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The penultimate grand prix of the 2022 season was also the final sprint race weekend of the year at the dependably thrilling Interlagos circuit.
Once again, the Brazilian Grand Prix delivered on action throughout the weekend. There were some outstanding performances throughout the field, with two particular drivers coming away from the weekend having achieved something that they had never done before.
Here are the RaceFans’ driver ratings for the Brazilian Grand Prix.
Lewis Hamilton – 6
Qualified: 8th (-5 places behind team mate)
Sprint race: 3rd (-2 places behind team mate)
+0.552s slower than team mate in Q3
Finished: 2nd (-1 place behind team mate)
- Sole Q3 lap on track slowly losing grip was only good enough for eighth place
- Made up five places in the sprint race to finish third, inheriting front row start due to Sainz’s penalty
- Started grand prix on soft tyres and retained second place at the start
- Clashed with Verstappen after Safety Car restart, losing six places and causing major damage
- Overtook Schumacher, Gasly, Vettel and Norris to move back up to fourth place
- Extended opening stint until pitting for mediums, resuming in fourth before Sainz’s second stop
- Caught and overtook Perez for second place before pitting for used softs to cover off Red Bull’s own pit stop
- Inherited second place back when Sainz pitted under Virtual Safety Car to line up behind team mate in second for restart
- Dropped out of DRS range of team mate ahead at restart and could not close gap, eventually finishing second by 1.5s
George Russell – 7
Qualified: 3rd (+5 places ahead of team mate)
Sprint race: 1st (+2 places ahead of team mate)
-0.552s quicker than team mate in Q3
Finished: Winner (+1 place ahead of team mate)
- Set the third-fastest Q3 lap as track conditions worsened but spun off into the gravel, bringing out the red flags
- Passed Magnussen early in the sprint race, then chased down Verstappen with his soft tyres and passed him to secure grand prix pole
- Started on soft tyres, converting pole into the lead of the race at the start
- Held the lead at the Safety Car restart, then maintained an advantage over Perez behind until pitting for mediums
- Developed a water leak on his car through the race that his team did not inform him of
- Grew his lead over the second stunt before pitting for used softs with just over 20 laps remaining
- Held his nerve and the lead at the second restart, crucially pulling out of DRS range of team mate who was free to race him
- Kept Hamilton at safe distance across the final laps to secure a maiden grand prix victory by under two seconds
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Max Verstappen – 6
Qualified: 2nd (+7 places ahead of team mate)
Sprint race: 3rd (+1 place ahead of team mate)
-3.724s quicker than team mate in Q3
Finished: 6th (+1 place ahead of team mate)
- Was third driver to set crucial Q3 lap on increasingly wet track, beaten to pole position only by Magnussen, first on track
- Chose mediums for sprint race, passing Magnussen in early laps but was passed by Russell, Sainz and Hamilton to finish fourth
- Promoted to third on the grid with Sainz’s penalty, starting on softs and retaining third at the start
- Clashed with Hamilton at the restart while battling over second, breaking front wing and being given five second time penalty
- Pitted for new front wing and medium tyres, rejoining ahead of only Leclerc
- Caught up to the back of the field, passing Latifi before pitting for softs
- Overtook Albon, Tsunoda, Stroll and Schumacher before final stop for used soft tyres
- Passed Gasly to sit tenth under second Safety Car, then passed Vettel at restart
- Overtook Ocon and Bottas to take seventh place, then was allowed through by team mate to attack Alonso for fifth
- Failed to catch Alonso and was asked four times on final lap to return position to team mate but refused, finishing sixth
Sergio Perez – 5
Qualified: 9th (-7 places behind team mate)
+3.724s slower than team mate in Q3
Sprint race: 5th (-1 place behind team mate)
Finished: 7th (-1 place behind team mate)
- Quickest in first practice
