Even with the championship done and dusted, there are still two races remaining in the 2018 Formula One season and the first of those takes us to Brazil. Join The Roar for live coverage from 4am (AEDT).
Enriched with many world championship defining races and individual feats, Interlagos this time will not be a title decider – yet there is much to still play out across the 71-lap race.
The unique 4.3km circuit is short, but very challenging with its changes in elevation. Not to mention too, that weather always plays its hand and can completely turn the race on its head.
Mercedes AMG await their coronation for a fifth consecutive constructor’s championship and they will start in the best position to do so, with the newly crowned driver’s champion Lewis Hamilton claiming the 100th pole position for the Silver Arrows.
The Briton will be backed up by the winless Valtteri Bottas who will start from third on the grid.
In between the mighty Mercs will be Sebastian Vettel, who won the race last year from starting second. The German was fortunate to escape any grid penalties for an incident at the weigh-bridge during qualifying – though was handed a severe financial sanction.
Strategically, the top six qualifiers set their fastest Q2 laps on the soft compound tyre, meaning they will start the race (provided it is dry) on those sets, as supposed to the more highly degrading supersoft.
A switch to medium tyres would be the given strategy for the front-runners, whilst the drivers starting on supersofts will have to stretch out their stints before going onto the white striped tyre.
Daniel Ricciardo qualified sixth but has been hit with a 5-place penalty for a change of turbocharger following its damage at the previous race in Mexico. A charge up the order can be expected from the Aussie.
Best of the rest rather surprisingly were the Saubers and Marcus Ericsson, who qualified a career-best seventh in his penultimate race for the Swiss team. He and teammate Charles Leclerc will benefit from the Ricciardo penalty, with the pair being promoted to sixth and seventh.
Though with a free choice of tyres for the likes of the Force Indias and Renaults from outside the top ten, the battle for the points will sure to an intriguing one as ever.
So, with only the constructor’s crown at stake, will it be another masterclass from Mercedes AMG? Or can Vettel and Ferrari restore some pride following another title defeat?
Tune in on The Roar for live blog coverage of the Brazilian Grand Prix from 4am AEDT, as we race for the penultimate time in 2018.
Tim Carter
Roar Pro
Ocon's timing was poor, but he was fully entitled to attempt an overtake. It should've been determined to be a 'racing incident' with no further action. The push post-race should result in a race suspension for Verstappen, but that's never going to happen.
Jawad Yaqub
Roar Guru
Well that wraps up this live blog of the Brazilian Grand Prix then, thank you again for tuning in at this early hour. One more race remains then for F1 in 2018, so be sure to join me again on The Roar for the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix in a fortnight's time. Until then, it's ciao.
Jawad Yaqub
Roar Guru
It will be interesting to hear now Esteban Ocon's thoughts on the incident with Verstappen, given the Dutchman's rather violent comments over the radio. What are your thoughts Roarers on the incident? Was Ocon right to unlap himself? Or was Verstappen too clumsy?
Jawad Yaqub
Roar Guru
-------- DRIVER'S -------- 383 - Lewis Hamilton 302 - Sebastian Vettel 251 - Kimi Räikkönen 237 - Valtteri Bottas 234 - Max Verstappen 158 - Daniel Ricciardo 69 -- Nico Hulkenberg 58 -- Sergio Perez 55 -- Kevin Magnussen 50 -- Fernando Alonso 49 -- Esteban Ocon 45 -- Carlos Sainz 35 -- Romain Grosjean 33 -- Charles Leclerc 27 -- Pierre Gasly 12 -- Stoffel Vandoorne 9 --- Marcus Ericsson 6 --- Lance Stroll 4 --- Brendon Hartley 1 --- Sergey Sirotkin
Jawad Yaqub
Roar Guru
----- CONSTRUCTOR'S ----- 620 - Mercedes AMG 553 - Scuderia Ferrari 392 - Aston Martin Red Bull Racing 114 - Renault Sport 90 -- Haas Ferrari 62 -- McLaren Renault 48 -- Racing Point Force India Mercedes 42 -- Alfa Romeo Sauber 33 -- Red Bull Toro Rosso Honda 7 --- Williams Mercedes
Jawad Yaqub
Roar Guru
