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Hello and welcome to ESPN's live coverage of the Brazilian Grand Prix. ---------- 14:09: Rosberg being told to watch the kerbs for water on these opening laps. No formation laps under a Safety Car start, remember. --- 14:08: This rain all negates all of the dry running done this weekend, and means the two mandatory compound rule will not exist. --- 14:06: Forecast news from Force India, to Hulkenberg: They say 10 minutes of heavy rain, 30 minutes of lighter rain, and then more rain until the end of the race. So it's wet all the way! --- 14:03: Rosberg getting a detailed breakdown of Hamilton's brake balance bias, and asking if he is starting the race with that configuration. Sounds remarkably calm given the fact he could be champion in a few hours. --- 14:02: In fairness to Charlie Whiting, seems that decision has been made as close to the deadline as possible. FIA giving it the best chance to start normally, but the rain isn't letting up just yet. It will take some of the sting out of the opening laps, but hopefully that doesn't detract from the race itself. --- 14:00: FIA confirms it: the race will start behind the Safety Car. --- 13:58: FOM cameras panning between different drivers. Lots of focused faces. Rosberg and Hamilton both with stern faces as they consider the race ahead of them. --- 13:54: It's a short run down to Turn 1, which might bolster the argument for a standing start, but the spray is going to be horrendous for anyone starting down the order. --- 13:54: All signs point towards a Safety Car start. Limited running in wet conditions this weekend will also be a mitigating factor, as will Grosjean's spin into the wall. --- 13:52: The FIA confirms the start has been delayed by ten minutes. --- 13:50: There are various permuations for this one - but the most simple one is this: Rosberg wins the title with a victory. If Hamilton wins here, Rosberg will want a second- or third-place finish to keep himself in control going into Abu Dhabi. --- 13:48: Just over ten minutes until this one gets underway. Excited yet? --- 13:46: The drivers are at the front of the grid for the Brazilian national anthem. Hand on heart for Massa. Hamilton, as he was in Mexico, has been brought to the front of all of them to stand alongside Bernie Ecclestone - which they've apparently done as he's reigning world champion. --- 13:46: Verstappen looking relaxed on the grid. He starts behind Raikkonen and both Mercedes drivers - all eyes will be on him given the recent controversy around Toto Wolff's call to his father, Jos Verstappen, ahead of this weekend. --- 13:43: Real nervous excitement lingering over this one. This place always kicks up some title drama... --- 13:39: Replays show one of the Renaults having an almighty wobble on the run up the hill. Hamilton has just arrived at the grid, Rosberg is at pit exit waiting to head round to the circuit. --- 13:38: Replays of Grosjean saying him lose the rear end on the way up the hill, hitting a massive puddle and spinning into the wall. He looks absolutely despondent as he trudges down the pit lane. --- 13:37: It looks like it will be a Safety Car start on full wets. No confirmation yet, though. Whatever happens - we've got an absolute classic ahead of us. --- 13:35: We've got our first retirement of the race already! Romain Grosjean has spun out on the hill on his way to the grid, thumping the wall. He climbs out, shaking his head. The weather is treacherous out there and that proves it. |
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Lap 1 |
Hamilton asking if he can hold further back from the Safety Car as he can barely see it in front. |
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Lap 2 |
On boards with Rosberg show how bad visibility is - its hard to see the front of his car, let alone Hamilton in front of him. Lots of cars bunching back behind Hamilton as he slows down through the middle sector. Lots of drivers telling Charlie Whiting about acquaplaning on the straights. |
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Lap 3 |
Button says the main corners which are difficult are Turn 5 and the final corner, which caught Grosjean out earlier. Verstappen runs up alongside Raikkonen up the hill as the Ferrari driver slows down. |
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Lap 4 |
Verstappen still very close to Raikkonen as they come through the opening through corners. Hamilton once again getting right up alongside the Safety Car. He'll be worried about slamming into the back of it. |
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Lap 5 |
"We keep driving too slow, the warm-up will not get any better," Verstappen tells Red Bull. That possibly explains why he looks so eager to get past Raikkonen...
