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Brazilian Grand Prix: Live Stream TV Updates and How To Watch Formula 1 2019
Adios!
Thank you for joining our live coverage of an epic Brazilian Grand Prix.
Make sure to check out our race report and driver ratings on the Vavel website, and we will see you in two weeks time for the 2019 finale in Abu Dhabi.
Adios!
Driver Championship Standings
1 Hamilton (Mercedes) 396
2 Bottas (Mercedes) 314
3 Verstappen (Red Bull) 260
4 Leclerc (Ferrari) 249
5 Vettel (Ferrari) 230
6 Gasly (Toro Rosso) 95
7 Sainz Jr (McLaren) 92
8 Albon (Red Bull) 84
National Anthem
Verstappen soaks in the Netherlands national anthem.
To summarise
Sainz equals his best-ever F1 finish in P4, whilst Giovinazzi celebrates his best in P6.
Alfa Romeo in P5 and P6 has given them a lot of breathing space over Haas in the Constructors, whilst Toro Rosso have made significant ground on Renault.
Classified Results
We still await to see if Hamilton will be reprimanded for the Albon incident, but in the meantime:
1) Verstappen
2) Gasly
3) Hamilton
4) Sainz Jr
5) Raikkonen
6) Giovinazzi
7) Ricciardo
8) Norris
9) Perez
10) Kvyat
11) Magnussen
12) Hulkenberg
13) Russell
14) Grosjean
15) Albon
16) Kubica
DNF: Vettel, Leclerc, Stroll, Bottas.
Gasly buzz
It's Gasly's first podium and boy, is he buzzing with it.
He admits that it's a special occasion, and that he loved his photo-finish with Hamilton at the very end.
Good fun for Max
Max admits he had great fun out there, and believes he controlled the race throughout.
He's going to be a real danger next season. Superb driving, management and tactics.
Poor Albon
Spare a thought for Alex Albon, who's podium was confiscated by a Hamiltonian shunt.
Lewis duly apologises when speaking to Barrichello. "I went for the gap, and I apologise to Alex for it."
Redemption x2
A splendid drive from Verstappen, who thoroughly deserved victory today after dominating all weekend.
And as for Gasly, not many people would have expected him to be on the F1 podium following the trials and tribulations of his Red Bull tenure.
Raw emotion
I can't quite translate what Gasly is saying, but that sounds like one very happy man!
Huge congratulations to the Frenchman.
Checkered Flag
Redemption! Max Verstappen wins an enthralling Brazilian Grand Prix!
Lap 71/71
Heartbreak for Albon who is now P15, but it means Gasly is now into P2!
Lap 70/71
HAMILTON AND ALBON COLLIDE! AAARGH!
Lap 70/71
In a rather cruel manner, Gasly's podium hopes had been dashed in the space of a second.
Verstappen bolts off, with Albon following.
Lap 69/71
We're restarting here at Interlagos!
Lap 68/71
The last Honda-powered one-two was 25 plus years ago, when Ayrton Senna was victorious at Donnington.
Coincidence, maybe?
Lap 68/71
Not only has this helped Verstappen for third in the final standings, but it means that we currently have a Red Bull one-two with Gasly sitting third for Toro Rosso.
As I say that, Stroll retires with a suspension issue.
Lap 67/71
IT'S ALL GOING OFF HERE!
A kiss of death means both Leclerc and Vettel have DNF'ed, the Safety Car is out and MERCEDES HAVE PITTED HAMILTON... WHAT?
Lap 66/71
Disaster for Ferrari!
Vettel and Leclerc make the slightest contact heading down into T4 and as a result, Leclerc's front left suspension breaks as Vettel suffers a puncture.
Lap 65/71
We've got two trains developing here.
Hamilton leads a short service of four, whilst Sainz heads an express shuttle of five with Raikkonen searching for a way past.
Lap 63/71
Albon drops and immediately comes under threat from Vettel heading into T1, but he defends excellently to maintain P3.
Lap 62/71
Verstappen eases into the distance as DRS is initiated for the rest of the field, aiding Albon's pursuit of Hamilton.
