites as Formula 1 heads to Las Vegas, but two key factors could yet trip them up.

This is also notwithstanding a rather resurgent Red Bull after Max Verstappen’s thumping victory last time out in Brazil, his win in F1’s return to Sin City last year and how his team’s car packages have been superb on aerodynamic efficiency right through the current rules era.

That third factor is a trump card on the 3.9-mile track, 1.4 miles of which is the Strip straight alone, with the RB20 likely to be back in in its drag reducing specification in a bid to make further gains in this area too.

But Ferrari was on course to win in Vegas last year, with Charles Leclerc repassing controversial early leader Verstappen and then opening up a healthy advantage over the penalised Dutchman before being undone by the mid-race safety car.

Key to Ferrari’s pace last year was how the SF-23 could fire up its tyres in the cold conditions F1 does not typically encounter anywhere else.

But after the red cars were off the pace in the cool Interlagos rain, Leclerc warned “this year we’ve done a big step in tyre management, which means that we also left something behind in cold conditions and tyre temperatures just like [Brazil] was”.

“Las Vegas is a bit of that scenario as well,” he added.

Leclerc was a strong contender for victory in Las Vegas last year

Leclerc was a strong contender for victory in Las Vegas last year

Photo by: Mark Sutton / Motorsport Images

The cool temperature challenge for Vegas is two-fold, with Ferrari’s simulator senior engineer Erik van der Veen explaining this “makes it difficult to get the tyres in the right window for a single push lap, and equally difficult to keep them in the window for long runs”.

The track asphalt has also aged since it was installed ahead of the 2023 event, which means it should be slightly rougher and so the tyres can bite more on the altered surface and provide the drivers with more grip.

“Hopefully it’s going to provide grip levels closer to what we usually encounter and be easier to work with,” says Aston Martin’s performance director, Tom McCullough.

This means that even if Ferrari had not sacrificed its tyre warming advantage for in-race tyre degradation gains – a move that improved its package overall – the track aging should naturally boost the other teams.

At Aston, McCullough also hoped “the characteristics of the AMR24 will suit this track a bit better”, as the green team tries moves on from what was a bruising last triple header.

“The most similar circuit to [Vegas] is Baku,” McCullough added. “There are a lot of low-speed corners, very few high-speed corners, and it is a circuit that requires very high aerodynamic efficiency.

“There are lots of power-limited straight-line zones where your laptime comes from. Your car has got to be fast on the straights not only for laptime, but also for raceability.”

The Baku comparison raises expectations for McLaren after Oscar Piastri beat Leclerc there this year, with the orange team also locking out the front row of the grid at this season’s Italian Grand Prix too – another venue that features many long straights.

Aston Martin hopes Vegas will suit its car better

Aston Martin hopes Vegas will suit its car better

Photo by: Simon Galloway / Motorsport Images

Ferrari will be able to unleash its ‘Monza special’ rear wing package from 2023 at Vegas this weekend, but McLaren will not be able to run the wing it used in Italy and Baku after agreeing to modify the upper element of its skinniest rear wing.

This followed the ‘Mini-DRS’ controversy of the team’s then rear wing package flexing considerably at top speed and subsequent discussions with the FIA, with the wing only set to return in Vegas.

Now it cannot do so, both McLaren and Ferrari appear to face a closer run for Vegas victory with Red Bull than the straight-heavy run of Monza and Baku back in September, where Verstappen’s squad struggled badly around car set-up work it feels it has since cracked, suggested.

Watch: The Driver-FIA Battle Intensifies and More — Autosport Answers Your Questions



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Wolff says Hamilton «shelf-life» comments «taken out of context»

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Mercedes Formula 1 team principal Toto Wolff has claimed suggestions he is «happy» that Lewis Hamilton is leaving the team have taken his comments «out of context».

Hamilton is entering his last three races in Mercedes colours before his switch to Ferrari for next year, having won six F1 drivers’ titles in his time with the Brackley-based outfit that he joined in 2013.

It left Mercedes with a seat to fill alongside George Russell, with teenager Andrea Kimi Antonelli selected to make the step up from Formula 2.

In the new Inside Mercedes F1: Life in the Fast Lane book, Wolff said that Hamilton’s decision to leave was a positive as «it avoids the moment where we need to tell the sport’s most iconic driver that we want to stop».

