12/11/2017
NEWS STORY
Sadly, it appears the weather gods will not play a part in this afternoon's race, certainly not Rain or Storm, indeed Sun looks set to dominate.
However, that doesn't mean we shouldn't have a fun-filled afternoon.
First off, Valtteri Bottas has a god given opportunity to step up to the plate and show what he can really do, without the need to worry about Lewis Hamilton looking over his should. Courtesy of that superb qualifying lap, which clearly lifted his team's spirits following his teammate's early qualifying demise, the Finn has the opportunity to make up for his recent slump in form.
The fact that the slump coincided with the extension of his contract won't have been lost of the top knobs at Mercedes so what better time to not only demonstrate they were right in retaining him for 2018 but should seriously extending his contract beyond that.
However, just behind the Silvers Arrow are a couple of other drivers with much to proves, Messrs Vettel and Raikkonen. While The Iceman would dearly love to finally stand on the top step of the podium, his teammate will not want to suffer the indignity of not only losing the title to Hamilton but possibly the runner-up spot to his Mercedes teammate.
Then we have Max, who is clearly on a roll right now, unlike his teammate. With the weather gods unwilling to assist on a circuit where the youngster made a name for himself, Verstappen will need every last drop of grunt his Tag-Heuer can muster, and the guile normally associate with a race twice his age. On the other hand, one has to worry about reliability.
Then we have Hamilton and Ricciardo facing their respective fights through the field, the Australian from 14th and the Briton from 20th. Again, with the weather gods ignoring this year's event, both with need to work hard this afternoon while having their wits about them at all times.
We say that because as they work their way through the field they will encounter various battles, be it the Pink Panthers or Toro Rosso, Renault and Haas squabbling for sixth in the standings.
Then there's Felipe Massa, so keen to bid farewell to his countrymen with a strong showing, while the likes of Pascal Wehrlein seek to show their worthiness of taking his seat at Williams with a convincing performance.
In terms of tyres, the cooler conditions yesterday suited the supersofts however, today's much warmer temperatures should suit the softs - and Ferrari - as we saw on Friday when temperatures were somewhat similar.
According to Pirelli, the fastest theoretical strategy is a one-stopper, starting on supersofts then changing to softs between laps 26 and 32. Alternatively, a two-stop strategy would involve two supersoft stints of 22 laps each, then softs to the flag.
The pitlane opens and Massa leads the way.
Air temperature is 28 degrees C, while the track temperature is 59 degrees. The sky is a beautiful blue with not a cloud in sight.
While most opt for numerous installation laps, Verstappen is one of the first arrivals on the grid.
As the national anthem plays, Massa is accompanied by his son Felipinho. A nice touch which will go down well with Sean Bratches.
Minutes before the start, there appears to be an issue with Raikkonen's car, mechanics working furiously on the Ferrari under the close supervision of The Iceman.
Raikkonen finally climbs into his car, hopefully the issue is resolved.
All are on supers, bar Ricciardo, Ericsson, Gasly and Hamilton who will start on the softs.
You may have noticed that we've avoided the usual hyperbole in terms of first lap mayhem, particularly in the first sequence of corners, but there is history.
Raikkonen is told that there are issues with the telemetry system and that he may might have to work without additional data. He knows what he's doing.
On the warm up lap, Massa pays an emotional tribute to his team. "Okay guys, I am here on the lap to the grid," he says. "Just an amazing feeling, the only thing I can say is I love you guys, thank you very much for all you have done for me. Thank you very much."
They're away! Vettel has a strong start, as does Bottas. However, the Finn loses ground as they head into T1.
Vettel leads the field on the long straight towards T4 but the Safety Car is deployed as there is an incident further back involving Ricciardo, Gasly and Vandoorne. Despite the Safety Car's deployment however, there is another incident as Grosjean and Ocon clash.
In terms of the initial incident, Vandoorne appears to be squeezed between Ocon and Grosjean heading into T2. Then in T3 the McLaren is squeezed again, caught between Magnussen on the outside and Ricciardo on the inside. The end result is inevitable, the Dane hits the Belgian who hits the Australian. The McLaren and Haas are clearly damaged and shed carbonfibre while Ricciardo is sent into a spin.