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Lap 6 |
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Lap 7 |
Safety car in this lap. Let's go racing! |
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Lap 8 |
Verstappen lunges from deep down the inside on Raikkonen - what a move! He's up to third position. Magnussen pits for intermediates... That seems incredibly early for the Renault man. Verstappen now closing in on Rosberg's Mercedes. |
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Lap 9 |
Verstappen has dropped back a bit, however, and is now 1.5s behind ROsberg. "Let me know anything will get me out of this spray," Ricciardo says. Button pits for intermediates. Lots of guys lower down the order gambling early... Will Ricciardo do the same soon? |
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Lap 10 |
Fastest lap from Hamilton out in front, a 1:27.283. He's 2.2s in front of Rosberg. Vettel closing in on Raikkonen. Alonso, Bottas, Massa all pit. Williams double stacking its drivers and Massa has to sit and wait for a while as a result. "Cars are stopping for inter tyres now," Mercedes tells Rosberg. "No way, too early," is the reply. |
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Lap 11 |
Vettel spins on the hill! He somehow avoids being hit by everyone, and crawls into the pits for intermediates. Problem with his rear left and his a sluggish stop. Disaster for the German. Wet tyres still so much quicker than the intermediate tyres at the moment, the guys on the green tyres are absolutely crawling around. Everyone from Alonso downwards on the intermediates. Replays show Vettel spinning on top of the hill and then nearly getting collected by Hulkenberg's Force India as he slid across the circuit. |
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Lap 12 |
Hamilton's lead a 3.4s. Verstappen a similar distance behind Rosberg. Ricciardo right on Raikkonen's tail. Hulkenberg and Perez looking very well-placed in sixth and seventh. Nasr and Ocon, who have yet to stop for inters, up in ninth and 10th. They started alongside each other on the back row of the grid. |
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Lap 13 |
Massa and Gutierrez under investigation for overtaking before the Safety Car line. Ericsson has hit the wall! Safety Car deployed and the Sauber has come to a stop right in the pit lane entrance. |
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Lap 14 |
"Was that someone on inters?" Hamilton asked. "That was Ericsson on inters," is the reply. "It's still way too early for inters," Hamilton repeats to himself. Ericsson's crash seemingly proof of that... |
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Lap 15 |
Verstappen has come out in fourth, but he's on intermediate tyres. Mercedes expects the rain to pick up "a little bit" in 10 to 15 minutes. These next few laps will be crucial to determining the outcome of this race. |
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Lap 16 |
Tyres for you: In the top ten, only Verstappen and Ricciardo on intermediate tyres. Outside the top ten, Ocon and Wehrlein the only ones on wet tyres, everyone else on intermediates. The weather -- and whether or not the rain intensifies -- in the next few minutes will be pivotal. Replays show Perez spinning on the run up to the hill. It also shows Massa overtaking Gutierrez moments before the Safety Car line, suggesting he could be due a penalty. |
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Lap 17 |
Magnussen complaining about the aquaplaning getting worse. "Do you think it's too wet for inters?" he's asked. "I think it's too wet, period," is his response. |
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Lap 18 |
"Ok Lewis, give us some feedback on current conditions," Peter Bonnington asks race leader Hamilton. "Still the same," he replies. |
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Lap 19 |
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Lap 20 |
Hamilton leads into Turn 1... Raikkonen has spun and he's out! He slides across the circuit and is nearly collected by several cars, before a Manor comes oh-so-close to hitting him.
This will now give everyone a chance to change tyres in the pit lane. "This is just mad," Vettel complains. "This is just mad. Red flag. We need extremes, second of all, first of all, it needs red flag first of all." Terrifying replay showing a Manor literally missing Raikkonen by a couple of metres. Raikkonen's car being recovered by a truck. |
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Lap 21 |
Under half-point title permutations, Rosberg would not win the title if he finishes first and Hamilton second. Regardless, half points suits Rosberg as it means less for Hamilton to make up on him. Lap 54 is the cut off for the awarding of half points. Looks like some of Raikkonen's debris ended up in the front wing of Hulkenberg's Force India. So lucky the Ferrari was not hit by another car as he came back across the circuit. Delayed radio message from Hulkenberg: "These tyres are not capable". A rather awkward few days ahead for Pirelli.... Replays show Verstappen almost losing his car in exactly the same place as Raikkonen. Both those guys on different tyres, Raikkonen on the wets, Verstappen on the intermediates, but with the same result. Five-second penalties apiece for Massa and Ricciardo. Massa for overtaking Gutierrez before the Safety Car line, Ricciardo for entering the pits when the pit entry was closed (while Ericsson's stricken car was sat there). As well as tyres, here's the changes teams can make to their cars: Under a red flag, teams can repair and change parts but nothing can be heavier otherwise it is illegal. Adding during the race is forbidden. Obviously, teams cannot make their cars lighter either otherwise they will come under minimum weight and also become illegal. Race will restart at 15:21.