“There’s a reason why we only signed a one-plus-one-year contract,” he added.

“We’re in a sport where cognitive sharpness is extremely important, and I believe everyone has a shelf life.»

That comment sparked media coverage and social media debate but speaking to BBC Radio 4’s Today programme ahead of the Las Vegas Grand Prix weekend, Wolff clarified: «You know that was taken a little bit out of context.

“What I was referring to was that all of us age, whether it is in a car, on a pitch, or as a manager or entrepreneur.

Sir Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes-AMG F1 Team, in the garage

Sir Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes-AMG F1 Team, in the garage

Photo by: Mark Sutton

“And that is what I am trying to do with myself; understand, ‘Am I going from great to good?’ Because good is not in Formula 1 anymore.

“Now contrary to my own self-assessment, I think we see with Lewis that he’s very much there when the car is right. And we haven’t been able to give him that car to perform his best, and that is a frustration that we share equally in the team, and for himself.

“But he’s very sharp. He’s different to when he was a 20-year-old, that’s certainly clear. But his experience and his race craft is tremendous.”

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Hamilton has won two races in his Mercedes swansong year, ending a drought dating back to the 2021 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix with an emotional victory at the British GP.

The 39-year-old also won the Belgian GP after team-mate George Russell, who crossed the finish line first, was disqualified for running underweight.

Russell is two points ahead of Hamilton heading into this weekend’s Las Vegas GP, with Mercedes shifting its attentions to 2025 having accepted it is unlikely to improve on fourth in the constructors’ standings.



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How “a commitment to disruption” has bonded Red Bull and Castore

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Max Verstappen. Ben Stokes. Andy Murray. Adam Peaty. The all-conquering 2023/24 Bundesliga champions Bayer Leverkusen. Just some of the top names who adorn sportswear produced by Castore – a company born on Merseyside in 2015.

The brothers behind the label, Tom and Phil Beahon took jobs in finance to fund their project, learning as they went by conducting market research while planning to take on the established order of athletic clothing manufacturers.

Earlier this year, Castore struck the largest apparel partnership in Formula 1 history as it extended its agreement with reigning champions Red Bull for a deal reported to be worth more than $200million, while also holding a similar position with rivals McLaren.

“I love the saying: ‘You don’t have to be a Harvard student. You’ve just got to have the balls to do it’ and it is so true. That audacity, that big vision,” Tom tells Autosport.

“People, in my experience, whether you’re meeting Christian Horner, whether you’re meeting the CEO of England Cricket, I’ve been fortunate enough to meet Prime Ministers.

“People respect ambition. If you’re passionate and you’re ambitious, people buy into that.

“It was my dream to see elite athletes wearing Castore in competition. But it’s all built around performance and our story about hard work and taking a risk and trying to compete with the big boys is undoubtedly part of Castore’s DNA of ‘better never stops’.”

Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing

Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing

Photo by: Red Bull Content Pool

Tom, who previously played football in the youth set-up at Tranmere Rovers, likens Castore’s arrival on the scene to that of Red Bull itself. The upstarts entered the F1 paddock looking to shake things up and to do things differently – and in that it certainly succeeded.

“You’re looking for partners that share your values and that means different things to different people,” he added.

“So of course, with someone like Red Bull Racing, the fact that they’ve had the success that they’ve had – that is unbelievable. We didn’t do the partnership with the guys expecting that to happen, the fact that it has, is an amazing bonus.

“But what you’re looking at is the ambition, the commitment to innovation, the commitment to disruption, that is what makes the partnership a success. How that plays out on track or on the pitch, you’re never going to predict perfectly.

“Logically, what Red Bull did right at the beginning shouldn’t have been achievable, because there’s all of these big, established status quo people that on paper have got all of these advantages; whether it’s in infrastructure or experience or whatever else.

“What Dietrich Mateschitz [Red Bull founder] said was, ‘We’re going to mix up the status quo, we’re going to do it differently and why can’t we win?’ It was a very similar mindset to the one we had, which was — everything on paper says that Castore shouldn’t be able to challenge Nike and Adidas. But we believe that we can and we’re going to think differently.