- Was compromised on crucial Q3 lap by being behind Leclerc on intermediates but was denied opportunity to improve, leaving him ninth
- Moved up four places in sprint race to finish fifth, which became fourth on the grid with Sainz’s penalty
- Started on soft tyres and held position at the start, lightly tagging team mate into turn one
- Moved up to second when Hamilton and Verstappen clashed at restart, running behind Russell until pitting for mediums
- Gained second back when Hamilton pitted but was caught and passed by him before stopping again for another set of mediums
- Sat in third under second Safety Car, the only front runner on the medium compound
- Lost positions to Sainz, Leclerc and Alonso before being asked by team to allow team mate by
- Despite being promised he would have position returned at the finish, team mate refused, meaning he would finish seventh
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Carlos Sainz Jnr – 8
Qualified: 5th (+5 places ahead of team mate)
-0.06s quicker than team mate in Q2
Sprint race: 2nd (+4 places ahead of team mate)
Finished: 3rd (+1 place ahead of team mate)
- Secured fifth in qualifying with sole Q3 lap before the rain fell
- Took sixth engine of the season, earning a penalty for the grand prix
- Gained three places in sprint race to finish second, dropping to seventh on the grid after penalty
- Started on mediums and retained position on the opening lap
- Picked up three places at the restart due to clashes ahead, then passed Norris for third
- Forced to pit earlier than planned for softs due to tear off getting caught in a brake duct which sent temperatures soaring
- Overtook Stroll and Schumacher and moved back up to third through the pit stop cycle
- Made second stop for new mediums, then pitted a third time for used softs under Virtual Safety Car
- Lined up fourth for Safety Car restart, using his softs to pass Perez for third, where he would ultimately finish
- Pushed up to the finish due to concerns over a potential Safety Car infringement which never materialised
Charles Leclerc – 6
Qualified: 10th (-5 places behind team mate)
+0.06s slower than team mate in Q2
Sprint race: 6th (-4 places behind team mate)
Finished: 4th (-1 place behind team mate)
- Reached Q3 but was sent out on intermediates on a still-dry track, leaving him only tenth
- Picked up four places in sprint race to line up fifth on the grid after team mate’s power unit penalty
- Started on medium tyres, losing one place to Norris at the start
- Hit by Norris while attempting to pass around the outside of Ferradura at the restart, sent spinning into the barriers
- Recovered to the pits for repairs and new medium tyres, rejoining last
- Pitted a second time for soft tyres, passing Tsunoda, Schumacher, Zhou and Norris before third stop for used softs
- Passed Gasly and Vettel before second Safety Car, then lined up sixth for restart
- Overtook Bottas for fifth, then caught and passed Perez for fourth
- Asked team to make team mate ahead let him by, but was denied, finishing fourth
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Lando Norris – 6
Qualified: 4th (+10 places ahead of team mate)
-0.763s quicker than team mate in Q2
Sprint race: 7th (+4 places ahead of team mate)
Finished: Retired (Mechanical – L51)
- Missed Thursday track duties due to suspected food poisoning
- Ahead of team mate in every session
- Easily progressed into Q3 in qualifying, then secured fourth with sole Q3 lap
- Dropped to seventh in sprint race but achieved target of passing Magnussen
- Started grand prix on soft tyres, passing Leclerc on the opening lap
- Clashed with Leclerc into Ferradura at the restart, slightly damaging car and earning a five second time penalty
- Overtaken for third by Sainz, then lost two more places to Hamilton and Vettel before pitting for medium tyres
- Served penalty in pits, then was caught and passed by recovering Leclerc before pitting a second time for softs
- Made his way past Zhou before being forced to retire on track with a mechanical problem
Daniel Ricciardo – 3
Qualified: 14th (-10 places behind team mate)
+0.763s slower than team mate in Q2
Sprint race: 11th (-4 places behind team mate)
Finished: Retired (Crash – L1)
- Behind team mate in every session
