“After all I’ve done for him,” lamented the slighted Mexican – turns out there’s history, possibly to do with Perez crashing in Monaco qualifying earlier this season, with Verstappen laying down the law over the radio about whose kingdom this was. All hail the Belgian-born Dutch wunderkind, you thought Horner might mutter.
After the drabness of this F1 season caused by Red Bull kicking the championship can far down the road, it’s only fair that Milton Keynes’ men turn on each other to give us some much-needed entertainment. Noble.
Magnussen has his day
A-Haa! Magnussen files his entry for the Formula Partridge contest
Grand Prix Photo
Rubbish car goes out and snatches pole from the big guys in Brazil. You just can’t beat it.
Making a mountain out of…
Alonso and Ocon: literally taking chunks out of each other
Dan Istitene/F1 via Getty Images
Alpine: never a team far from drama and disaster, eh?
First in the Sprint Esteban Ocon shoves off Fernando Alonso, then the Spaniard biffs him back for his troubles.
Then Alonso finishes the race in fifth and Ocon eighth.
If Carlsberg did F1 meltdowns…and comebacks…they wouldn’t be as good as Enstone’s.
Experimental track
Bring on more sprint races — but only at Interlagos
Getty Images
Two years in a row this Sprint has been entertaining, Russell and Verstappen’s duel proof enough on its own – should we just limit it to Interlagos?
Nigel Bottas
Is it just a coincidence that Bottas’s moustache appeared just as his form improved?
DPPI
Simon Lazenby almost interviewed Valtteri Bottas’s moustache by accident on the Brazilian grid, before the glacial being attached to it suddenly showed slightly more life.
He’s done well though, has ‘Our Valtteri’. Doesn’t score points for ten races, then does it twice in a row. Guess that’s progress, Nigel?
Goin’ Down
Instant reaction
Some of the ‘this-is-history-in-the-making’ overtones in much of the social media posts about the Red Bull team-mates (i.e.’WILL ANY TEAM–MATES EVER TRUST EACH AGAIN???) were slightly over the top. 1982 San Marino GP anyone?
One thing is for sure after this weekend. Some drivers who helped their teammates in the past will never do that again. 💀
— Jarno Opmeer (@jarno_opmeer) November 13, 2022
Freewheelin’ into a three-wheeler
Exit Ricciardo, taking the Interlagos qualifying hero with him
LAT via Haas
In terms of ending your time in F1 as badly as possible, Daniel Ricciardo is doing it pretty well.
Clock ticking for Mick
So about that contract Guenther….
Haas
The bell may be tolling for Mick Schumacher’s F1 career. The young German needed a result in his penultimate 2022 race, but qualified last and finished out of the points. WEC-ky races o’clock or F1 reserve obscurity?