Motor racing: Team by team analysis of the Brazilian Grand Prix

SAO PAULO (Reuters) – Team by team analysis of Sunday’s Brazilian Grand Prix, penultimate race of the 21-round Formula One season (listed in championship order):

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MERCEDES (Lewis Hamilton 7, Valtteri Bottas retired)

Hamilton finished third on track but collected a five-second penalty after the race for a collision with Albon that dropped him to seventh. He still chalked up his 32nd successive points finish, one short of his own record. Bottas retired after 51 laps with a loss of oil pressure, but set the fastest lap.

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FERRARI (Sebastian Vettel and Charles Leclerc retired)

The Ferraris collided and retired six laps from the end. Vettel started on the front row but lost out to Hamilton at the start. Leclerc lined up 14th after a 10-place grid drop for an engine change. The Monegasque slipped from third overall to fourth, 11 points behind Verstappen.

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RED BULL (Max Verstappen 1, Alexander Albon 14)

Verstappen’s third win of the season and eighth of his career, after starting from pole for the second time. The Dutchman had to twice overtake Hamilton but did so with aplomb. Albon was running second when he and Hamilton, trying to pass, tangled on the penultimate lap.

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MCLAREN (Carlos Sainz 3, Lando Norris 8)

Sainz started last on the grid but did a one-stop strategy and inherited third place after Hamilton’s demotion, handing McLaren a first podium finish since Australia 2014. McLaren have now secured fourth place in the championship ahead of engine providers Renault.

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RENAULT (Daniel Ricciardo 6, Nico Hulkenberg 15)

Ricciardo was handed a five-second stop and go penalty and also had a front wing change after an early collision with Haas’s Magnussen. He then climbed back from 20th place thanks to two safety car periods and the retirement of the Ferraris. Hulkenberg collected a five-second post-race penalty for overtaking during safety car conditions.

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TORO ROSSO (Pierre Gasly 2, Daniil Kvyat 10)

Former Red Bull driver Gasly celebrated his first podium place alongside his former team mate Verstappen in a Honda-powered one-two. The second place was Toro Rosso’s best since Vettel won at Monza in 2008, but their second top three place this season. Kvyat started 16th. Toro Rosso moved up a place and now have Renault in their sights, only eight points ahead.

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RACING POINT (Sergio Perez 9, Lance Stroll 19)

The Canadian-owned team fell behind Toro Rosso with Perez again providing some meager points. The Mexican said he lacked speed on the straights. Stroll said he ran over debris from the Ferrari accident, ending his hopes of points.

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ALFA ROMEO (Kimi Raikkonen 4, Antonio Giovinazzi 5)

The team’s best result of the season, with both also benefiting from Hamilton’s demotion.

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HAAS (Kevin Magnussen 11, Romain Grosjean 13)

Magnussen and Grosjean started ninth and seventh. The Dane made contact with Ricciardo early on. Grosjean was second at the second safety car but then lost four positions at the re-start with an MGU-K generator problem.

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WILLIAMS (George Russell 12, Robert Kubica 16)

Still no points for Russell, who started 18th and did a three-stop race, but a fine drive nonetheless. Kubica made four stops and served a five-second penalty for an unsafe release that saw him nearly hit Verstappen in the pitlane.