2022 São Paulo Grand Prix
| 2022 São Paulo Grand Prix | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Race 21 of 22 in the 2022 Formula One World Championship
| |||||
_track_map.svg) Layout of the Autódromo José Carlos Pace | |||||
| Race details[1] | |||||
| Date | 13 November 2022 | ||||
| Official name | Formula 1 Heineken Grande Prêmio de São Paulo 2022 | ||||
| Location |
Autódromo José Carlos Pace São Paulo, Brazil | ||||
| Course | Permanent racing facility | ||||
| Course length | 4.309 km (2.677 miles) | ||||
| Distance | 71 laps, 305.879 km (190.064 miles) | ||||
| Weather | Cloudy | ||||
| Attendance | 236,000 | ||||
| Pole position | |||||
| Driver | Haas-Ferrari | ||||
| Time | 1:11.674 | ||||
| Grid positions set by results of sprint | |||||
| Fastest lap | |||||
| Driver |
 George Russell | Mercedes | |||
| Time | 1:13.785 on lap 61 | ||||
| Podium | |||||
| First | Mercedes | ||||
| Second | Mercedes | ||||
| Third | Ferrari | ||||
|
Lap leaders | |||||
The 2022 São Paulo Grand Prix (officially known as the Formula 1 Heineken Grande Prêmio de São Paulo 2022) was a Formula One motor race that was held on 13 November 2022 at the Interlagos Circuit in São Paulo, Brazil.
Background
The event was held across the weekend of the 11–13 November. It was twenty-first and the penultimate round of the 2022 Formula One World Championship. It was the third and final Grand Prix weekend of the 2022 season to utilise the Formula One sprint format.[4]
Safety concerns
In the aftermath of the 2022 Brazilian general election on 30 October, a safety concern had been raised over the unrest in the country. Some Brazilians took to the streets of Brazil to protest the election results which prompted disruption of activities in the country.[5][6][7] There were reports that team logistic trucks belonging to Ferrari were blocked by protesters while on their way to Autódromo José Carlos Pace from Viracopos International Airport.[8] The political instability in Brazil had raised questions about whether the FIA would decide to cancel the round, or if the race would go ahead as scheduled. Reports indicated that the FIA and Formula One rights holder Liberty Media were monitoring the situation to decide on the fate of the race.[9] On 2 November it was clear the Grand Prix weekend would go ahead.[10]
Championship standings before the race
Going into the weekend, both the Drivers' and Constructors' titles have already been decided at the Japanese and United States Grands Prix, respectively. Max Verstappen led the Drivers' Championship with 136 points from teammate Sergio Pérez, second, and 141 from Charles Leclerc, third. Red Bull Racing led the Constructors' Championship from Ferrari by 209 points and Mercedes by 249 points.[11]
Entrants
The drivers and teams were the same as the season entry list with no additional stand-in drivers for the race.[12] Logan Sargeant drove for Williams in place of Alexander Albon, during the second practice session.[13]
Tyre choices
Tyre supplier Pirelli brought the C2, C3, and C4 tyre compounds (designated hard, medium, and soft, respectively) for teams to use at the event.[14]
Qualifying
Qualifying report
Qualifying began in wet conditions, with all twenty drivers starting on the intermediate tyres. With eight minutes remaining in Q1 Pierre Gasly became the first driver to use dry tyres in the session. These proved to be faster, and all cars would finish the session on the soft tyre, with those who made the switch earlier attaining better lap times.
Q2 would remain predominantly dry. However, showers began at the end of the session and continued into Q3. Despite the deteriorating conditions, nine of the ten drivers would start the session on dry tyres, with Charles Leclerc on intermediates. This gamble would backfire for Ferrari, and Leclerc was much slower on his flying lap than the other cars, ultimately pitting before he crossed the line. This also impacted Sergio Pérez, who was stuck behind Leclerc for the whole lap and as a result did not set a representative lap time. Before Pérez and Leclerc could post proper lap times the Mercedes of George Russell spun into the gravel at turn 4, resulting in a red flag and the postponement of the session. When it resumed ten minutes later, the rain had got much heavier and dry tyres had become unusable. As a result, no driver could set a lap time, meaning Kevin Magnussen took the first pole of his Formula One career, and the first pole for Haas in their history.
