Max Verstappen was described as “insane” and “invaluable” on Sunday after delivering one of the greatest wet weather drives to win the Brazilian Grand Prix and move to the brink of a fourth successive world Formula One title.
The Red Bull maestro won a chaotic, rain-lashed race at Interlagos from 17th place on the grid.
With title rival Lando Norris slipping from pole to a disappointing sixth place finish in his McLaren, Verstappen now boasts a 62-point lead over the Briton with just three races left.
Photo: Reuters
He could wrap up the championship on the streets of Las Vegas in three weeks’ time.
“I was feeling all over the place, a roller coaster,” he told reporters after his 62nd career win.
“My emotions went from wanting to destroy the garage after qualifying to winning the race,” he said.
Photo: Reuters
“It’s so unbelievable to win from so far back on the grid after expecting to drop points in the championship. There was so much at stake, and I had to be aware of the championship too. So, for me this is the best one,” he said.
“The rain came, and we stayed out, which was sketchy, and I just had to keep the car on track and the conditions were undriveable — it was like driving a boat or a Jet Ski so it was special today,” he added.
Verstappen had not won a Grand Prix in 10 outings since the Spanish Grand Prix in May.
“I just want clean races now,” he added. “I’m not thinking about the title or clinching it in Vegas.”
Verstappen’s victory was also an emphatic statement of intent, as he reeled off five successive fastest laps in the closing stages and 17 altogether as he came home 19.4 seconds clear of Alpine’s Esteban Ocon.
His win made him the first driver since Kimi Raikkonen at the 2005 Japanese Grand Prix to win from as far back as 17th on the grid.
“He was insane today,” said his father, Jos, a former F1 driver.
Red Bull team principal Christian Horner described the world champion as “invaluable.”
“It’s impossible to put a number on that. That was a champion’s drive. There’s some great drivers out there, but to stand out and shine like that today — that marks him out, I think, with some of the greats now,” Horner said.
“The way he’s driven, and even when we’ve had a difficult car this year, he’s never given up. He’s gone about collecting the points, he’s always trying to get maximum out of the car,” he said.
OFFENSE SHINES: First baseman Pan Chie-kai hit a solo homer in the fifth inning as all 10 batters Taiwan used contributed at least one hit toward their team total of 14 One day after their first shutout loss at the WBSC Premier12, Taiwan yesterday bounced back with a commanding 8-2 victory over the US, keeping their hopes for a spot in tomorrow’s final alive. The win in the Super Round marked Taiwan’s first triumph over the US at a top-tier international baseball tournament since 2003. Their previous win over the US was at the 2003 Baseball World Cup, with only one win in the previous 10 matchups since 1999. Yesterday’s game was tightly contested through the first six innings, with the margin never exceeding two runs. However, the tide turned in the top of
“Please love us. Please cheer us on. We have been working hard. Do not give up on us.” Taiwan captain Chen Chieh-hsien’s heartfelt plea echoed across the World Baseball Softball Confederation’s (WBSC) Premier12 tournament after a historic victory. Rather than boasting, Chen was making an earnest appeal after leading Taiwan to a 4-0 victory over Japan to claim their first major international baseball title at the senior level. Chen’s decisive three-run homer in the fifth inning and his Premier12 leading .632 batting average secured him the Premier12’s Most Valuable Player (MVP) title. He was also named one of the tournament’s outstanding defensive players
WELL-AGED: Although the youngest team in the tournament, Taiwan featured several veteran stars, including Sunday’s home-run hero Chen Chieh-hsien “I will never forget today,” veteran Taiwanese pitcher Chen Kuan-yu said after Taiwan on Sunday night blanked Japan to secure their first ever gold in the World Baseball Softball Confederation’s (WBSC) Premier12 championship. Chen, who at 34 is the oldest member on the team, said Taiwan “made every difficult step to come to today’s victory. I will never forget today.” Taiwan made history when they won their first gold medal of the Premier12 tournament, beating Japan in a 4-0 shutout victory in the final at the Tokyo Dome. It was a jaw-dropping victory for many baseball commentators who went into the game with
Nikola Jokic on Saturday scored 34 points and grabbed 13 rebounds to spark the Denver Nuggets over the Los Angeles Lakers 127-102, continuing their dominance of the NBA rivalry, while Scotty Pippen Jr scored a career-best 30 points to lead the Memphis Grizzlies past the Chicago Bulls, 142-131. The Nuggets won for the 13th time in the past 14 contests against the Lakers, including ousting the Lakers in the playoffs the past two seasons. Serbian star Jokic failed to achieve his sixth consecutive triple-double, managing only eight assists, but his effort was plenty as Michael Porter Jr added 24 points and 11