Mercedes driver George Russell Photo: PHOTOSPORT
Once-dominant Mercedes return to Brazil this weekend for a last chance to avoid going a whole year without a Formula One victory.
Seven-times world champion Lewis Hamilton, who last won a race in 2021, and team mate George Russell go into the final sprint weekend of the season with some optimism even if Red Bull's Max Verstappen is on a record roll.
Russell won the Sao Paulo Grand Prix on Nov. 13 last year for his first victory in F1 -- a one-two with Hamilton after the pair also locked out the front row at Interlagos. Russell also won the Saturday sprint.
Hamilton has been second on track in the last two races, even if disqualified in Texas, with a car that looks increasingly competitive in race trim.
"We go there knowing we have a good car and if we put all the ducks in a row then we can have a very strong weekend," said Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff ahead of the last leg of a triple-header.
Hamilton is also an honorary Brazilian, with plenty of local support in a country without an F1 driver of their own, and a three-times winner at Interlagos.
The circuit hosted the first Brazilian Grand Prix 50 years ago and Mercedes have won there for the past two years and six times in the last eight.
"I think hopefully these next couple of races will be close," said Hamilton, while recognising Verstappen's continuing dominance: "I'd probably put money on it that he'd get to 18, 19 (wins), with that car."
Verstappen chalked up his 16th win of the season in Mexico last Sunday, one more than the previous record he set last year, and equalled Alain Prost's 51 career victories.
He will again start as the favourite and another win this weekend would leave him a solo fourth in the all-time win lists and one away from matching four-times champion Sebastien Vettel's career haul of 53.
"We are confident going into this weekend but need to keep our focus. It's crazy to have achieved 16 wins so far this season," said the Dutch driver.
Mexican team mate Sergio Perez will be under pressure to perform strongly after crashing out on the opening lap of his home race last Sunday but that nightmare is also motivation.
Lewis Hamilton at the 2022 Brazil Grand Prix Photo: PHOTOSPORT
"Mexico was devastating for me but in this sport these things happen, and you can't afford to keep going over what could have been," he said.
"I wanted to win my home race more than anything but that is gone now and my full focus is on finishing second in the Championship. We need to have a great weekend in Brazil and I feel confident in our ability to get results right now."
Perez is just 20 points clear of Hamilton in that battle for second place, with Red Bull and Verstappen having already secured both titles.
McLaren and Ferrari will also be hoping to be in the mix for podium places.
"It's a sprint race. We've been pretty good at sprint races this season," said Ferrari's Charles Leclerc, who has been on pole at the last two races and finished third in Mexico with team mate Carlos Sainz fourth.
Formula One statistics for the Sao Paulo Grand Prix at Brazil's Interlagos circuit, round 20 of the 22-race championship:
Lap distance: 4.309km. Total distance: 305.909km (71 laps)
*2022 pole position: George Russell (Britain)
2022 winner: Russell
Race lap record: Valtteri Bottas (Finland) Mercedes 1:10.540 seconds (2018)
Start time: 1700GMT/1400 local
*2022 pole determined by the result of a 100km Saturday sprint, which is now a standalone race. Qualifying for the grand prix is held on Friday.
Photo: AFP
BRAZIL
This year marks the 50th anniversary of the first Brazilian Grand Prix in 1973.
Three current drivers have won in Brazil: Lewis Hamilton (2016, 2018, 2021), Max Verstappen (2019), Russell (2022).
Brazil's race was first held at Interlagos before moving to Rio de Janeiro and then returning to Sao Paulo.
The flowing circuit is named after Brazilian driver Jose Carlos Pace, who won in 1975 and died in 1977, and is the fourth shortest on the calendar as well as the second highest at 800 metres.
Hamilton clinched his first title in Brazil with McLaren in 2008 following an overtake on the last corner of the final lap.
Sunday will be the 40th world championship grand prix at Interlagos.
Michael Schumacher won a record four times at the Sao Paulo circuit.
There is no Brazilian driver on the starting grid, although Hamilton is an honorary Brazilian. The country has produced six race winning drivers and three world champions.
Four of the last five races have seen at least one safety car interlude.
CHAMPIONSHIP
Red Bull and Verstappen have won both championships already, Verstappen his third and Red Bull their sixth.
WINS
Verstappen has won 16 of 19 races and has 51 wins from 181 starts, putting him fourth equal on the all-time list with French great Alain Prost.
Red Bull have won 18 races, with Ferrari's Carlos Sainz winning in Singapore. Red Bull have also had a team record six one-two finishes in 2023.
Hamilton has a record 103 victories from 329 starts but has not won since Saudi Arabia in December 2021. Aston Martin's Fernando Alonso has 32 wins, most recently in Spain in 2013 with Ferrari, from a record 374 starts.
POLE POSITION
Hamilton has a record 104 poles.
Red Bull have been on pole 12 times this season. Ferrari's Charles Leclerc took the top slot in Azerbaijan, Belgium, Austin and Mexico, Hamilton in Hungary and Sainz in Italy and Singapore.
Verstappen has 10 poles for 2023.
PODIUM
Six teams and 11 drivers have made a podium appearance this season: Red Bull, Alpine, Aston Martin, McLaren, Mercedes and Ferrari.
Verstappen has been off the podium only once since Brazil last November.
Verstappen holds the record for most podiums in a season -- 18 in 2021 and this year.
POINTS
Verstappen leads team mate Sergio Perez by 251 points and is set to end the season with a record margin.
FASTEST LAPS
Eight different drivers have taken fastest laps this season - Alonso, Alfa Romeo's Guanyu Zhou, Verstappen (8), Perez (2), Hamilton (4), Russell, McLaren's Oscar Piastri and AlphaTauri's Yuki Tsunoda.
Tsunoda's fastest lap in Austin was only the third by a Japanese driver in F1, after Satoru Nakajima in 1989 (Australia) and Kamui Kobayashi in 2012 (China).
MILESTONE
Verstappen can take a record-extending 17th win of the season and record 19th podium.
McLaren's Lando Norris is one podium away from equalling retired German Nick Heidfeld's unwanted record of 13 top-three finishes without a win.
-Reuters