Yas Marina Circuit, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates14th November 2010.Adrian Newey, Chief Technical Officer, Red Bull Racing, and Christian Horner, Team Principal, Red Bull Racing, and Dietrich Mateschitz, CEO Red Bull, celebrate victory. Portrait. World Charles Coates/LAT Photographic ref: Digital Image DX5J5597

Yas Marina Circuit, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates14th November 2010.Adrian Newey, Chief Technical Officer, Red Bull Racing, and Christian Horner, Team Principal, Red Bull Racing, and Dietrich Mateschitz, CEO Red Bull, celebrate victory. Portrait. World Charles Coates/LAT Photographic ref: Digital Image DX5J5597

“We’re not going to copy and paste what they do; we are going to try and disrupt and innovate and be creative. If you’ve got that mindset and you refuse to give up and you’re super passionate, you can achieve some pretty exciting things.”

Such an outlook has also held the Beahon brothers in good stead during the inevitable bad times that come with starting a business.

At the start of 2024, a deal with Aston Villa was cut short after players from both the men’s and women’s teams complained about the Castore-designed kit, while rumours suggest the Leverkusen contract will end prematurely at the culmination of the current football season.

With former tennis ace Murray and the Issa brothers among its shareholders, Castore reported a pre-tax loss of almost £29m for the year ending February 2024, despite sales improving.

“There’s going to be mistakes, there’s going to be setbacks,” Tom adds. «That’s part of the journey. Embrace it.

“We’ll go further by having that mindset than we ever will by trying to copy someone else or being cautious.

“The two things, more than anything else, that you need are passion, because it’s going to be so hard, there’ll be so many setbacks and challenges.

Sergio Perez, Red Bull Racing RB20

Sergio Perez, Red Bull Racing RB20

Photo by: Zak Mauger / Motorsport Images

“The only thing that keeps you going throughout all of those hardships — factories refuse to work with you because you’re not big enough, banks don’t want to lend you any money… The only thing that keeps you going is passion.

“That is the number one characteristic that you need to be successful. Then the second one is resilience.

“You have to have this ability to keep working hard, to keep going, to have that resilience, no matter how difficult it gets.

“They are always the two big things that I cite, but the third one, and again, I genuinely do believe there’s a lot of parallels with Red Bull Racing in this — you have to dream big, you have to be audacious. You have to believe when no one else believes.”

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The gamble F1 cannot afford to lose at the Las Vegas GP

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The talk ahead of this weekend’s Las Vegas Grand Prix will be about Max Verstappen being set to win his fourth consecutive Formula 1 world championship. 

He can seal it in the race on Saturday night by finishing ahead of nearest challenger Lando Norris and it is absolutely right that the sporting aspect takes top-billing.

But beneath the surface there is the intriguing sub-plot featuring another test to the relationship between different parties — governing body the FIA, Formula One Management and F1’s teams and drivers.

It comes after the FIA confirmed last week that Niels Wittich had stood down from his role as F1 Race Director after the Brazilian GP. The news was a surprise to those working at the organisation and sources have suggested it was a case of Wittich being pushed by FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem, rather than jumping of his own freewill.

Last week, Autosport argued this was a good opportunity for the FIA to re-evaluate its set-up and look at appointing a professional body of race stewards and at least two race directors.

Having spoken to several insiders at last week’s F1 commission meeting in Geneva, it was said that it is too soon for a vote of no confidence in the FIA after yet another crucial departure.

Niels Wittich, Race Director, FIA

Niels Wittich, Race Director, FIA

Photo by: Mark Sutton / Motorsport Images

But they agreed that the rate of key staff leaving the organisation, plus having an inexperienced race director in Rui Marques, who will temporarily fill in to oversee the final three grands prix of 2024, was nonetheless a concern.

To an outsider, it seems that Ben Sulayem has always distanced himself from the departures and there has been no official word denying that Wittich was sacked. A cynic could point out that Wittich’s axing came following a Grand Prix Drivers’ Association statement in which it criticised the behaviour of the FIA President.

Earlier this year, Ben Sulayem waxed lyrical to Autosport about how he pioneered a training programme to have ready-made race officials, saying that “you cannot order them on Amazon”.

