Max Verstappen pulled off a remarkable feat at the Brazilian Grand Prix, becoming just the fourth driver in Formula 1 history to reach the podium after starting from the pit lane.
The result keeps his title hopes alive for now, even as Lando Norris continues to extend his lead at the top. Verstappen couldn’t have done much more on Sunday, especially after being knocked out in Q1 on Saturday. He looked quick enough to win if he’d started higher up and may end up regretting what could have been a huge missed chance.
McLaren remain wary of a recent Red Bull adjustment to Verstappen’s power unit and whether it complies with budget cap regulations. While Verstappen has faced challenges within Red Bull this season, there’s no denying the extra power gave him an advantage on Sao Paulo’s long straights.
Verstappen unhappy despite clawing back Championship ground
Verstappen managed to make up ground in Sao Paulo after dropping points to Norris over the previous two rounds, but he still wasn’t satisfied when speaking with David Coulthard afterwards:
“Not too bad,” Verstappen said. “I had fun out there today, I had a few overtakes which is always good around here and we got quite far as well.”
Ahead of Friday practice in Brazil, Red Bull made changes to Verstappen’s internal combustion engine and turbocharger under parc ferme conditions. As these were outside his allocation for 2025 already it meant an automatic pit lane start.
Red Bull ‘tweak’ might have helped inspire Max Verstappen’s Brazilian Grand Prix comeback
Verstappen believed the cooler weather played into Red Bull’s hands on Sunday, which was a big factor in their turnaround. Their pace on Friday and Saturday was well off the mark, drawing some comparisons to their poor showing in Hungary earlier this season.
Tsunoda has improved at RB this year but remains unlikely to earn a promotion back to the main team. After Verstappen was knocked out in qualifying, his feedback may have contributed to the setup issues Red Bull faced throughout the weekend.
The decision to pull Verstappen from the grid and start him from the pit lane meant Red Bull could make adjustments outside of parc ferme restrictions, giving them more flexibility. And while they stuck with an older floor design introduced before Mexico, recent modifications still offered a step forward.
Scott Mitchell-Malm of The Race said: “By getting it so wrong on Saturday, Red Bull basically had a free hit on Sunday. Pulling Verstappen off the grid and making him start from the pit lane meant Red Bull could change whatever it wanted on the car outside of parc ferme conditions.”
“The older pre-Mexico floor actually stayed on, but the most recent tweak to that was a small evolution, so this wasn’t so surprising.”
“Red Bull won’t elaborate on what it changed specifically, but whatever it was—combined with Sunday’s cooler track temperatures—it made a noticeable difference for Verstappen.”
Las Vegas Grand Prix takes centre stage in 2025 F1 Title race
The Las Vegas Grand Prix is set to be a pivotal moment in this year’s championship. With just two races left after Nevada, the title picture could either stay tight or start to break wide open.
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Verstappen’s performance in Brazil drew attention, but Martin Brundle believes McLaren could be under pressure this time around. Las Vegas hasn’t been their kind of track historically, and that could invite Mercedes and Ferrari into the mix.
If Norris and McLaren stumble in Vegas, Verstappen might find himself back in it. But if they hold up well despite the odds, they could build a lead too big to chase down.
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