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2018 Brazil Thoughts

THE BIG PICTURE: It was a career defining race. We just can't figure out for whom and whether for good or bad.

TRACK: Remind us again why this track isn't the season finale instead of Abu Dhabi?

EVENT: Brazil misses a key factor without a Brazilian driver. But, the locals adopted Max very quickly, and the energy was back.

QUALIFYING: Hamilton doesn't rest on his laurels, Vettel continues to be a headcase destroying the FIA scales, Leclerc puts in an epic lap in Q2 forcing Magnussen to think, "What the ...!", and Vandoorne is still last.

RACE: Interlagos provided another fun and entertaining race.

START: Vettel locks his way back to third as Bottas jumps him, Raikkonen says no, no, no to Verstappen who temporarily gets in front of him, and Ricciardo wastes no time in his march through the field.

HAMILTON: For the first time, Lewis wins a race after he clinched the championship. Though it got handed to him in a way, he still had to then take care of degrading tires and an imminent engine failure to keep Verstappen behind.

BOTTAS: Nowhere to be found.

MERCEDES: Five in a row. One short of Ferrari's record streak. The Silver Star's toughest fight yet. And next year it will probably get even tougher.

OCON: What an absolute idiot! Rule number one in racing -- never, ever screw the leader of the race when you are a lapped car. No matter what.

VERSTAPPEN: Having said that, did Max really need to be that aggressive with Ocon? Why does his ego get so butt hurt if anyone passes him under any circumstance? Back off, let Ocon go, and win the race.

RICCIARDO: Great drive from Daniel. And he finished! We repeat, Ricciardo finished a race!

RED BULL: Look within before you complain of some sort of conspiracy...

RAIKKONEN: Drove like a driver who will still be with the team next year.

VETTEL: While Sebastian was nowhere to be found.

FERRARI: To beat a dead (prancing) horse -- next season, stop making mistakes and you'll be able to beat Mercedes.

LECLERC: We can't wait till he's driving a Ferrari next year.

ERICSSON: A wonderful qualifying effort. An anything but wonderful race effort.

HAAS: The best of the rest minus one. However, they will need a lot going for them to sneak past Renault for fourth place.

RENAULT: They seem to be going backwards these days with reliability.

VANDOORNE: Took it to Alonso. And beat him. 40 races too late...

GRID GIRLS: We're confused all over again. So, scantily clad local Brazilian beauties doing the samba with their gyrations and hip swinging on the podium is okay. But, professionally presented grid girls who just stand there is exploitative? Yes, we're very confused.

WORD OF THE WEEKEND: Unlapping.

STAT OF THE WEEKEND: 44 -- The lap when Verstappen was knocked out of the lead by Ocon giving first place to Hamilton, who happens to adorn number 44.

HISTORICAL STAT OF THE WEEKEND: Since 1973 when the Brazilian GP started, it has always had a Brazilian driver until this year. With a caveat. The "first" Brazilian GP was 1972, but it was a non-championship event because at the time a venue had to prove they were capable of hosting a GP. This is why the first Long Beach GP was an F5000 race. The Fittipaldi brothers, Emerson and Wilson, entered in 1972, along with Luiz Bueno and Carlos Pace. Only 14 cars entered. Two did not qualify; one did not start. Emerson (Lotus-Ford) retired after 32 of the 37 laps, but got the fastest race lap. Bueno (March-Ford) was the last finisher in sixth two laps down and Pace (March-Ford) dropped out after the first lap. Wilson (Brabham-Ford) finished third. Carlos Reutemann (Brabham-Ford) won followed by Ronnie Peterson (March-Ford). The fourth place finisher? Helmut Marko in a BRM. Yes, that Helmut Marko. In 10 championship races, he never scored a point.

QUOTE OF THE WEEKEND: Perhaps Lewis Hamilton put the best overall perspective on it all, "I saw it happen -- I wasn't surprised by it. Max is like that. He's a go-get-it guy and every now and then it comes to bite you."

QUOTE OF THE WEEKEND RUNNERUP: After Charles Leclerc told his team how wet it was in Q2, they told him to pit. He said, "No, I'll give it one more try." And he gave it one heck of a successful try.

SCHEDULE: Driver championship decided. Constructor championship decided. With that drama settled, off to Abu Dhabi which never generates any drama.

Copyright © 2018 by Deep Throttle. All Rights Reserved.



RACE RESULTS
  Driver Laps
1. Hamilton 71
2. Verstappen 71
3. Raikkonen 71
4. Ricciardo 71
5. Bottas 71
6. Vettel 71
7. Leclerc(R) 71
8. Grosjean 71
9. Magnussen 71
10. Perez 70
11. Hartley(R) 70
12. Sainz 70
13. Gasly(R) 70
14. Ocon 70
15. Vandoorne 70
16. Sirotkin(R) 69
17. Alonso 69
18. Stroll 69
NC Hulkenberg 32
NC Ericsson 20

Time of Race
1:27:09.066

Margin of Victory
1.469 sec.

