Valtteri Bottas wins as Lewis Hamilton fights back

Mercedes driver Valtteri Bottas beat Red Bull’s Max Verstappen in sprint qualifying and will start the Sao Paulo Grand Prix from pole position.

Verstappen’s title rival Lewis Hamilton, who started at the back after a technical infringement was found on his car, recovered superbly to fifth.

Hamilton has a five-place grid penalty for the grand prix for using too many engine parts and will start 10th.

Verstappen’s second place extended his points lead to 21 over Hamilton.

It was a starring performance from Hamilton, who scythed through the field in clinically aggressive style, demonstrating superlative pace in his Mercedes.

In the context of an exceptionally difficult weekend, Hamilton will consider it a job well done after what was arguably one of his best performances of the season.

Hamilton said: “I am overwhelmed with it. I definitely wasn’t expecting that. You never really know whether overtaking is going to be possible on a track like this but the long straight enabled us to progress faster and the car was really great.

“I think it was really the mental state of mind that I went in was really just never give up keep pushing. Still I rise, you can do this. Because it was really difficult to swallow the result we got but we won’t let that hold us back.”

Bottas’ victory hinged on Mercedes’ decision to run the sprint – one third of the distance of the main grand prix – on the ‘soft’ tyre, while Verstappen and Red Bull chose the medium.

The extra grip of the tyres allowed Bottas to catapult past Verstappen into the first corner and build a small lead over the opening laps, as the Dutchman fought back past Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz, who also passed him in the course of the first lap.

Verstappen came back at him later in the race as Bottas’ less-durable tyres began to fade, but after closing to within 0.4 seconds of the Finn fell back a little and had to settle for second.

BBC