Qualifying classification
| Pos. | No. | Driver | Constructor | Qualifying times | Sprint grid | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Q1 | Q2 | Q3 | |||||
| 1 | 20 |  Kevin Magnussen
|
Haas-Ferrari | 1:13.954 | 1:11.410 | 1:11.674 | 1 |
| 2 | 1 |  Max Verstappen
|
Red Bull Racing-RBPT | 1:13.625 | 1:10.881 | 1:11.775 | 2 |
| 3 | 63 | George Russell
|
Mercedes | 1:14.427 | 1:11.318 | 1:12.059 | 3 |
| 4 | 4 | Lando Norris
|
McLaren-Mercedes | 1:13.106 | 1:11.377 | 1:12.263 | 4 |
| 5 | 55 |  Carlos Sainz Jr.
|
Ferrari | 1:14.680 | 1:10.890 | 1:12.357 | 5 |
| 6 | 31 |  Esteban Ocon
|
Alpine-Renault | 1:14.663 | 1:11.587 | 1:12.425 | 6 |
| 7 | 14 | Fernando Alonso
|
Alpine-Renault | 1:13.542 | 1:11.394 | 1:12.504 | 7 |
| 8 | 44 | Lewis Hamilton
|
Mercedes | 1:13.403 | 1:11.539 | 1:12.611 | 8 |
| 9 | 11 |  Sergio Pérez
|
Red Bull Racing-RBPT | 1:13.613 | 1:11.456 | 1:15.601 | 9 |
| 10 | 16 |  Charles Leclerc
|
Ferrari | 1:14.486 | 1:10.950 | No time | 10 |
| 11 | 23 |  Alexander Albon
|
Williams-Mercedes | 1:14.324 | 1:11.631 | N/A | 11 |
| 12 | 10 | Pierre Gasly
|
AlphaTauri-RBPT | 1:14.371 | 1:11.675 | N/A | 12 |
| 13 | 5 |  Sebastian Vettel
|
Aston Martin Aramco-Mercedes | 1:13.597 | 1:11.678 | N/A | 13 |
| 14 | 3 |  Daniel Ricciardo
|
McLaren-Mercedes | 1:14.931 | 1:12.140 | N/A | 14 |
| 15 | 18 |  Lance Stroll
|
Aston Martin Aramco-Mercedes | 1:14.398 | 1:12.210 | N/A | 15 |
| 16 | 6 | Nicholas Latifi
|
Williams-Mercedes | 1:15.095 | N/A | N/A | 16 |
| 17 | 24 |  Zhou Guanyu
|
Alfa Romeo-Ferrari | 1:15.197 | N/A | N/A | 17 |
| 18 | 77 |  Valtteri Bottas
|
Alfa Romeo-Ferrari | 1:15.486 | N/A | N/A | 18 |
| 19 | 22 |  Yuki Tsunoda
|
AlphaTauri-RBPT | 1:16.264 | N/A | N/A | 19 |
| 20 | 47 | Mick Schumacher
|
Haas-Ferrari | 1:16.361 | N/A | N/A | 20 |
| 107% time: 1:18.223 | |||||||
| Source:[15][16] | |||||||
Sprint
Sprint report
Magnussen got the best start of the front runners and held the lead for the first two laps, the first time Haas had ever led a lap in Formula One. Max Verstappen and Russell engaged in a battle at the start of the race, with Verstappen emerging victorious. He would then overtake Magnussen at the start of lap 3 to take the lead in the race. Magnussen would slip down the order as he struggled to fend off faster cars and ultimately finished eighth, the last points-paying spot.
The Alpine drivers of Esteban Ocon and Fernando Alonso also engaged in a duel throughout the first lap, although it ended disastrously for them. At turn 4, Ocon forced Alonso wide in a defensive move, leading to contact and Ocon damaging his right sidepod. As the two continued to run close together, Alonso attempted a move around the outside of turn 14. He moved too late however and broke his front wing. Alonso would pit two laps later, relegating him to the back of the field, and would receive a five-second penalty for his attempted overtake. Ocon's damage would severely hamper his race and he finished in 17th position, with his car catching fire in the post-race parc ferme.
