Late twist at Brazilian Grand Prix as Max Verstappen demotion nullified

It wasn’t supposed to go like this. The Brazilian Grand Prix was meant to herald Max Verstappen’s full arrival into the F1 title race as he closed the gap to Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri.

Interlagos felt like the perfect place for Verstappen to bulldoze the points in the way of him and a fifth world title, being the backdrop of the champion's greatest drive and a circuit where qualifying isn't necessarily king.

It hasn’t gone quite to plan for Red Bull though, has it? In fact, Brazil has been nothing short of a nightmare for the Dutchman and his title chances, with Norris only strengthening his lead by securing sprint pole, a sprint victory and main race pole in Brazil.

Verstappen on the other hand, has been nowhere near the front, only finishing fourth in Saturday's sprint. And then came qualifying…

That's where things went from bad to worse for Red Bull. Verstappen suffered a shock exit in Q1, his first since Sochi in 2021, and was absent from the fight for pole position instead having to settle for P16.

So, in one last attempt to bolster the champion’s fight through the field, Red Bull have now made several changes under parc ferme conditions which have resulted in a pit lane start for Verstappen.

However, as reports of rain begin to swirl at Interlagos, could a pit lane start be nullified and work in Verstappen’s favour?

Can Max Verstappen still win the Brazilian GP?

In the grand scheme of things, losing four places is nothing when Verstappen had to fight through the field anyway, and it is best to do so in a car which has an improved set-up and fresh engine parts to aid his battle.

When you factor in the wet conditions, this could nullify any deficiencies in the RB21 compared to Verstappen’s rivals. As we saw in 2024, Verstappen is more than capable of fighting for a race win in wet conditions from far back on the grid, even in inferior machinery.

Red Bull could also have delivered an inspired choice by starting Verstappen in the pit lane if the race gets underway in wet conditions, and could avoid any chaos as a result of the rain.

As we see time-and-time again, drivers can easily lose control at Turn 1 at the start of a race. Coupled with the rain and being stuck in the middle of the pack, Verstappen would have been vulnerable to other cars around him in P16, thus at risk of ending his race prematurely through no fault of his own.

With a pit lane start however, Verstappen is better placed to avoid this drama and, in the event of a crash, be ready to pounce on drivers who do make a mistake in wet conditions.

Despite the pit lane start and the demotion from the FIA’s stewards, Verstappen is still in a position where he can at least fight back into podium contention, should the weather play into his hands.

After such a disappointing weekend, where his championship hopes have been dramatically snuffed out, there is now nothing to lose. And that tends to be when we see the best from Max Verstappen.

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