It was all full of gusto and self-promotion but it also means that the scrutiny will be on the super-sub Marques and his handling of the race — and indeed Ben Sulayem, who is ultimately responsible for him being there as part of the aforementioned training programme.

It is important not least because Verstappen can win the title, but because of what the Las Vegas GP means to FOM and F1 owners Liberty Media.

Liberty has gambled by committing such a huge investment in the Vegas race that it simply cannot afford for it to fail. It is therefore crucial for the second instalment of the Las Vegas GP to be a success.

Carlos Sainz, Ferrari SF-23, stops his car on circuit after damage from a manhole cover

Carlos Sainz, Ferrari SF-23, stops his car on circuit after damage from a manhole cover

Photo by: Simon Galloway / Motorsport Images

Firstly, the interest will naturally drop off after all the overblown hype on its debut, which actually provided good racing and saved the event from what was otherwise a disaster.

You’ll remember Verstappen had openly criticised the razzmatazz while also being dismissive of the circuit itself. After qualifying in third, the Red Bull driver delivered the zinger: “Monaco is Champions League and this is National League.”

That came after Carlos Sainz’s Ferrari was ripped open by a loose manhole cover, prompting serious delays to the point where spectators were ejected from the grandstands as security staff had reached the work-hour limit on their employment contracts.

It was a PR mess and put simply, Liberty Media cannot afford another monumental error, which is why having an untested race director in place for such a crucial showpiece should — and does — raise concerns.

Marques’s decisions will come under scrutiny and, as a fresh face, undoubtedly teams and drivers will try to forge their own relationships and perhaps even attempt to assert their influence.

The pressure to get each decision right — while also keeping everyone happy — is going to be huge. And if he doesn’t, it could make life for the FIA, particularly Ben Sulayem, incredibly difficult.

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Submit your F1 questions to the Autosport podcast

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Autosport readers are invited to submit their questions on Formula 1 and the wider world of grand prix racing for inclusion in our new weekly show, the Autosport Q+A Podcast.

Presented by host Bryn Lucas and with regular guest Kevin Turner – Autosport’s chief editor – the show seeks to answer your questions every week and is published on our YouTube channel, as well as all major podcast platforms.

The show is recorded each Wednesday from Autosport’s office in central London, with Lucas and Turner joined by a different guest each week.

So far, these have included Autosport Chief Motorsport Writer, Ben Hunt, and Autosport Grand Prix Editor, Alex Kalinauckas.

On the most recent edition, topics included the ever-changing state of affairs at the FIA with the axing of former F1 race director Niels Wittich and the Grand Prix Drivers’ Association criticising FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem, Dan Fallows’ departure as Aston Martin’s technical director and Lewis Hamilton’s chances of winning an eighth F1 world title with Ferrari.

Watch: The Driver-FIA Battle Intensifies and More — Autosport Answers Your Questions

The above questions were collected from those submitted in response to a call out to fans on Autosport’s Instagram page.

We are now widening our net for questions, with readers to Autosport.com invited to submit their questions in the comments section at the foot of this page.

To leave a comment, you must be a registered user.

The chosen questions will be read out by Lucas, with Turner and co answering and discussing the selected topic.

If there’s anything you’ve ever wanted to ask about F1 or about how Autosport produces its F1 coverage, now is the time!



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What’s at stake at F1’s second Las Vegas GP?

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Formula 1 heads to Las Vegas for the second edition of its street race on the Strip. Here’s what’s at stake in Sin City.

A fourth F1 world title for Verstappen?

In the drivers’ championship, Max Verstappen could claim his fourth straight world title. With 86 points available across the remaining three grand prix weekends, the Red Bull man is guaranteed another crown by winning the race outright, or indeed by just finishing ahead of nearest challenger Lando Norris. Verstappen can even afford to finish directly behind Norris in most scenarios to claim the trophy on Saturday night.

The 27-year-old is poised to join the likes of Michael Schumacher, Sebastian Vettel, Lewis Hamilton and Juan Manuel Fangio, who all won four consecutive titles before him, with Alain Prost the only other driver to conquer four drivers’ championships over his career. 