Lance Stroll was also penalised for a move on his teammate, making a late defensive adjustment that forced Sebastian Vettel onto the grass. The move drew comparisons to the effort made by Stroll three weeks earlier in the United States Grand Prix, which resulted in a crash that momentarily sent Alonso airborne. Stroll was awarded a ten-second penalty.
Verstappen, despite being one of only two drivers on the medium tyre, started to experience massive tyre degradation and suspected damage to his undertray (due to running over debris caused by the Alonso-Ocon collision) towards the midway point of the race. Russell caught up to him on lap 12, and after a constant battle passed him on lap 15. Three laps later Carlos Sainz Jr. also passed him. After making the move he made contact with Verstappen, damaging Verstappen's front wing. The Red Bull Racing driver would be passed by Lewis Hamilton one lap later but would hold on to fourth until the end of the race.
Sprint classification
- Notes
- ^1 – Carlos Sainz Jr. received a five-place grid penalty for exceeding his quota of power unit elements.[19]
- ^2 – Yuki Tsunoda was due to start 15th, but he was required to start the race from the pit lane due to modifications to the floor, front wing and rear wing.[20]
- ^3 – Lance Stroll finished 12th, but he received a ten-second time penalty for a dangerous manoeuvre on Sebastian Vettel.[17]
- ^4 – Fernando Alonso finished 15th on track, but he received a post-sprint five-second time penalty for causing a collision with Esteban Ocon.[17]
Race
Race report
The frontrunners all got a fairly even start, with Lando Norris the only driver in the top seven to gain a position on the opening lap. At turn 7, Daniel Ricciardo hit the back of Magnussen, spinning the Haas which then rolled backwards and made a second contact with Ricciardo's McLaren, ending both of their races and triggering a safety car. For his role in the incident, Ricciardo will serve a three-place grid penalty at the next race in Abu Dhabi.
After the race resumed, two more incidents occurred in quick succession. The first involved Verstappen and Hamilton, and the second Norris and Leclerc. Hamilton dropped to eighth, both Verstappen and Leclerc pitted for new front wings, and Norris continued in third. Both Norris and Verstappen were given a five-second time penalty for their respective incidents.
Russell built a three-second gap to Sergio Pérez after the first round of pit stops, with a further seven seconds to Sainz in third and Hamilton in fourth. Sainz was switched to a three-stop strategy after an early first stop due to a visor tear-off getting caught in his rear right brake duct. This allowed him to undercut Pérez for second, with the Red Bull driver having already been passed by Hamilton three laps prior.
Norris retired on lap 53 after a gearbox failure, creating a virtual safety car and then a full safety car, giving Sainz and Alonso the chance to get a cheaper pit stop for fresh tyres. When the race resumed, Sainz made his way back to third but failed to catch either Mercedes, while Alonso went from ninth to fifth. The only front runner on medium tyres, Pérez went backwards and ultimately finished seventh behind teammate Verstappen. Red Bull Racing's strategists ordered Verstappen to allow Pérez to overtake him on the last lap, but Verstappen refused to do so. Russell won his first Formula One Grand Prix, leading Lewis Hamilton across the line in Mercedes' first 1–2 finish since the 2020 Emilia Romagna Grand Prix and their 59th overall. It was also the first time two British drivers had finished a Grand Prix first and second since Hamilton and Jenson Button at the 2010 Canadian Grand Prix Carlos Sainz finished third for his ninth podium of the season. The race was the first in 2022 to be won by a team other than Red Bull Racing or Ferrari. The win means Mercedes continue an eleven-season streak of race victories, the longest active streak in Formula One and third all-time.
Due to the death of Elizabeth II, and the subsequent accession of Charles III the podium ceremonies for George Russell resulted in the first-ever occurrence of God Save the King being played for a winning driver or constructor, as opposed to God Save the Queen, as no British driver or constructor won a race in the two years of Formula One's existence prior to Elizabeth II's reign which began in 1952.
At the conclusion of the race, Alfa Romeo was investigated for a pit lane incident involving Mick Schumacher. The stewards determined that a team member was unreasonably close to the path of the approaching Haas car which was starting its pit stop and fined the team €1,000.