- Just progressed through to Q2 in 15th but was eliminated 14th in Q2, seven tenths slower than team mate
- Gained four places in sprint to line up 11th on the grid for the grand prix
- Started on soft tyres, gaining one position from Gasly off the line
- Clumsily tagged Magnussen into turn eight, sending the Haas spinning and resulting in race-ending crash
- Hit with three-place grid penalty for Abu Dhabi for causing a collision
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Fernando Alonso – 6
Qualified: 7th (-1 place behind team mate)
+0.079s slower than team mate in Q3
Sprint race: 18th (-1 place behind team mate)
Finished: 5th (+3 places ahead of team mate)
- Out-qualified by team mate by just a single position
- Clashed with team mate at start of sprint race, then again at end of opening lap, forced to pit with damage
- Finished sprint race in 16th but dropped to 18th on grid after a five second post-sprint time penalty for Ocon clash
- Started on medium tyres, holding position on the opening lap
- Passed Zhou after first Safety Car restart, then ran behind team mate, pitting early for second set of mediums
- Successfully undercut Bottas and team mate to move up to fifth before pitting for third set of mediums
- Pitted just before second Safety Car to switch to softs, lining up ninth for the restart
- Passed Vettel and team mate on restart lap, then overtook Bottas on the next lap to move sixth
- Overtook Perez to take fifth, then tried to catch Leclerc ahead
- Held off Verstappen in the final laps to take ten crucial points in fifth
Esteban Ocon – 6
Qualified: 6th (+1 place ahead of team mate)
-0.079s quicker than team mate in Q3
Sprint race: 17th (+1 place ahead of team mate)
Finished: 8th (-3 places behind team mate)
- Only just reached Q3 in tenth, but out-qualified team mate by one place in sixth
- Quickest of all in second practice
- Almost clashed with Alonso at turn four at start of sprint race, then was clipped by Alonso at end of lap one
- Suffered minor damage that dropped him down the order in sprint race, eventually finishing 17th
- Car caught fire in the pit lane after the sprint race, a legacy of contact
- Started grand prix on soft tyres, holding position at the start to sit 14th under Safety Car
- Passed Zhou at the restart, then Stroll shortly after before overtaking Schumacher for ninth
- Pitted for medium tyres, running behind Vettel in seventh place before making second stop for soft tyres
- Lined up behind Vettel in eighth under second Safety Car, passing him at the restart before losing a place to team mate
- Overtaken by Verstappen to fall to eighth where he would eventually finish
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Pierre Gasly – 5
Qualified: 12th (+7 places ahead of team mate)
-1.893s quicker than team mate in Q1
Sprint race: 10th (+5 places ahead of team mate)
Finished: 14th (+3 places ahead of team mate)
- Comfortably reached Q2, unlike team mate, before being eliminated in 12th
- Gained two places in sprint race to take tenth on the grid for the grand prix
- Started on soft tyres, holding position at the start to sit ninth behind Safety Car
- Moved up to sixth at the restart thanks to multiple clashes ahead of him, then quickly passed by Hamilton
- Held off pressure from Schumacher before pitting for mediums
- Successfully undercut many rivals ahead but was soon passed by Bottas, Vettel and Ocon
- Pitted a second time for soft tyres, moving up to 11th before pitting a third time for mediums just before Safety Car
- Restarted 14th, passing Schumacher and Zhou in the final laps to finish 12th
- Penalised with five second time penalty after the race for speeding in the pit lane, dropping him to 14th
Yuki Tsunoda – 4
Qualified: 19th (-7 places behind team mate)
+1.893s slower than team mate in Q1
Sprint race: 15th (-5 places behind team mate)
Finished: 17th (-3 places behind team mate)
- Fit slick tyres late in Q1 and struggled for a good lap, knocked out in 19th
- Gained four places in sprint race to line up five slots behind team mate on the grid
- Forced to start from the pit lane after replacing floor and wings under parc ferme
- Started on mediums and joined the Safety Car queue at the rear, gaining one place when Albon pitted