Verstappen will be champion in Vegas if:

  • Verstappen finishes ahead of Norris
  • Norris is second or third and Verstappen finishes right behind him with the fastest lap
  • Norris is fourth, fifth, sixth, seventh or eighth and Verstappen finishes right behind him
  • Norris is ninth, 10th or fails to score
Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing RB20, Lando Norris, McLaren MCL38

Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing RB20, Lando Norris, McLaren MCL38

Photo by: Red Bull Content Pool

Ferrari’s best chance to strike

In the constructors’ championship the battle rages on, courtesy of Ferrari enjoying a strong resurgence after its late-season upgrades cured some of the SF-24’s flaws. McLaren leads Ferrari by 36 points, but the Scuderia comfortably outscored its rival over the most recent American triple-header, with a win apiece for both Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz.

Leclerc could have easily won last year’s Vegas event, and the slow corners and long straights are expected to benefit Ferrari more than McLaren and Red Bull this weekend. Leclerc did caution that Ferrari’s tyre management improvements this year may have inadvertently taken away a strength in the cold conditions likely faced in Nevada, so it remains to be seen if the Scuderia is as fast as it was last year.

But with McLaren still expected to have the most consistently fast car over the remaining three races, Ferrari will need a big weekend in Las Vegas to have a realistic chance of defeating the papaya team. The Italian squad is not expecting to be a match for McLaren through the high-speed corners of Qatar’s Losail circuit, while Abu Dhabi could go either way. So, Ferrari needs to outscore McLaren by a handy margin this weekend to stay in the fight.

As is well documented, Sergio Perez’s struggles have seen Red Bull demoted to third, 13 points adrift of Ferrari. The reigning champion could still beat Ferrari if the Mexican hits a late vain of form, but it looks resigned to stay where it is unless its rivals slip up like in Brazil.

Lando Norris, McLaren MCL38, Charles Leclerc, Ferrari SF-24, Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing RB20

Lando Norris, McLaren MCL38, Charles Leclerc, Ferrari SF-24, Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing RB20

Photo by: Sam Bloxham / Motorsport Images

Fallout of FIA’s Wittich sacking to emerge

Las Vegas is also the first race weekend since the surprise ousting of Niels Wittich as F1’s race director. Wittich is the latest in a series of high-profile departures at the FIA under current president Mohammed Ben Sulayem. Wittich’s removal, which Autosport understands was due to a falling out with the president, caught many people in the paddock off-guard and is set to lead to further calls from F1 teams for the governing body to restore some stability in its leadership.

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The FIA has yet to respond to the drivers’ calls for Ben Sulayem to rethink his actions, with the drivers’ union GPDA having written an open letter bemoaning the FIA’s heavy-handed approach on matters like swearing and wearing jewellery. As the paddock reconvenes in Vegas, discussions on the various flashpoints that have dragged on throughout the season are likely to be held both in public and in private.

Las Vegas looking to confirm the hype on tough second album

Last year’s inaugural race down the Strip was hailed as a commercial success for F1, and the low-grip, high-speed layout ended up delivering an intriguing, action-packed race, ultimately won by one of its fiercest critics in Verstappen.

Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing RB19

Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing RB19

Photo by: Andrew Ferraro / Motorsport Images

The event got off to a rocky start when Sainz wrecked his Ferrari over a loose water valve cover, leading to delays that saw spectators kicked out for FP2, which started at 2:30am local time.

The organisers are hoping for smoother operational running this time, having promised much less disruption for local residents after some businesses sued F1 and the city over missed income during the nine-month build-up to last year’s event, which closed down key arteries.

Following widespread criticism that it was only catering to high-end customers and the corporate world, the event has made 10,000 additional general admission tickets available for this year at lower prices, and the hotel price bubble of 2023 also appears to have been a one-off miscalculation. The city and the series are now keen to prove that the Las Vegas Grand Prix isn’t a one-hit wonder and can show its full potential on what is often a tough second album.

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ABB FIA Formula E World Championship Madrid Pre-Season Test 2025

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ABB FIA Formula E World Championship Madrid Pre-Season Test 2025

PHOTO: Daniel Ballarin / ASPPAIMAGES

Madrid at Jarama Circuit — Day 1, Day 2, Day 3

Все Day 1 Day 3

Aston Martin uncovers trigger for Stroll and Alonso’s Brazilian GP struggles

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Aston Martin has got to the bottom of its troubled Brazilian Grand Prix that left Lance Stroll out on the formation lap and Fernando Alonso battling extreme bouncing.