Race classification
Notes
- ^1 – Includes one point for fastest lap.[22]
- ^2 – Pierre Gasly finished 12th, but he received a five-second time penalty for speeding in the pit lane.[21]
Championship standings after the race
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- Note: Only the top five positions are included for both sets of standings.
Notes
- ^ Kevin Magnussen was credited with pole position after qualifying.[2] George Russell started the race in the first position after winning the sprint.[3]
References
- ^ "São Paulo Grand Prix 2022, Brazil – F1 Race". formula1.com. Retrieved 31 October 2022.
- ^ "Magnussen masters timing at Interlagos to claim sensational maiden pole position in wet-dry Friday qualifying". Formula1.com. 11 November 2022. Retrieved 11 November 2022.
- ^ "Russell beats Verstappen in Sprint thriller to secure P1 grid slot for the Sao Paulo GP". Formula1.com. 12 November 2022. Retrieved 12 November 2022.
- ^ Barretto, Lawrence (17 April 2022). "How does the F1 Sprint work? The format explained ahead of Imola". formula1.com. Retrieved 31 October 2022.
- ^ Carvalho, Daniel; Rosati, Andrew (1 November 2022). "Brazil Protesters Block Roads, Airport as Bolsonaro Stays Silent". Bloomberg News. Retrieved 1 November 2022.
- ^ "Bolsonaro supporters block Brazil roads for a 2nd day as president refuses to accept election loss". CBS News. 1 November 2022. Retrieved 1 November 2022.
- ^ "Brazil election: Bolsonaro supporters block roads after poll defeat". BBC News. 1 November 2022. Retrieved 1 November 2022.
- ^ @eptvoficial (1 November 2022). "PROTESTO CAUSA BLOQUEIO NA ENTRADA DE VIRACOPOS" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
- ^ @PedroFerminF1 (2 November 2022). "La situación que se vive en estos momentos en #Brasil preocupa a #Liberty, la #FIA y a los organizadores del GP de #F1 en #Interlagos. Van a esperar unos días antes de tomar medidas y decisiones para asegurar la celebración de la prueba en #SaoPaulo" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
- ^ "Brazilian Grand Prix not under threat confirms F1". Racingnews365.com. 2 November 2022.
- ^ "Mexico City 2022 – Championship". Stats F1. 30 October 2022. Retrieved 30 October 2022.
- ^ "2022 São Paulo Grand Prix – Entry List" (PDF). FIA. 11 November 2022. Retrieved 11 November 2022.
- ^ "Sargeant to make third free practice appearance of season in Brazil". Formula1.com. 9 November 2022. Retrieved 9 November 2022.
- ^ "2022 Tyre Compound Choices – Brazil and Abu Dhabi". pirelli.com. 2 November 2022. Retrieved 2 November 2022.
- ^ "Formula 1 Heineken Grande Prêmio de São Paulo 2022 – Qualifying". Formula 1.com. 11 November 2022. Retrieved 11 November 2022.
- ^ a b "Formula 1 Heineken Grande Prêmio de São Paulo 2022 – Sprint Grid". Formula 1.com. 11 November 2022. Retrieved 11 November 2022.
- ^ a b c "Formula 1 Heineken Grande Prêmio de São Paulo 2022 – Sprint". Formula 1.com. 12 November 2022. Retrieved 12 November 2022.
- ^ a b "Formula 1 Heineken Grande Prêmio de São Paulo 2022 – Starting Grid". Formula 1.com. 12 November 2022. Retrieved 12 November 2022.
- ^ "Sainz hit with 5-place grid drop in Sao Paulo after taking 6th internal combustion engine". Formula1.com. 11 November 2022. Retrieved 11 November 2022.
- ^ "Tsunoda to start Sao Paulo Grand Prix from pit lane after parc ferme changes". Formula1.com. 13 November 2022. Retrieved 13 November 2022.
- ^ a b "Formula 1 Heineken Grande Prêmio de São Paulo 2022 – Race Result". Formula 1.com. 13 November 2022. Retrieved 13 November 2022.
- ^ a b "Formula 1 Heineken Grande Prêmio de São Paulo 2022 – Fastest Laps". Formula 1.com. 13 November 2022. Retrieved 13 November 2022.
- ^ a b "São Paulo 2022 – Championship". Stats F1. 13 November 2022. Retrieved 13 November 2022.