- Picked up two places from contact ahead, overtook Latifi but lost a place the next lap to Albon
- Pitted for soft tyres and was overtaken by recovering Leclerc, then passed by Stroll and Verstappen
- Stopped for a second set of soft tyres and fell a lap down ahead only of the Williams
- Pitted for mediums under second Safety Car but, due to quirk of regulations, was forbidden to unlap himself
- Forced to hold position until reaching finish line at restart then allow the entire field passed, effectively ending his race
- Finished last in 17th, the only car not on the lead lap
Sebastian Vettel – 7
Qualified: 13th (+2 places ahead of team mate)
Sprint race: 9th (+7 places ahead of team mate
-0.532s quicker than team mate in Q2
Finished: 11th (-1 place behind team mate)
- Easily progressed through to Q2 but was eliminated in 13th after locking up at turn one on final Q2 attempt
- Shoved off track by team mate in sprint race but secured ninth on the grid, just outside the points
- Used soft tyres at the start, gaining one place from Magnussen into turn one
- Moved up to fifth through the melee of the restart, battling with Norris until pitting for mediums
- Overtook Gasly and ran in sixth behind Bottas before second stop for a second set of mediums
- Passed by the recovering Leclerc before second Safety Car, staying out on his used mediums
- Lined up seventh for the restart but lost three places on the first green flag lap
- Allowed team mate on fresher tyres through ahead of him and held off pressure from Gasly in final laps to take 11th
Lance Stroll – 5
Qualified: 15th (-2 places behind team mate)
Sprint race: 16th (-7 places behind team mate)
Finished: 10th (+1 place ahead of team mate)
- Comfortably progressed to Q2 but was eliminated in 15th, half a second slower than team mate, after mistake on final lap
- Penalised a deserved ten seconds for “dangerous driving” in sprint race after pushing team mate off track, dropping to 16th on grid
- Started grand prix on mediums, gaining one place on track on opening lap with late lunge on Zhou into Bico de Pato
- Passed Bottas at restart to take ninth place, but lost to back to Bottas five laps later before being passed by Ocon
- Pitted for a second set of mediums and passed by recovering Verstappen, then overtaken by Alonso
- Fitted soft tyres after his second stop, emerging behind Schumacher before second Safety Car
- Passed Schumacher at restart seemingly out of track limits, but no action deemed necessary
- Overtook Zhou before being allowed through by team mate into tenth
- Caught Bottas ahead but could not get passed, settling for final point in tenth
Nicholas Latifi – 4
Qualified: 16th (-5 places behind team mate)
+0.771s slower than team mate in Q1
Sprint race: 19th
Finished: 16th (-1 place behind team mate)
- Failed to follow team mate through to Q2, eliminated in 17th place
- Passed by Tsunoda, two Alfa Romeos and Alonso in the sprint race to finish 19th later claiming to have floor damage from debris
- Started grand prix on mediums, holding position on the opening lap but flat-spotted his tyres
- Moved up two places at the restart when Verstappen and Leclerc hit trouble, but then lost two to Tsunoda and team mate
- Fell to the back of the field after pitting for hard tyres and suffering an 8s long stop
- Pitted to switch to mediums after 20 laps struggling on hard tyres, remaining at the rear
- Pitted a third time under Virtual Safety Car to fit fresh soft tyres for end of the race
- Allowed to unlap himself under second Safety Car but race restarted before he had caught up to the queue
- Used fresher, better tyres to catch team mate in final laps but finished a second behind in 16th
Alexander Albon – 5
Qualified: 11th (+5 places ahead of team mate)
-0.771s quicker than team mate in Q1
Sprint race: 20th (Did not finish)
Finished: 15th (+1 place ahead of team mate)
- Easily progressed through to Q2, only just missing out on Q3 after eliminated in 11th place
- Lost four places at the start of the sprint race and was running 15th until forced to stop when debris seized his right-front wheel
- Sat out second practice to allow Sargeant to drive his car