The Silverstone-based team endured a hugely challenging race afternoon at Interlagos as Stroll spun into the wall on the formation lap after his rears unexpectedly locked, before he managed to beach himself in the gravel.

Then Alonso struggled throughout with similar rear locking issues plus excessive porpoising that left him struggling with back pain at the end, but he was determined to push on and see the chequered flag.

Speaking on the team radio at the time, Alonso, who finished 14th, admitted that something unusual was happening. “This bouncing is not normal,” he said.

With no immediate explanation for what happened on both cars, Aston Martin has spent some time since returning to its factory trying to get a better comprehension of the factors at play.

It now suspects that the problems on both cars were triggered by a super nervous rear-end characteristic that had been introduced as a result of car changes made following the qualifying crashes the team suffered on Sunday morning.

Fernando Alonso, Aston Martin AMR24

Fernando Alonso, Aston Martin AMR24

Photo by: Lubomir Asenov / Motorsport Images

Both Stroll and Alonso had hit the barriers in the wet qualifying session, damaging the Suzuka-concept specification floors the team had intended to run for the Interlagos event.

With no spares of that specification available, Aston Martin had to revert to a previous floor version – which was the one it first introduced at the Hungarian GP.

Normally teams cannot change specs between qualifying and the race, as that is a breach of parc ferme regulations and mandates a pit lane start.

However, things are different on a sprint race weekend when allowances are made if there is a shortage of spare parts.

Article 40.4 says at sprint weekends teams can change specification if they can “demonstrate there is a shortage of parts, and provided that the replacement part is of a specification that has been previously used in a qualifying session or a race».

It was this rule that Mercedes used at the United States GP to allow George Russell to go back to an older specification of floor following his qualifying crash.

Lance Stroll, Aston Martin AMR24, gets beached in the gravel prior to the start

Lance Stroll, Aston Martin AMR24, gets beached in the gravel prior to the start

Photo by: Andrew Ferraro / Motorsport Images

The complication for Aston Martin, however, was that the change of floor had to be made without it being able to alter the mechanical set-up around it – as suspension settings are totally fixed in parc ferme.

So on a weekend where teams were battling the problems of excessive bumps on the Interlagos track, plus tricky weather conditions, the end result was a car whose aero platform and mechanical settings did not match up.

Speaking about what Aston Martin has found out since Brazil, team principal Mike Krack thinks a combination of elements came together to leave both its drivers with a car that was ultra nervous.

“It was clear that both drivers were battling a car that was incredibly difficult to drive during Sunday’s race,» he said. «Our post-weekend analysis has highlighted several factors that explain this.

“Following both car’s accidents in qualifying, we had to replace a lot of components with a different specification due to availabilities at the end of a triple header. This is allowed by the Sprint Event regulations, and you declare your shortages and replacement options to the FIA before the event.

“[But] you aren’t allowed to change the mechanical set-up of the cars. This meant we could neither check nor adjust the set-up of the cars which negatively affected aerodynamic behaviour and performance.

Mike Krack, Team Principal, Aston Martin F1 Team

Mike Krack, Team Principal, Aston Martin F1 Team

Photo by: Zak Mauger / Motorsport Images

“Add in treacherous wet conditions, along with an incredibly bumpy track, and you begin to understand that both drivers had the odds stacked against them.

“Both cars were highly susceptible to wheel locking, and we can see in the data that this is what caused the issues for both Lance and Fernando.»

Aston Martin has been experimenting with its floor choices in recent races, with an upgrade it delivered for Austin not delivering the step forward hoped for.

It reverted to the Suzuka spec from Mexico, and may commit to the Budapest version for the next high-speed races in Las Vegas and Qatar.

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Who has won an F1 grand prix from the furthest back on the grid?

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The 2024 Brazilian Grand Prix witnessed Max Verstappen deliver a champion-like performance that put him on the cusp of a fourth consecutive Formula 1 world title. 

Verstappen won from 17th as a disastrous qualifying saw him finish 12th, before an engine change penalty dropped him five places. 