Lap 60/71
No one, I repeat no one, was going to prevent Verstappen from taking the lead there.
And what a move from Albon! His first podium could well and truly be on the cards.
Lap 60/71
Verstappen takes the lead at the restart and Albon takes P3!
Lap 57/71
Lapped cars are allowed to overtake, which means Hamilton's cushion has now vanished.
Leclerc may be the one to watch from P5.
Lap 56/71
"Strap mode five" issues Bono, which translates to full power for Hamilton, to us normal lot.
But will it be enough to fend off Verstappen?
Lap 55/71
Hamilton told to do the opposite of Verstappen, and the Red Bull pits to put on a set of soft tyres.
The safety car's presented the likes of Leclerc and Grosjean, who is currently running in P7, a free stop.
Lap 54/71
SAFETY CAR KLAXON! WE HAVE A SAFETY CAR!
Lap 53/71
"Lewis didn't slow down enough" states Verstappen, with double yellows being waved in sector one and sector two.
Lap 52/71
Smoke bellows from the rear of Bottas' Mercedes and the Finn's race grinds to a premature halt.
A Power Unit problem it appears, which explains his deficiencies on the straight.
Lap 51/71
Albon responds for his final pit-stop of the afternoon and is now in P6.
Meanwhile further down the field, Ricciardo vs Magnussen: The Rematch ends with less conflict this time around - Ricciardo passes for P15.
Lap 51/71
Vettel trudges into the pitlane and has a new set of softs attached.
He comes back out in P4, 10 seconds ahead of his team-mate.
Lap 48/71
Vettel's lead is evaporating with every passing second, whilst Bottas' struggles to get past Leclerc continues - the Ferrari driver has been positioning his car excellently heading into T1.
Lap 46/71
Bottas finds himself being tucked behind Leclerc as Verstappen punches in a purple first sector.
Lap 46/71
Vettel now leads; do his tyres have enough pace in them to stay in front for another 26 laps?
His gap over Verstappen is 6.525 seconds.
Lap 45/71
And in comes Verstappen - 1.9 seconds, excellent stuff from the Red Bull team.
He returns to the circuit ahead of Hamilton, albeit the gap is smaller.
Lap 44/71
Hamilton pits and rejoins ahead of Albon.
3.3 second pit-stop from his team though, considerably slower than what the Red Bull team have been delivering.
Lap 44/71
Verstappen leads by 2.814 seconds as Hamilton asks "What are you waiting for?"
Lap 42/71
Mercedes pits Bottas to fend off Albon and the undercut.
Plan A quite clearly didn't work.
Lap 41/71
Thanks to Ted Kravitz's efficient wind-testing device, we've discovered that the wind has picked up.
And quite considerably as well, with cross-winds down at the Senna S'.
Lap 39/71
As I say that, Bottas' pace has dropped. From a Valtteri perspective, Mercedes seem to be more focused on Albon than Verstappen.
Lap 39/71
Verstappen has to get through maybe ten more laps before he pits, and hasn't opened up enough of a gap to Bottas to be sure of coming out in front of him.
That's a right boon for Hamilton and Vettel.
Lap 35/71
Vettel holds a healthy position in P3, if he can make those medium tyres last till the end he could be in with a sniff of the race win.
Lap 34/71
"It's got windy, alright" are the words from an aggravated Hamilton.
Mercedes' tactical switch has backfired, so far.
Lap 32/71
Sainz is the last of the first-time pit-stoppers.
He drops to P15, just two positions adrift of his team-mate.
Lap 30/71
Leclerc's pace drops significantly and the Ferrari team avert to 'Plan C', which involves the Monegasque pitting for hard compound tyres.
Lap 30/71
The top 10 is as follows;
1) Verstappen
2) Hamilton
3) Vettel
4) Leclerc
5) Bottas
6) Albon
7) Sainz Jr
8) Gasly
9) Raikkonen
10) Giovinazzi
Lap 28/71
"I can't keep up with him" stresses Hamilton, who is 2.4 seconds behind Verstappen.
