Verstappen's Brazil victory silences critics and impresses rivals

SAO PAULO (AP) — Max Verstappen's come-from-behind win in the pouring rain at the Brazilian Grand Prix on Sunday didn't just put him a lot closer to a fourth straight Formula One title. After 10 races without a win, it also reminded everyone of why the Dutch driver is a three-time champion in the first place. Verstappen delivered one of the best performance of his career to move up from 17th at the start and clinch a victory that increased his lead over McLaren's Lando Norris from 44 to 62 points with just three grand prix races and a sprint race remaining. "Simply lovely," Verstappen summed it up on the team radio. His fellow drivers were more effusive. "Amazing," said seven-time champion Lewis Hamilton of Mercedes. "Incredible," gushed Ferrari's Charles Leclerc. "Fantastic," added Aston Martin's Fernando Alonso, a two-time F1 champion. The only dissenting voice was Norris, who started on pole but finished sixth and later argued that the race was decided by luck as his team made a pit stop just before a red flag came out. "He drove well, he got a bit lucky," Norris said. "You take a gamble, and it has paid off for them. It is not talent; it is just luck." With only 86 points up for grabs until the end of the season, Verstappen only needs to finish ahead of Norris in Las Vegas to secure the title in two weeks. The Red Bull driver had expected a tough weekend at Interlagos. He received a five-place grid penalty after changing his engine for the sixth time in the season; lost one point in Saturday's sprint race because of another penalty; and got unlucky during qualifying when the session was interrupted just as he was attempting to clock a fast lap, leaving him in 12th place. But then everything went right for him in the race. He surged past rivals at the start and had passed a handful of cars before the first lap was over. In a crash-ridden race where visibility was hindered by the constant spray of water from the cars in front, Verstappen kept overtaking car after car and ended up finishing almost 20 seconds ahead of second-placed Esteban Ocon of Alpine. "It was definitely an emotional win," Verstappen said. "I was really motivated and put everything into this race and I surprised myself today as I wasn't expecting to finish in P1." The manner of the victory also sent a message to some of Verstappen's critics, who had described his driving style as being too aggressive. "(Verstappen) silenced a few critics today," said former F1 champion Damon Hill, who himself was one of those critics. In his post-race press conference, the Red Bull driver also took a shot at some of the British journalists who have questioned his abilities in recent weeks. "I have a quick question here. I appreciate all of you being here, but I don't see any British press," Verstappen said, drawing laughter. "Do they have to run to the airport, or they don't know where the press conference is?" Fans at Interlagos were also impressed by the Dutch driver's performance. Many of them, like Carlos Santos de Araújo, 65, were hesitant to support Verstappen because of his ties to Nelson Piquet, the father of his girlfriend Kelly and the main rival of another Brazilian three-time F1 champion, the late local hero Ayrton Senna. Sunday'a race put Verstappen under a different light, de Araújo said. "No one can be indifferent to what Max did today. I am sure he will think this the best race of his life, one of the best here at Interlagos," he said, wearing a Senna shirt and a Mercedes cap. "Hardcore F1 fans like me do like him as a driver, but today probably changed his status for us all. Anyone who thought he was just cold and sometimes arrogant will see the fighter that he was to win this. That adds to him being a champion." ___ AP auto racing: https://apnews.com/hub/auto-racing