Hamilton has reverted back to his old, white helmet - he was complaining about water getting into visor with the yellow helmet he was wearing earlier. Race control says Safety Car will be doing more than one lap. Ocon reports visibility is worse than when the race was red flagged, though it would be with them all bunched together. |
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Lap 22 |
Perez being told Force India expects heavy rain in 50 minutes. If this race restarts soon and doesn't get delayed, we'd be very near to that 54-lap mark we need to have more than half points. |
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Lap 23 |
Hulkenberg comes in and doesn't change anything with the front wing, its just a new set of full wets. That takes Hulkenberg down to 15th - that guy has absolutely no luck. Hearing there's a rear puncture. Rosberg on conditions: "Still very difficult. Still a lot of water." |
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Lap 24 |
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Lap 25 |
Vettel reporting the conditions are getting worse. Another red flag would be great news for Nasr and Sauber, in 6th. |
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Lap 26 |
Kvyat still continues but complains about damage. Verstappen nearly hits the back of Rosberg and ends up slowing down in front of him, immediately yielding the position. Perez then nearly clatters into Verstappen. |
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Lap 27 |
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Lap 28 |
When told of the red flag, Hamilton says: "The track is fine!" This one will be very controversial. Hamilton again: "It's not even that wet now. I don't know why we're stopping. This is extreme wet conditions, this is normal." |
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Lap 29 |
Red Bull tells Verstappen there's a "conflict of interest" between the drivers who have been giving feedback to the FIA. Peter Tallis says: "Everything playing in to Rodgers hands..." Sonia says: "My son Glauco's soaked and wet, hungry and cold since 5am for the Brazil's race and for the love of F1. Say hello to him for me." Hello Glauco! Race will restart at 16:02 local time. There's one hour and eight minutes left of the actual two-hour race limit, which may come into play later in the race. That clock starts ticking as soon as the race resumes, Safety Car or not. Once again, everyone will start on extreme wets behind the Safety Car. Good opinion on this from Mark Webber:
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Conditions look even worse than they did earlier. Half of the problem is the slow speed of the Safety Car. |
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Lap 30 |
The problem here is: half the drivers might want to continue, but Nasr and others in good positions will be screaming for this one to be red flagged again given how high they are running. |
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Lap 31 |
Hamilton: "Track is no different." Verstappen: "I'm ready to trace." I was completely wrong - Safety Car due in this lap. Finally - we're going to get some more racing... 40 laps to go, but 63 laps left on the clock. |
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Lap 32 |
Verstappen brakes late but doesn't quite make contact with Rosberg. Rosberg has a wobble through Turn 2 and Verstappen passes him!! Verstappen up to second. What a racer! Replays of it show Rosberg wobblying out of the second corner and nearly loses the car completely. Verstappen powers past the Mercedes driver on the outside. "Get in there Maxy!" is the radio call. |
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Lap 33 |
Hamilton leads by 1.2s. Ricciardo dives past Sainz for fifth position at Turn 1. Where is Red Bull finding this grip? Amazing car control in the wet. Finally, finally, we have a race on our hands. |
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Lap 34 |
Vettel moves right and then left and dives down the inside of Wehrlein for 10th. That drops the Manor driver out of the points. Alonso hoaming in on Ocon. Massa has pitted for intermediates. |
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Lap 35 |
Verstappen sets a fastest lap, a 1:25.966. He's within a second of Hamilton. "Talk to me about the conditions, Kev," Renault asks Magnussen, in 13th. "Just leave me alone for a bit," is the reply. FOM cameras show why - he's got Hulkenberg all over his soggy gearbox. Button has also pitted for inters. |
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Lap 36 |
Hamilton responds with a fastest lap of his own, a 1:25.779. He's 1.6s up on Verstappen now. We get double overtakes through Turn 1! Bottas dives down the inside of Wehrlein as Hulkenberg does the same to Magnussen behind. Hulkenberg then gets Wehrlein at Turn 4. He's chasing Bottas and trying to make up ground for that earlier puncture. |
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Lap 37 |
Another fastest lap from Hamilton, a 1:25.693. Ocon runs wide and loses ninth to Vettel at Turn 2. The Manors going backwards. |
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Lap 38 |
"Struggling on both tyres, I just can't get the tyres working," Button says. He's on the green-striped intermediate, and running 18th. Magnussen dives down the inside of Wehrlein at Turn 1 with a lovely move for 13th. |
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Lap 39 |
Verstappen spins but keeps his car out of the wall! He manages to stay pointing forwards but he's neck and neck with Rosberg going into Turn 1. Verstappen keeps his foot down and holds second position. What. A. Save. "Nice save Max..." "Yep. Heartbeat went a bit higher there," the teenager says. Absolutely bonkers. |
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Lap 40 |
Rosberg now 1.1s behind Verstappen but he had a great chance to get back into second. That spin has helped Hamilton's cause - he's now nearly seven seconds up the road.
