Verstappen holds off Norris to win as Hamilton struggles

Mercedes principal Toto Wolff says his team's display was 'inexcusable' 

- Giles Richards Abon

Even before the São Paulo Grand Prix had begun, Lewis Hamilton had expressed his longing to see the back of this year's Mercedes. By the close of the race, won with the usual untroubled ease by Max Verstappen's Red Bull, he would have been forgiven for entreating someone, anyone to rid him of this turbulent car. Nor, it would appear, would he have had any shortage of volunteers from his team as they too roundly dismissed what even the team principal, Toto Wolff, called a "miserable" performance at Interlagos.

The contrast between Verstappen and Red Bull and Mercedes in Brazil could not have been more stark and could not have made for more uncomfortable viewing, either from Hamilton's cockpit as it toiled round to manage only eighth place, from the garage or from the team's Brackley HQ.

Verstappen delivered a dominant run from pole to flag. He comfortably beat the McLaren of Lando Norris into second and the Aston Martin of Fernando Alonso in third after the Spaniard delivered the highlight of the race in a tussle at the death with Sergio Pérez, who was fourth.

In their wake were Mercedes, as Hamilton once more struggled with their car, with the tyres being eaten up, with straight line pace, and with pace through the corners.