The true measure of a Formula 1 champion is not how they behave in ideal conditions or when behind the wheel of the best car on the grid. Rather, it’s how they handle adversity with their backs against the wall and how they handle the most difficult circumstances.

That was the lesson Max Verstappen reminded everyone in the sport on Sunday at a rainy and action-packed Brazilian Grand Prix.

Verstappen, who started the race in 17th place, made his way through the field as rain poured onto the track at the Interlagos circuit, putting himself in position with an error-free opening period. After a red flag allowed him a free tire change in second, he quickly took the lead and completed his Masters in style, extending his lead to 19.477 seconds by the checkered flag and consolidating his advantage over Lando Norris in the Drivers’ Championship.

Alpine’s Esteban Ocon and Pierre Gasly stayed out of trouble for the first half of the race, too, choosing to stay on track rather than pit with a handful of their counterparts. The decision paid off, with the pair holding on for second and third respectively, claiming a stunning double podium for the French team and leapfrogging the team up to sixth in the constructors’ standings.

Here’s what to know from a hectic Sunday in São Paulo:

Verstappen reminds the paddock that he is in a league of his own

As impressive as Ocon and Gasly’s drives were, what the Red Bull star did in Sunday’s Grand Prix not only cemented his hold at the top of this year’s championship, but should go down as one of the best performances of his career so far.

Verstappen started the race outright in 17th after Lance Stroll’s ill-timed crash ended his Q2 qualifying for the first time this season. Then an expected pre-race penalty dropped another five places from the grid. With Norris starting on pole, it was expected that the McLaren driver would be able to close the deficit. Instead, the result was the complete opposite.

Verstappen jumped to 11th on the first lap of the race (in part because Alex Albon and Stroll did not actually start the race) and continued to work his way through the field in the opening segment. While others seemed hesitant to make bold moves and overtake in wet conditions, the 27-year-old looked more comfortable behind the wheel of Red Bull than he has in weeks.

Along with the correct pit wall strategy, Verstappen was one of three drivers to stay out of his first pair of intermediate tires until the mid-race red flag. He won a free tire change and although he did not claim the lead at that point in the Grand Prix, a subsequent restart allowed him to get the jump on Ocon, who was a sitting duck and could do nothing to defend himself from charging red. Bull.

Norris started the race 16 positions ahead of Verstappen. He finished over 31 seconds back, and more importantly, five places back. Verstappen, who became only the fifth driver in F1 history to win a race after starting 17th or worse, ended his weekend by extending his lead in the drivers’ standings to 62 points.

That should be enough to see the three-time reigning world champion through the final three races of the season, barring a string of DNFs. After the rollercoaster that has been for Verstappen for most of the 2024 campaign, a fourth consecutive title is now within reach.

Mistakes spoil Sunday for McLaren, Mercedes and Ferrari

Verstappen showed the blueprint for how to handle a race in heavy rain on Sunday at Interlagos. Unfortunately for the other top drivers and teams, the weekend was marked by a series of errors, both in terms of strategy and performance.

A large part of the reason Verstappen, Ocon and Gasly were able to take the top three spots on the podium was because George Russell and Norris, who ran first and second in the early part of the race, chose to enter at the pits for new intermediate tires during a virtual safety car. That decision proved costly as both drivers lost track position after a lap 28 pit stop, only for the race to be stopped five laps later following Franco Colapinto’s crash. The result was catastrophic as Russell and Norris, who finished fourth and sixth respectively, were unable to seriously challenge the Alpines, let alone Verstappen.

Carlos Sainz had a Sunday to forget, crashing both in qualifying and during the Grand Prix, which he failed to finish. Charles Leclerc sat in fifth for much of the race, proving he lacked the pace to be competitive but enough to stay clear of a late challenge from Norris. Lewis Hamilton felt similar pain after crashing out in Q1, but managed to clear a single point with a 10th place finish.

Oscar Piastri had perhaps the biggest error of the chase group when he caused a collision with Liam Lawson and earned himself a 10 second penalty. The offense saw him fall behind Lawson RB teammate Yuki Tsunoda to finish eighth despite finishing seventh on track.