Safety Car
None

Lead Changes
4 among 3 drivers

Lap Leaders
Lewis Hamilton, Max Verstappen, Daniel Ricciardo

Fastest Race Lap
Valtteri Bottas

Pole Position
Lewis Hamilton

CURRENT STANDINGS
  Driver Pts.
1. Hamilton 383
2. Vettel 302
3. Raikkonen 251
4. Bottas 237
5. Verstappen 234
6. Ricciardo 158
7. Hulkenberg 69
8. Perez 58
9. Magnussen 55
10. Alonso 50
11. Ocon 49
12. Sainz 45
13. Grosjean 35
14. Leclerc(R) 33
15. Gasly(R) 29
16. Vandoorne 12
17. Ericsson 9
18. Stroll 6
19. Hartley(R) 4
20. Sirotkin(R) 1

  Team Pts.
1. Mercedes 620
2. Ferrari 553
3. Red Bull 392
4. Renault 114
5. Haas 90
6. McLaren 62
7. Racing Point 48
8. Sauber 42
9. Toro Rosso 33
10. Williams 7
EX Force India (59)
 
 

2024 Thoughts
Bahrain Saudi Arabia Australia Japan
China Miami Emilia Romagna Monaco
Canada Spain Austria Great Britain
Hungary Belgium Holland Italy
Azerbaijan Singapore United States Mexico City
Sao Paulo Las Vegas Qatar Abu Dhabi

2023 Thoughts
Bahrain Saudi Arabia Australia Azerbaijan
Miami Emilia Romagna Monaco Spain
Canada Austria Great Britain Hungary
Belgium Holland Italy Singapore
Japan Qatar United States Mexico City
Sao Paulo Las Vegas Abu Dhabi

2022 Thoughts
Bahrain Saudi Arabia Australia Emilia Romagna
Miami Spain Monaco Azerbaijan
Canada Great Britain Austria France
Hungary Belgium Holland Italy
Singapore Japan United States
Mexico City Sao Paulo Abu Dhabi

2021 Thoughts
Bahrain Emilia Romagna Portugal Spain Monaco
Azerbaijan France Steiermark Austria Great Britain
Hungary Belgium Holland Italy
Russia Turkey United States Mexico City
Sao Paulo Qatar Saudi Arabia Abu Dhabi

2020 Thoughts
Austria Steiermark Hungary Great Britain Anniversary
Spain Belgium Italy Tuscany
Russia Eifel Portugal Emilia Romagna
Turkey Bahrain Sakhir Abu Dhabi

2019 Thoughts
Australia Bahrain China Azerbaijan Spain
Monaco Canada France Austria
Great Britain Germany Hungary Belgium
Italy Singapore Russia Japan
Mexico United States Brazil Abu Dhabi

2018 Thoughts
Australia Bahrain China Azerbaijan Spain
Monaco Canada France Austria
Great Britain Germany Hungary Belgium
Italy Singapore Russia Japan
United States Mexico Brazil Abu Dhabi

2017 Thoughts
Australia China Bahrain Russia
Spain Monaco Canada Azerbaijan
Austria Great Britain Hungary Belgium
Italy Singapore Malaysia Japan
United States Mexico Brazil Abu Dhabi

2016 Thoughts
Australia Bahrain China Russia Spain
Monaco Canada Europe Austria
Great Britain Hungary Germany Belgium
Italy Singapore Malaysia Japan
United States Mexico Brazil Abu Dhabi

2015 Thoughts
Australia Malaysia China Bahrain
Spain Monaco Canada Austria
Great Britain Hungary Belgium Italy
Singapore Japan Russia United States
Mexico Brazil Abu Dhabi

2014 Thoughts
Australia Malaysia Bahrain China
Spain Monaco Canada Austria
Great Britain Germany Hungary Belgium
Italy Singapore Japan Russia
United States Brazil Abu Dhabi

2013 Thoughts
Australia Malaysia China Bahrain
Spain Monaco Canada Great Britain
Germany Hungary Belgium Italy
Singapore South Korea Japan India
Abu Dhabi United States Brazil

2012 Thoughts
Australia Malaysia China Bahrain
Spain Monaco Canada Europe
Great Britain Germany Hungary Belgium
Italy Singapore Japan South Korea
India Abu Dhabi United States Brazil

2011 Thoughts
Australia Malaysia China Turkey
Spain Monaco Canada Europe
Great Britain Germany Hungary Belgium
Italy Singapore Japan South Korea
India Abu Dhabi Brazil

2010 Thoughts
Bahrain Australia Malaysia China
Spain Monaco Turkey Canada
Europe Great Britain Germany Hungary
Belgium Italy Singapore Japan
South Korea Brazil Abu Dhabi

2009 Thoughts
Australia Malaysia China Bahrain
Spain Monaco Turkey Great Britain
Germany Hungary Europe
Belgium Italy Singapore
Japan Brazil Abu Dhabi


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