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Lap 41 |
Ricciardo pits for intermediate tyres and holds station for five seconds, which he had to serve after his earlier infraction - entering the pit lane when the pit entry was closed, following Ericsson's untimely spin. Not sure if that Ricciardo tyre call is right - Perez being told Force India expecting heavier rain in 10 minutes. |
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Lap 42 |
Ocon still holding position in ninth, but he's got Hulkenberg bearing down on him. Alonso gets wide through Turn 1 and now Vettel closes up right behind him. Magnussen pits for intermediates. |
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Lap 43 |
Vettel dives down the inside of Alonso at Bico di Pato. The two men go wheel to wheel up the hill and Vettel forces Alonso wide. Great racing. "I think the Ferrari pushed me off the track," Alonso says. "Very clear". He may have, but he had already gained the position, so I think that was OK. |
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Lap 44 |
Verstappen pits from second position. Intermediates for the Red Bull. Unless they know something we don't, it's a very odd call to work out. Verstappen re-joins fifth. In terms of track position, it's worked wonders, as its got him out with some nice breathing room to Sainz in front. Over to Mercedes - will they react to the Red Bull's stop? Hulkenberg passes Ocon at Turn 1, but Ocon comes back through Turn 3 and gets forced across the kerbs by Hulkenberg. Ocon complains on the radio but it was a great move, again. |
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Lap 45 |
Vettel passes Nasr on the inside for sixth position. Wheel to wheel racing all round. This is great viewing. Rosberg has had a moment somewhere, he's now 18 seconds down on Hamilton but still second. |
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Lap 46 |
Button just came back in to switch back to wet tyres. When told others are switching to inters, he just says "I don't care". Verstappen has closed right back up to Sainz on the intermediates. Replays show Rosberg nearly losing his car on the run up the hill. The championship title must have flashed before his eyes right there - he nearly painted the wall an interesting shade of Mercedes. |
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Lap 47 |
Great save from Rosberg, in fairness. Similar to Verstappen's. Button also has a wobble in his McLaren. |
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Lap 48 |
Ricciardo all over the back of Hulkenberg in the battle for ninth. He gets wide through the final corners and Hulkenberg comes into Turn 1 closer to Alonso in eighth. Massa is in the wall! Massa at the wall at the final corner. Safety Car out again... will we get any more racing? Pit lane entry closed now. |
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Lap 49 |
Hamilton was 19 seconds clear when the Safety Car came up. This is a nightmare for Mercedes - the chance of pitting either driver for intermediates has gone. |
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Lap 50 |
Replays of Massa show the Brazilian losing it into the final corner. Exactly the same as Ericsson's moment at the same part of the circuit. Massa takes a Brazilian flag from a steward and waves to the fans. This is going to be fascinating now. If this race restarts, and the track dries out, Mercedes is going to have to build a gap to Verstappen and try and pit for intermediates and emerge ahead. |
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Lap 51 |
Replays show a a marshal crying his eyes out as a tearful Massa walks down the pit lane, with a Brazilian flag draped over his shoulders. |
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Lap 52 |
Ferrari follows suits with high fives and applause for him as well. |
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Lap 53 |
Hamilton complaining the Safety Car is driving too slowly - losing all the temperature in his tyres. He's now got Rosberg and Perez all over his mirrors. Is there another twist in this one? |
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Lap 54 |
"How many more crashes do they want to see?" Rosberg tells Mercedes. He wants to see red flags again. "Ah mate, it's like a boat, I can't do anything," Verstappen says of his intermediates. "We are waiting for a crash to happen like this." Sauber will be praying he does pit - that would move Nasr back up to sixth position. |
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Lap 55 |
Safety Car will pit at the end of this lap. If you aren't on the edge of your seat, you will be very shortly. Perez has a massive wobble through the middle sector as Hamilton starts backing up the field. |
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Lap 56 |
Ocon has had a storming restart and is back up to eighth. Alonso spun up the top of the hill, and that would explain why. He's now dropped all the way back to 17th, behind Button! |
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Lap 57 |
Hamilton leads by two seconds, Rosberg has two seconds on Perez behind him. The Force India does not look quick enough in these conditions to challenge Rosberg. Fingernails being chomped to the nub at Sauber. Verstappen, by the way, is 12th after that pit stop. |
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Lap 58 |