Lap 27/71
Verstappen approaches Bottas but the Mercedes driver peels into the pits and has a set of hard compound tyres drilled onto his car.
The Finn will be going to the end, then.
Lap 26/71
One-stop territory for Vettel and Ferrari, who boxes for mediums.
Lap 25/71
Hamilton navigates his way past Albon, who now pits and returns in P7, just ahead of Norris.
Lap 23/71
Scintillating driving from Verstappen to recover and pass both Leclerc and Hamilton in the space of three corners.
The Red Bull driver had the grit between his death, and was able to fend off Hamilton with DRS on the entry to T4.
Lap 23/71
WOW! Verstappen and Hamilton tussle!
Lap 22/71
Red Bull bring Verstappen in and there's drama in the exit as Kubica exits at the same time and holds him up!
The incident allows Hamilton to pass through, but it's backmarker agony for the second year in a row for Verstappen.
Lap 21/71
Hamilton in and it's a set of used softs.
That means Mercedes are committing to a two-stop, but the question is, what are Red Bull going to do?
Lap 19/71
Leclerc inching closer to the back of Albon's Red Bull as Vettel begins to struggle on the softs.
Lap 17/71
Tyre performance graphic - a beautiful piece of visual telemetry.
And it makes for good reading if you're a Hamilton fan, who is nurturing his soft compound tyres very well.
Verstappen had mentioned vibrations a few laps previously, and now it's clear to see why.
Lap 15/71
Five-second time penalty for Ricciardo.
Not one that the Aussie can complain about.
Lap 14/71
The opening excitement has dwindled as the drivers settle into their respective strategies.
Hamilton's been on the radio to Bono and his team stating that he wants to go for it. Please do, Lewis.
Lap 11/71
Gasly's the latest victim of Leclerc's purge, and the Ferrari is now chasing Albon in P5.
Lap 10/71
On first instance, you'd argue it was Magnussen who was the guilty party but on reflection, a lock-up from Ricciardo meant the Renault understeered into the Haas.
Racing incident.
Lap 8/71
Contact between Magnussen and Ricciardo!
Magnussen doesn't yield as Ricciardo looks to move up the inside, and the Dane spins out.
Renault mechanics come out of the garage to fit Ricciardo with a new front wing.
Lap 7/71
Albon is keeping Bottas very honest in his pursuit for P4, and is lurking within DRS range.
Leclerc moves up to P7 as he glides past Raikkonen.
Lap 5/71
Leclerc slicing his way through the field with ease, much to the amusement of the Ferrari adorning supporters.
The Ferrari driver is now P8, with Raikkonen up next.
Lap 4/71
Blimey, replay of Carlos Sainz's move on Sergio Perez and that was very ballsy.
Bravo, Carlos.
Lap 4/71
Talk emanating from the Mercedes garage is that Red Bull are looking to two-stop.
Verstappen's pushing hard in these opening stages.
Lap 2/71
Verstappen punches in a 1:13:009 as he looks to extend his advantage over Hamilton behind.
Lap 1/71
Spectacular racing between Norris, Leclerc and Ricciardo down in 11th, 12th and 13th.
Aggressive manoeuvres and defending from all three of them yet no contact, and Leclerc prevails with the better package behind him.
Lights out!
Verstappen retains the lead as Hamilton goes round the outside of Vettel!
Lining up...
We're nearly there!
Tyre compounds
Every driver in the top 10 is on soft compound tyres.
Formation Lap
Verstappen leads the group down through the Senna S' and is greeted by a small contingent of Dutch fans sporting orange flares.
They do get about, them Dutch lot.
Lauda record
Sebastian Vettel needs just one more win to equal Niki Lauda's record of 15 victories for Ferrari - that would be a beautiful achievement, especially with Niki's passing earlier this year.
It's going to get tasty
Get your popcorn ready, ladies and gentleman, as I feel we could be in for a treat with this one.
Five of the last six polesitters here in Interlagos have ended up being victorious, but Verstappen has two World Champion's behind that are looking to spoil the party.
Rubens is here!
Great to see Rubens Barrichello on the grid.