The disappointment may not be over for Norris and Russell, who also contributed to the confusion early in the race when they left their places on the grid despite race control calling for an aborted start. The two drivers, as well as Tsunoda and Lawson, are being investigated for a potential starting procedure violation as a result.

Weather is the great neutralizer in F1. If you can stay error-free and get the strategies right, chances are you’ll be able to walk away on Sunday pretty happy with the outcome. But for the teams at the top of the constructors’ standings, who continue to remain tight with three races to go, Brazil will go down as a missed opportunity to make a statement.

Alpine’s discovery drastically changes the midfield battle

Alpine did not have a single car run in the top five at any point in the first 20 races of the season. When the race went under a red flag and the drivers were brought to the pits after Colapinto’s crash on lap 33, the French team had both Ocon and Gasly in the top three.

Although Ocon lost the lead after a restart following Sainz’s crash, he went on to finish second, claiming his first podium since last season. Gasly also achieved his first top-three finish in more than a year, having last finished third in the Netherlands in 2023.

It has been a difficult season at Alpine and the team has tried to remedy the situation in several ways. Oliver Oakes took over as team principal when Bruno Famin stepped down in the summer. Gasly re-signed with the team, but Ocon accepted a deal with Haas, paving the way for Jack Doohan to make his F1 debut next season. However, none of these changes resulted in a change in on-track performance, as the team collected just one point in the last five race weekends.

Between Gasly’s points in Saturday’s sprint and then a total of 33 points on Sunday, Alpine catapulted up the constructors’ standings, climbing from ninth to sixth in a matter of hours. The team is now above Haas and RB, but only five points separate the three teams, setting the stage for a tense midfield battle over the final three races.

Qualifying chaos continues in a slippery Grand Prix

Fans were treated to a double feature on Sunday after dangerous weather conditions delayed qualifying from its usual Saturday time slot until the following morning. And while the race provided an entertaining spectacle full of constant action, qualifying was almost as chaotic and had a significant impact on the results of Sunday’s race.

Five different drivers crashed during qualifying, leading to a hectic morning for the mechanics, who were forced into a tighter window to make repairs for the start of the race. Colapinto, Stroll, Sainz, Albon and Fernando Alonso were the ones with incidents throughout the session, which featured its fair share of rain even after being rescheduled.

Albon’s crash was particularly devastating as he was second at the time in Q3 before a massive collision with the barriers. The damage was so significant and came at such a late stage that there was not enough time to rehabilitate the car and start the Grand Prix, so a promising day for the 28-year-old ended early.

Although the other four managed to line up on the grid, Stroll failed to clear after putting his car in the gravel during the practice lap. The result was two empty places on the grid and Sainz starting from the pit lane, all of which allowed Verstappen to maneuver his way through the field a little easier than expected.

It had been some time since such significant rain affected an F1 race, leading to the usual questions about the safety and timing of certain decisions made by race control. In the end, the race was able to run almost the entire length and 15 drivers still managed to finish in the difficult conditions.

Lewis Hamilton’s powerful tribute to Senna

From a racing perspective, the weather-affected weekend was a grueling one for drivers, mechanics and fans alike. However, the paddock was careful to keep the action on track in perspective, making time for a special memory of Brazilian racing legend Ayrton Senna.

Hamilton had the opportunity to get behind the wheel of Senna’s 1990 McLaren MP4/5B for a few laps on the track at Interlagos on Sunday between qualifying and the Grand Prix. The tribute was a powerful display, especially when Hamilton took a Brazilian flag from a nearby marshal and held it behind him as he crossed the circuit – in almost identical fashion to Senna after his victory on his home track in 1991.

The moment was not only emotional for the hosts in São Paulo, but also for Hamilton, who was open about his affinity for Senna.

“It’s very, very emotional, of course,” Hamilton said. “I was just reliving my childhood watching (Ayrton) race here as a kid. Hearing that sound and … watching him drive here, winning that race, I just couldn’t believe I had the chance to do that and it was really the biggest honor of my career.”