The Formula One travelling circus heads from Mexico to Brazil for the second part of the November triple header at the famous Interlagos circuit in Sao Paulo. Following Max Verstappen’s victory in Austin and Mexico City, the 2021 F1 World Championship is building to a crescendo with four races to go on the calendar, so here are the three reasons why you should be looking forward to the Brazilian Grand Prix.
1. The Driver’s Championship Battle
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Max Verstappen heads to Interlagos with a 20-point lead over title-rival Lewis Hamilton, and the momentum is clearly with the Dutchman who has finished P1 or P2 in six of the last seven races. However, with 107 points still on offer before the end of the season, anything can happen in the championship battle, and there are still a few twists and turns left to come.
In Brazil, Red Bull are expected to have the upper hand once again due to the higher altitude and thinner air in Sao Paulo that is more suited to the Honda Engine. However, Mercedes can make it up with their power advantage on the long straights at Interlagos, and as seen in qualifying in Mexico with Mercedes taking a 1-2, anything can happen in the world of F1.
2. The Constructors Championship Battle
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Mercedes have retained a healthy lead in the constructor’s championship for the majority of the year, but Red Bull have clawed that gap down in the last three races to just one point. One of the major reasons behind Red Bull’s resurgence has been the improved consistency of Sergio Perez – who has now stood on the podium in each of the last three races after only being in the top three twice in the first 15 rounds.
On the other hand, Mercedes’ number two driver Valtteri Bottas struggled in Mexico, and the Brackley-based team will need the Finn to step it up in the final four races if they want to win their 8th consecutive constructor’s title.
3. The return of the Sprint Race
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Another reason to be excited this weekend is the return of Sprint Qualifying for the third and final time for this season after previously being trialed at the British and Italian Grand Prix’s earlier in the year. This means there will be more action throughout the weekend, and more importantly, extra points on offer in the fight for the championship – which Lewis Hamilton desperately needs as he trails Max Verstappen.
The last two sprint weekends have both ended with a crash between Hamilton and Verstappen, and with rain on the horizon for Friday and Saturday, things could get interesting in Round 19 of the 2021 Formula One World Championship.
[Featured Image Credit: Max Verstappen]
Shivaan Shah