COATES
Yet another twist in a remarkable F1 title contest
Just when you think the Formula 1 title fight has finally settled into a pattern and Max Verstappen is putting some daylight between himself and Lewis Hamilton in the points, we get a race like that!
The first shock of the Interlagos weekend was the pace of Mercedes. Off the back of one of Red Bull’s most dominant 2021 performances in Mexico, and at a venue Verstappen where has been victorious before, Hamilton topped qualifying by a whopping 0.4 seconds.
Then both championship protagonists fell foul of offi cialdom (see page 4), Hamilton much more so. His charge past 15 cars in the sprint contest was superb, but he still had to start the Sao Paulo Grand Prix 10th thanks to the change of his Mercedes powerplant.
That engine, which was surely turned up high last weekend, then helped Hamilton pull off a remarkable recovery (p14). Not only was it a brilliant drive to his 101st F1 victory, overcoming Verstappen who once again found time to run the Merc off the road during their battle, but it has brought the seven-time world champion back into the thick of the title fight just as it seemed like things were slipping away.
The next two venues – in Qatar and Saudi Arabia – are new to F1 (p11), so predicting the likely outcome at either seems even more futile in this back-and-forth campaign. It all suggests the battle will go to the Abu Dhabi finale. Let’s just hope we get the fair showdown this fantastic season deserves.
Kevin Turner Chief Editor kevin.turner@autosport.com
NEXT WEEK 25 NOVEMBER New venue for F1 fight What twists can Qatar
provide in 2021’s thrilling contest?
HAVE YOUR SAY, GET IN TOUCH
Autosport editorial Autosport Media UK Ltd
1 Eton Street Richmond
TW9 1AG
@ E-mail autosport@ autosport.com
Visit our website
autosport.com
Twitter twitter.com/ autosport
Facebook facebook.com/
autosport
Instagram instagram.com/
autosport
YouTube youtube.com/ AUTOSPORTdotcom
COVER IMAGES Zak Mauger/Motorsport Images
PIT & PADDOCK 4 Mercedes-Red Bull war escalates 6 Corvette commits to full-time WEC 8 Bournemouth trying for Formula E slot 10 Qatar Grand Prix preview 11 Opinion: Alex Kalinauckas 12 Opinion: Tom Howard 13 Feedback: your letters
RACE CENTRE 14 Sao Paulo GP report and analysis 34 World of Sport: Petit Le Mans; MotoGP
INSIGHT 38 Finding the next British F1 stars 42 How BBM Sport was born
CLUB AUTOSPORT 51 Equipe to run special MGB 60th race 52 Top Ginetta Junior team to British GT4 54 Rodin breaks unofficial Donington record 57 Opinion: Stefan Mackley 58 National reports: Brands Hatch; Anglesey 62 British GT season review 68 GB3 season review
FINISHING STRAIGHT 70 What’s on this week 72 From the archive: 1991 Spanish GP 74 Have-a-go hero: Jan Magnussen
SUBSCRIPTION OFFER 26 Special deals for Autosport
VISIT AUTOSPORT.COM For other ways to read Britain’s best motorsport weekly
18 NOVEMBER 2021 AUTOSPORT.COM 3