- Only driver to start on hard tyres, held position at the start but pitted under first Safety Car for mediums
- Inherited two places from Leclerc and Verstappen’s clashes, then overtook team mate and Tsunoda
- Pitted for second set of mediums, dropping near the back of the field before moving ahead of Zhou
- Made third and final stop for a third set of mediums, dropping to back with only team mate behind him
- Restarted 15th after second Safety Car after being allowed to unlap himself, effectively gaining a place from Tsunoda
- Fell back from cars ahead to finish in 15th place, one second ahead of his team mate
Valtteri Bottas – 7
Qualified: 18th (-1 place behind team mate)
+0.289s slower than team mate in Q1
Sprint race: 14th (-1 behind team mate)
Finished: 9th (-3 places behind team mate)
- Knocked out 18th in Q1 behind team mate after admitting to making the wrong call to take new intermediates
- Fell to the back at the start of the sprint race, then followed team mate to 15th place, which became 14th on the grid
- Started grand prix on softs, passing team mate at the start to sit 11th behind the Safety Car
- Lost a place at the restart to Stroll, but took it back on lap 12 before passing Schumacher for eighth
- Pitted for mediums, then allowed through by team mate before overtaking Gasly to take seventh place
- Stopped for new softs with 26 laps remaining, quickly passing Stroll
- Gained fifth place under late Safety Car
Zhou Guanyu – 6
Qualified: 17th (+1 place ahead of team mate)
-0.289s quicker than team mate in Q1
Sprint race: 13th (+1 place ahead of team mate)
Finished: 12th (-3 places behind team mate)
- Eliminated from Q1 in 17th but was almost three tenths ahead of team mate
- Gained three net places in sprint race to secure 14th ahead of team mate, which became 13th with Stroll’s penalty
- Started grand prix on softs but was passed by team mate at turn one, then lost a place when Stroll dived by just before Safety Car
- Had helmet drinks straw trapped against his head until first pit stop
- Restarted 13th but was passed by both Alpines on the restart lap, then pitted for mediums
- Fell to the back of the field but made up places as rivals pitted ahead, then asked to let team mate ahead of him
- Stopped just after mid race for softs to try to undercut cars ahead
- Suffered minor turbo problems for later part of the race, sitting 11th under second Safety Car
- Overtaken by Stroll and Gasly after restart to cross the line 13th, four places behind team mate
- Promoted to 12th following Gasly’s post-race time penalty
Mick Schumacher – 4
Qualified: 20th (-19 places behind team mate)
+2.407s slower than team mate in Q1
Sprint race: 12th (-4 places behind team mate)
Finished: 13th (-13 places behind team mate)
- Eliminated last in Q1 after admitting to “underestimating” grip levels on slick tyres
- Gained seven places in sprint race to cross the line 13th, which became 12th after Stroll’s penalty
- Started on mediums and held position on the opening lap, gaining two places with team mate’s spin
- Ran behind Gasly after restart before overtaken by Bottas and Ocon, then pitted for softs
- Passed by recovering Leclerc and Verstappen, then lost a place to Alonso before second stop for softs
- Restarted 12th after second Safety Car but lost a place to Stroll despite appearing to be passed out of track limits
- Overtaken by medium-shod Gasly with six laps remaining, eventually finishing 14th after pressuring Zhou
- Promoted to 13th after Gasly’s time penalty was applied after the race
Kevin Magnussen – 8
Qualified: Pole (+19 places ahead of team mate)
-2.407s quicker than team mate in Q1
Sprint race: 8th (+4 places ahead of team mate)
Finished: Retired (Crashed – L1)
- Progressed through to Q2 unlike, team mate, then got into Q3 on final timed lap
- Took advantage of a dampening track to secure stunning maiden pole position
- Held the lead at the start of the sprint race but gradually dropped down order, holding onto final point in eighth
- Dropped one place to Vettel under braking for turn one
- Sent spinning by Ricciardo at turn eight, collided with the McLaren again, ending his race on the spot
Over to you
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