But the Red Bull driver delivered a masterclass in the wet to extend his lead over second-placed Lando Norris to 62 points with 86 left available. 

Nobody has won a grand prix from so far back since the 2005 Japanese GP, so where does Verstappen’s win stand in the history books?

22nd — John Watson, 1983 United States Grand Prix West

John Watson, McLaren MP4-1C Ford

John Watson, McLaren MP4-1C Ford

Photo by: Rainer W. Schlegelmilch / Motorsport Images

John Watson holds F1’s record for winning a grand prix from the furthest back on the grid, having started 22nd at the 1983 United States GP West.

It was the second round of the season and anger had already kicked off pre-qualifying as teams and drivers were unhappy at the slightly modified Long Beach circuit, which had bumps in the parts that connected the old and new layout. 

Teams were therefore concerned about their suspensions but the problems went deeper for Watson, who struggled with his Michelin tyres in qualifying. He wasn’t the only big name to suffer a poor session though, as team-mate Niki Lauda lined up one place behind.

But with a full load of fuel onboard, both McLaren cars were able to quickly generate heat into their tyres and after Lauda overtook Watson at race start, the pair progressed through the field in tandem as their pace was unstoppable. 

By lap 28, they were third and fourth before Watson overtook Lauda at the end of Shoreline Drive. At this point, the Northern Irishman was 20 seconds off the front which saw a thrilling battle between leader Jacques Laffite and Riccardo Patrese.

However, Patrese slid off as he attempted an overtake, allowing the McLarens through before Watson and Lauda quickly moved past Laffite, who had problems with his tyres.

So McLaren was now remarkably 1-2 and as Lauda struggled with leg cramp in the closing stages, he failed to challenge Watson who claimed a sensational victory that was the fifth and final win of his F1 career — which Autosport also listed as his greatest race.

19th — Bill Vukovich,1954 Indianapolis 500 

Bill Vukovich, Kurtis-Kraft

Bill Vukovich, Kurtis-Kraft

Photo by: Indianapolis Motor Speedway

Though not technically classified as a grand prix, the Indianapolis 500 was still part of the F1 calendar from 1950 to 1960. The 1954 edition saw reigning winner Bill Vukovich start 19th having struggled in qualifying with his now two-year-old car.

His rise up the order was not as rapid as Watson’s in Long Beach either, as Vukovich first took the lead on lap 61 before very quickly losing it by pitting. But he worked his way through the pack again before reclaiming first on lap 92 until dropping back once more through the pits. 

Yet the two-time Indy 500 winner finally took the lead for good on lap 150, before setting a then-record of a 130.84mph average race speed. But Vukovich tragically died at the Indy 500 the following year after a four-car collision whilst he was leading on lap 57. 

Race winner Rubens Barrichello, Ferrari F1 2000

Race winner Rubens Barrichello, Ferrari F1 2000

Photo by: Motorsport Images

The headlines were often stolen by Michael Schumacher when the seven-time world champion partnered Rubens Barrichello at Ferrari, yet in 2000 the Brazilian grabbed them at his team-mate’s home race. 

That year’s German GP witnessed Barrichello suffer an electrical problem in qualifying leaving him 18th on the grid, but a great start and faultless strategy had him fighting for victory.

The Ferrari driver climbed to 10th on lap one, during which Schumacher retired after a collision with Giancarlo Fisichella, before gaining another five positions over the following five tours in his rapid F1-2000.

Barrichello continued his superior pace and began setting successive fastest laps as he eventually caught up with Pedro de la Rosa, before overtaking him for fourth on lap 12. 

On the 15th lap, the Brazilian was into the podium positions after a move on Jarno Trulli at Hockenheim’s Jim Clark chicane before becoming the first driver to pit two tours later. 

Other drivers opted to pit during the lap 25 safety car, caused by a track protestor, before switching tyres again when rain began falling on lap 35. Yet Barrichello stayed out, as he and Ferrari believed the rain was not enough to fit wet tyres despite it only getting heavier.

But Barrichello held on and eventually took the maiden victory of his F1 career to become the first Brazilian to win a grand prix since Ayrton Senna at Adelaide in 1993. 