RACE REPORT Having already sewn up the driver’s championship in Mexico, Lewis Hamilton claimed victory at the Brazilian Grand Prix from pole position, to sew up a fifth consecutive constructor’s title for Mercedes AMG. A 50th win for Hamilton of the 99 races held so far in the turbo-hybrid era, was somewhat gifted following a race defining incident on Lap-44 between the leading Red Bull of Max Verstappen and the lapped car of Esteban Ocon. Verstappen, who was able to stretch out his opening stint on the supersoft tyre, took the lead from Hamilton following the first round of stops – when the Red Bull switched to the soft tyre, as supposed to the mediums on which Hamilton struggled. With the Briton covered and the pace very much in his court, Verstappen tangled with Ocon at Turn 1, who had just pitted for a fast set of supersoft tyres. Neither driver left much room, though it was the Dutchman who was left seething that the backmarker didn’t yield. A late charge from Verstappen, who had floor damage to his car wasn’t enough to overhaul Hamilton, who himself limped to the chequered flag on his worn medium tyres. Kimi Räikkönen denied Daniel Ricciardo from a podium finish, with the Aussie having made a late stop for soft tyres and having the pace to challenge for third. Having had to make second stops due to the increased wear in the tyres, it was Valtteri Bottas leading Sebastian Vettel in fifth – with Bottas’ position enough to give Mercedes AMG the points to clinch the championship. Sauber, who qualified as best of the rest endured a bittersweet race, with Marcus Ericsson having retired after starting a career best sixth on the grid. Diffuser damage pre-race and then a series of car issues put the Swede out early, whilst Charles Leclerc was able to hold off the Haas cars for seventh. Sergio Perez rounded out the points for Force India, in what was a messy race for them, given Ocon’s tangle with Verstappen and the subsequent 10-second stop and go penalty having been applied. Also penalised was Fernando Alonso, who was found to have been ignoring blue flags amid his encounters with the two Williams cars. After the 5-second penalty, the Spaniard lost sixteenth to Sergey Sirotkin. Renault lost crucial points to Haas in their battle for fourth in the constructor’s championship, with the gap being cut to 24-points off the back of Nico Hulkenberg’s retirement and a non-points scoring finish for Carlos Sainz.
Jawad Yaqub
Roar Guru
POST-RACE INTERVIEWS - Hosted by Paul di Resta HAMILTON - "These guys [Mercedes] have worked so hard the last 6 years." "We were struggling and were a sitting duck at one stage." VERSTAPPEN - "I have no words." "It was better than expected, with the team giving me the right strategy." RÄIKKÖNEN - "Some battling, it was fun." "It was difficult to pass, it took too long to pass."
Jawad Yaqub
Roar Guru
RESULTS FROM THE 71-LAP BRAZILIAN GRAND PRIX 1 L. Hamilton 2 M. Verstappen 3 K. Räikkönen 4 D. Ricciardo 5 V. Bottas 6 S. Vettel 7 C. Leclerc 8 R. Grosjean 9 K. Magnussen 10 S. Perez 11 B. Hartley 12 C. Sainz 13 P. Gasly 14 S. Vandoorne 15 E. Ocon 16 F. Alonso 17 S. Sirotkin 18 L. Strol l RET N. Hulkenberg RET M. Ericsson
Jawad Yaqub
Roar Guru
Mercedes AMG have also claimed the constructor's championship too, which is their fifth in a row!
Jawad Yaqub
Roar Guru
LEWIS HAMILTON WINS THE BRAZILIAN GRAND PRIX The Briton holds on from Max Verstappen, who will be disappointed to finish second after leading much of the race. And Kimi Räikkönen closely denies Daniel Ricciardo a spot on the podium, claiming third for Ferrari.
Jawad Yaqub
Roar Guru
LAP 71/71: FINAL LAP Ricciardo still too far behind Kimi to get the DRS advantage.
Jawad Yaqub
Roar Guru
LAP 70/71: Ricciardo closer to Kimi than Max is to Lewis, though still no opportunity to muscle his way past. Hamilton looks as if he has sewn this one up.
Jawad Yaqub
Roar Guru
LAP 69/71: 3 LAPS TO GO Lapped cars causing havoc in the Räikkönen and Ricciardo battle. Hamilton struggling for grip, as he has a tiny bit of breathing room ahead of Verstappen. 1.4 seconds. 5-second time penalty for Alonso, for ignoring blue flags.
Jawad Yaqub
Roar Guru
LAP 68/71: Now clear of the lapped cars, Verstappen has the gap down to 1.2 seconds! He is nearing DRS range with only a handful of laps to go.
Jawad Yaqub
Roar Guru
LAP 67/71: Ricciardo within DRS range of Räikkönen, as the Aussie's eyes are firmly on a podium finish.
Jawad Yaqub
Roar Guru
LAP 66/71: Hamilton now having to negotiate the dueling lapped cars of Alonso and Lance, as the Silver Arrow gets through. Now for Verstappen to pass.
Jawad Yaqub
Roar Guru
LAP 65/71: Bottas sets a new lap record for Interlagos with a 1:10.845.
Jawad Yaqub
Roar Guru
LAP 64/71: Alonso now under investigation for ignoring blue flags. Verstappen only fastest in Sector 2 at this stage in comparison to Hamilton.
Jawad Yaqub
Roar Guru
LAP 63/71: Ricciardo with the fastest lap of the race again with a 1:11.343 and is under 2 seconds behind Räikkönen.
Jawad Yaqub
Roar Guru
LAP 62/71: Verstappen has the gap down to 2.6 seconds now as both he and Hamilton turn their pace up.