Verstappen eases past Bottas as the Williams driver tiptoes around the inside of Turn 3, his Williams on intermediate tyres. Red Bull have really messed their strategy up this afternoon. Ocon and Kvyat now have the two Red Bull drivers right behind him. |
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Lap 59 |
Hamilton's lead now up to 4.3s. Nasr twitches through Turn 2 and Hulkenberg is all over his rear coming into Turn 4. Nasr holds firm. Imagine what must be going on in that Sauber garage. Verstappen all over the back of Ricciardo at the moment - and he passes at Murguhlo. They go wheel to wheel through the pit straight but Verstappen holds firm. |
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Lap 60 |
Nasr slow out of Turn 1 again and Hulkenberg powers around the outside of the Sauber driver at Turn 4. Verstappen just looks so confident in the wet out there - like Hamilton at Silverstone in 2008. Just planted, looks like he's driving on a different surface to the rest. |
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Lap 61 |
Ocon doing a magnificent job to keep Verstappen behind. Ocon is now reeling Nasr in! Huge in the Manor-Sauber battle. Verstappen eventually passes Ocon on the outside, Ocon doesn't put up much of a fight. Ricciardo passes former teammate Kvyat at Turn 1, moving him back to 10th position. |
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Lap 62 |
Verstappen passes Nasr for seventh at Turn 4. Nasr now one place ahead of Ocon. |
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Lap 63 |
Ricciardo passes Ocon for ninth position. Nasr the next man ahead. Manor and Sauber dropping backwards. In all this madness, Sainz is running fourth! He's three seconds behind Perez but has Vettel all over the back of him. |
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Lap 64 |
"Checo, forecast getting better but it's still raining in the pit lane so we think wets until the end," Force India tell Perez. |
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Lap 65 |
Ricciardo goes the other way around the outside of Turn 1 to pass Nasr. Replays showing Gutierrez and Haas boss Steiner having a fiery exchange in the Haas garage. Gutierrez retired a few laps ago. Vettel even closer to the rear of Sainz's car. Sainz told to use the overtake button on his car. Verstappen has passed Hulkenberg! Replays show him passing Hulkenberg down the main straight. Red Bull will be kicking themselves at that intermediate tyre call. |
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Lap 66 |
Verstappen and Vettel now battling for fifth! Verstappen gets good drive out of Turn 3 and gets ahead of Vettel but the Ferrari driver does a great job of keeping the position on the inside of Turn 4. Placed his car well. |
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Lap 67 |
Verstappen all over the back of Vettel as they head towards Juncao and he undercuts him, powering up the hill and past Vettel. Vettel runs wide at the final corner. What a drive from the teenager. Verstappen storms down the run to Turn 4 and eases past Sainz for fourth. Heartbreak for Sainz. "He pushed me off the track," Vettel tells Ferrari. "I was a little bit ahead with my nose." |
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Lap 68 |
Fastest lap from Verstappen, a 1:25.305, as he takes 1.4s out of the gap to Perez in third. |
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Lap 69 |
Verstappen closes right up on Perez but looks a bit more tentative through the first corner. He has a look down the inside at Turn 4 and he's now all over the gearbox. Perez doing a great job staying ahead, though. He's done it! Sensational move. He goes around the outside of Perez at Bico di Pato and drives up the hill, wheel to wheel with Perez and clings on to third. What a drive from the 19-year-old. He had a big snap on the way up there too, but kept it. |
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Lap 70 |
Vettel has passed Sainz for fifth position. Got to feel for Sainz. |
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Lap 71 |
Hamilton has started the final lap of the race. Nasr ninth ahead of Alonso. Lewis Hamilton wins the Brazilian Grand Prix, Rosberg finishes second. Verstappen comes home for a terrific third place finish. Perez will have to make do with fourth. Vettel rounds out the top five. Sainz sixth, Hulkenberg seventh, Ricciardo eighth. Nasr gets that all-important ninth position. Alonso rounds out the points-paying positions. Nasr gets the ninth |
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Hamilton sounds ecstatic over the radio. "Wahooooooohooooo! Brazil!" He might have been more happy if Rosberg hadn't been second. In the pre-podium room, Hamilton jokes to Verstappen: "I was kinda hoping you stayed second." Both Mercedes drivers a bit baffled he drove back to third. They'll enjoy watching that re-run later. |
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The Safety Car leads off. Everyone gets away cleanly. Now, how long will we stay under the Safety Car? Fans will not be happy if its longer than one or two.
Hamilton bolts as he comes up the hill and he gets away cleanly. Spray everywehere!
Unsurprisingly, the red flag has dropped on the race. They'll come back to the pits. No way that car could be recovered in Safety Car conditions.
The Safety Car leads Hamilton back out. The entire field has reverted back to wet tyres during that break, which has saved all those guys who made the switch to inters somewhat.