The Brazilian is an icon here, and will be conducting the post-race interviews.
National Anthem time
Short, sharp and swift - just the way we like it.
Weather Report
It's a beautiful day in Sao Paulo, with air temperatures peaking at 21 Celsius.
Track temperature is recorded at 49.1 Celsius, with a light wind blowing over the circuit.
Unfortunately, we have no rain forecasted, which is a bummer.
Albon starts
Martin Brundle asks Alex Albon if he has a plan on the opening lap, to which the Red Bull driver hesitantly squirms "er, yeah!"
Ocon optimstic
"Very exciting opportunity with Renault, with good ambition" says Ocon, kitted out in his Mercedes gear.
Renault have been guilty of selling dreams before, however.
Gasly’s, er, back
McLaren slipped from the position of best of the rest they had made their own recently after Carlos Sainz suffered an engine problem in first qualifying and did not set a time and Lando Norris could do no better than 11th, saying he had not maximised his lap.
The beneficiary was Pierre Gasly, outstanding in the Toro Rosso in the second half of the season since being dropped from Red Bull and replaced by Albon.
He took seventh - team-mate Daniil Kvyat was only 16th - ahead of Haas' Romain Grosjean, Alfa Romeo's Kimi Raikkonen and the second Haas of Kevin Magnussen.
The Grid - Bottom 10
11) Ricciardo
12) Giovinazzi
13) Hulkenberg
14) Leclerc (grid penalty)
15) Perez
16) Kvyat
17) Stroll
18) Russell
19) Kubica
20) Sainz
The Grid - Top 10
So, here’s how we line-up for the 2019 Brazilian Grand Prix:
1) Verstappen
2) Vettel
3) Hamilton
4) Bottas
5) Albon
6) Gasly
7) Grosjean
8) Raikkonen
9) Magnussen
10) Norris
Mercedes in the mix
Whether Toto Wolff was absent or not, Mercedes would honestly admit that their package isn’t best suited to this circuit in comparison to the Red Bull.
With that being said, Lewis Hamilton and Valtteri Bottas were less than three tenths down on Verstappen’s pole time, and their race pace indicates they could well be in the mix at the end of the Grand Prix.
Vettel’s form continues
Sebastian Vettel continued to answer his critics with yet another solid qualifying performance, and the German will start today’s race from P2.
If Vettel can stay close to the Red Bull by the end of the lap, Ferrari’s power and pace in the final sector could cause them to be a tricky customer to negotiate.
Verstappen on pole
It’s the last realistic opportunity Red Bull have to claim victory this season, and Max Verstappen ensured they will be starting from the front with a scintillating lap to claim pole position.
There’ll be no Esteban Ocon to halt Verstappen’s charge this year, can he etch his name into Brazilian history?
What’s the circuit like?
Like many pre-World War II tracks, Interlagos features banked corners, with the drivers beginning their lap on a sort of half oval – in fact, between 1957 and the track’s return to the F1 calendar in 1990, Interlagos could be run as a giant oval.
After wiggling through the Senna S and down to Turn 4, the drivers then go through a snaking in-field section with some challenging camber changes, before slinging back up the hill and through the banked final turn.
Circuit breakdown: Interlagos
First Grand Prix: 1973
Number of Laps: 71
Circuit Length: 4.309km
Race Distance: 305.909km
Lap Record: 1:10:540 (Valtteri Bottas, 2018)
2018 Winner: Lewis Hamilton
Constructors fight
With the top four all but confirmed with two races remaining, teams at the bottom end of the standings have two vital opportunities to acquire greater investment.
Racing Point and Toro Rosso are currently locked in a fight for sixth, with just one point between the pair, whilst Haas are looking to banish their mid-season pain by overhauling Alfa Romeo for eighth.
Battle for third
With Lewis Hamilton wrapping up his sixth World Championship last time out in Austin, it means all eyes now turn to the intensifying battle for third.
Max Verstappen, Sebastian Vettel and Charles Leclerc are separated by just 19 points.
Welcome!
Welcome to Vavel’s live coverage of the 2019 Brazilian Grand Prix.