17th — John Watson, 1982 Detroit Grand Prix

John Watson, Eddie Cheever, Didier Pironi

John Watson, Eddie Cheever, Didier Pironi

Photo by: Motorsport Images

It was only a year before his incredible win in Long Beach that Watson had produced a similarly spectacular comeback drive to victory in the United States. 

At the 1982 Detroit GP, Watson was caught out by a qualifying collision involving Chico Serra’s Fittipaldi leaving the McLaren driver 17th on the grid.

But that year Watson, who finished third in the championship, was in fine form and rapidly progressed through the field in Detroit before taking second after an incredible lap 30 where he overtook Didier Pironi, Lauda and Eddie Cheever. 

By that point, Watson was 15s behind leader Keke Rosberg but he halved the deficit within two laps and eventually overtook as that year’s world champion started to struggle with his tyres.

As Rosberg eventually fell behind Cheever and Pironi, Watson took a comfortable second and final victory of the season.

17th — Kimi Raikkonen, 2005 Japanese Grand Prix

Race winner Kimi Raikkonen, McLaren

Race winner Kimi Raikkonen, McLaren

Photo by: Steven Tee / Motorsport Images

The last driver to win an F1 race from 17th before Verstappen was Kimi Raikkonen at the 2005 Japanese GP. 

After the early dominance of Fernando Alonso and Renault that year, McLaren came strong towards the end having won five straight heading into the Japan penultimate round.

The run looked in doubt though when McLaren suffered a disastrous one-shot qualifying session that only became wetter as time went on, resulting in the British squad coming 17th and 18th.

In fact, Raikkonen and team-mate Juan Pablo Montoya weren’t the only front-runners to qualify towards the back, as Alonso was 16th with Schumacher in 14th.

But conditions were dry on race day at Suzuka allowing the pace of the Renault, McLaren and Ferrari to shine through, in which Raikkonen overtook the two world champions through the pits.

By lap 30, the McLaren driver was fourth but 17s behind leader Fisichella with 23 tours remaining, yet quickly cut that gap while climbing up to second as Jenson Button and Mark Webber both pitted.

With Raikkonen and Fisichella both pitting again before the end of the race, the gap was nine seconds with eight laps left, but the Renault was struggling on its tyres so the deficit only ever reduced. 

It culminated in Raikkonen taking the lead down the start-finish straight on the final lap to give McLaren its sixth, consecutive victory and the Finn’s seventh of 2005 helping him finish runner-up to Alonso in the championship. 

17th — Max Verstappen, 2024 Brazilian Grand Prix

Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing RB20, 1st position, takes the chequered flag

Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing RB20, 1st position, takes the chequered flag

Photo by: Lubomir Asenov / Motorsport Images

The 2024 Brazilian GP is the weekend Verstappen all-but confirmed himself as a four-time world champion. Heading into the grand prix, he was very much on the back foot as title rival Norris led a McLaren 1-2 in the sprint race while Verstappen crossed the line in third but was demoted to fourth due to a virtual safety car infringement. 

His misery was compounded in qualifying, delayed until the Sunday morning due to heavy thunderstorms in Sao Paulo, as Verstappen only finished 12th. That’s because he had to abort his final run in Q2 due to Lance Stroll crashing at Turn 3 which initially caused a yellow flag that eventually turned red, while Norris ended up on pole. 

But Verstappen has a reputation of excelling in wet conditions and he delivered on that in the grand prix, by enjoying a fantastic start where he gained seven positions across the opening two laps after finding grip where others could not. The Red Bull driver was simply on another level and he quickly picked off one car after another, Turn 1 being a popular overtaking spot, to end up sixth by lap 22.

Yet with tyres starting to wear out, and a lap 28 VSC, teams had the dilemma if to pit or not. Ahead of Verstappen, Leclerc, Norris and leader George Russell all came in for a fresh set, but that proved to be the wrong decision as Franco Colapinto’s crash on lap 32 caused a red flag.

This meant the new leader Esteban Ocon, Verstappen and Pierre Gasly, who completed the top three, could all switch tyres without a cost as they fitted new intermediates for the restart. Ocon kept his lead, but then Carlos Sainz’s crash on lap 40 caused a safety car period in which Verstappen immediately overtook the Alpine driver at the restart to eventually take his eighth victory of 2024.



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