Sprint Quali Results 2021 Sao Paulo F1 GP
Event: São Paulo Grand Prix
Track: Autodromo Interlagos
Second placed Max Verstappen celebrates after the Sprint ahead of the F1 Grand Prix of São Paulo at Autódromo José Carlos Pace. (Photo by Mark Thompson/Getty Images)
Weather: dry 16.3°C
Tarmac: dry 32.5°C
Humidity: 73.8%
Wind: 0.6 m/s SW
Pressure: 927.7 mbar
Bottas Wins São Paulo Sprint as Hamilton Charges from Last
Valtteri Bottas won the third and final Formula 1 Sprint of the 2021 season at Interlagos, beating Max Verstappen after making excellent use of a soft-tyre gamble at the start.
Carlos Sainz finished third for Ferrari, while Lewis Hamilton produced one of the drives of the day by recovering from 20th on the grid to fifth following his disqualification from Friday's qualifying session.
Bottas Beats Verstappen off the Line
Verstappen started the Sprint from first place after Hamilton was disqualified from qualifying because his Mercedes rear wing failed a technical inspection. Bottas therefore lined up alongside the Red Bull on the front row.
Mercedes chose soft tyres for Bottas, while Verstappen started on mediums. The difference was immediately apparent as Bottas launched into the lead on the run to Turn 1.
Sainz also made excellent use of the soft compound and surged past Verstappen on the opening lap to take second place.
Verstappen Recovers to Second
Verstappen remained close to Sainz and reclaimed second place on the main straight at the beginning of Lap 4.
The Dutchman then began closing on Bottas, but the Mercedes driver managed his soft tyres well enough to maintain the lead despite increasing pressure during the second half of the Sprint.
Verstappen set the fastest lap of the Sprint on Lap 9 with a 1:12.114 but was unable to get close enough to challenge Bottas for the victory.
Hamilton Charges Through the Field
Hamilton faced a very different challenge after being relegated to the back of the grid. The seven-time World Champion immediately began working his way through the field and had already climbed to 14th by the second lap.
His progress continued throughout the 24-lap Sprint. Hamilton passed Fernando Alonso, Daniel Ricciardo and Esteban Ocon before moving ahead of Pierre Gasly and Charles Leclerc in the closing stages.
On the final lap, Hamilton overtook Lando Norris to secure fifth place, completing a remarkable recovery of 15 positions.
Sainz Holds on to Third
Sainz was unable to match Verstappen after losing second place but produced a strong defensive drive to retain third.
Sergio Perez closed on the Ferrari during the second half of the Sprint but could not find a way past, leaving Sainz to claim the final championship point available under the 2021 Sprint scoring system.
Perez finished fourth ahead of Hamilton, Norris and Leclerc, with Gasly completing the top eight.
Räikkönen Spins After Teammate Contact
Kimi Räikkönen's Sprint was compromised on Lap 2 when he made contact with Alfa Romeo teammate Antonio Giovinazzi at Turn 1.
The pair were attempting to pass Alonso when Giovinazzi lightly tagged Räikkönen, sending the Finn into a spin and dropping him to the rear of the field.
Räikkönen recovered to finish 18th, while Giovinazzi crossed the line in 13th.
Bottas Earns Grand Prix Pole
Bottas crossed the line 1.170 seconds ahead of Verstappen to claim victory and three championship points.
Under the Sprint regulations used in 2021, the winner of the Sprint was officially credited with pole position for Sunday's Grand Prix. It therefore became Bottas' 20th Formula 1 pole position and Mercedes' 133rd.
Hamilton's recovery earned him fifth place in the Sprint, although a separate five-place grid penalty for taking an additional internal combustion engine meant he would start Sunday's Grand Prix from 10th.
Classification 2021 São Paulo F1 Sprint
Fastest lap: 1:12.114 min by Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing Honda #33 on Lap 9.
One F1 fan comment on “Sprint Quali Results 2021 Sao Paulo F1 GP”
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Hamilton maximized his starting position for tomorrow, while Bottas minimized his points loss in the WDC lead + guaranteed Mercedes stays ahead in the WCC, so a win-win situation for both HAM & the team.