In terms of the other incident, Ocon, making up for his poor start, attempts to go around the outside of Grosjean at T6, the Frenchman giving the Panther a gentle nudge to help him on his way. Unfortunately they both spin off, the Force India suffering a puncture in the process.
"Any damage Danny?" "I'm not sure," replies the Red Bull driver. Elsewhere, Ocon definitely cannot get back to the pits.
As the Safety Car leads the pack through the pitlane, Vandoorne, Magnussen and Ocon are already out of the race.
Behind the Safety Car, it's: Vettel, Bottas, Raikkonen, Verstappen, Alonso, Massa, Perez, Hulkenberg, Sainz and Gasly. Hamilton is up to 14th.
Stranded out on track with no car, Vandoorne cuts a forlorn figure.
The incident involving Magnussen, Ricciardo and Vandoorne has been noted, ass has the Grosjean, Ocon incident.
Of course, that accident brings Ocon's run of 26 finishes to an end.
The Safety Car withdraws at the end of lap 5. Vettel backs the field right up.
They're away again... and Vettel holds his advantage. Massa has a look at Alonso and catches the Spaniard napping. Elsewhere, Hamilton nails Wehrlein and Hartley in quick succession.
Check out our Sunday gallery from Interlagos, here.
Having passed Stroll, Hamilton sets off after Ericsson, as Vettel (13.649) posts a new fastest lap.
Ricciardo passes Wehrlein, the Australian none the worse following that first lap incident.
Ericsson and Gasly are no match for the charging Hamilton who is now up into the points. Ricciardo is up to 14th.
"Right-hand tyre approaching danger zone," Hulkenberg is told.
Hamilton passes Sainz as though he's standing still, the Briton now just 12.4s behind the race leader.
A radio check appears to indicate that Hartley has lost communication with his team.
A superb move sees Ricciardo nail Stroll for 13th, the king of the late brakers passing the Williams in T1. He subsequently nails Ericsson in T4 also.
Hamilton is now up to 8th, the Briton making short work of Hulkenberg.
The Vandoorne, Ricciardo and Magnussen incident will be investigated after the race.
As Hamilton closes on Perez, Ricciardo passes Gasly for 11th.
Out front, after 13 laps, Vettel leads Bottas by 2.206s with Raikkonen a further 2s behind.
Despite Perez' best efforts, Hamilton is through. The Mexican tries to retake the position but it is a fruitless task.
As Ricciardo sweeps past Sainz, Hamilton closes on Alonso, the pair having enjoyed a feisty duel in Mexico two weeks ago.
All we can say is thank God Hamilton and Ricciardo started where they did, for the pair are providing the only real entertainment of the afternoon.
As he closes on Alonso, who is harrying Massa, Hamilton asks for the gap to Vettel. The boy doesn't take no for an answer.
Raikkonen warns that his car is moving around a lot, that his tyres "don't feel great".
"1-2, 1-2," Hartley appears to have working radio at last.
Ricciardo passes Hulkenberg at his favourite spot (T1), as Alonso and Hamilton, within DRS range on one another, close on Massa.
The Briton does a Ricciardo in T1 to take seventh from the McLaren driver.
Currently 1.7s down on the leader, Bottas posts a new fastest lap (13.626).
Hamilton passes Massa to take 5th, his next target being Verstappen, 10s up the road and unlikely to be quite as obliging.
Grosjean is handed a 10s time penalty for causing the first lap collision. The Haas driver is currently 17th (of 17).
Verstappen is concerned that his tyres are gone.
Lap 23 sees Hamilton post a new fastest lap as he closes to within 9.4s of Verstappen.
As Bottas closes to within 1.64s of Vettel, will Mercedes take a gamble with an undercut?
As Wehrlein reports loss of power, teammate Ericsson in unhappy at being told to hold station behind the German.
As Verstappen reports that he's "struggling a lot now", Hamilton reports that his super are "looking quite good".
Bottas pits at the end of lap 27 as Hamilton posts a new fastest lap (13.482). Massa also pits. Bottas rejoins in 5th behind his Mercedes teammate, while Massa drops to 11th.
Next time around Ferrari responds, with Vettel diving into the pits, as do Verstappen and Alonso. Vettel rejoins in third ahead of Bottas but the gap has diminished.
Raikkonen pits at the end of lap 29, handing the lead to Hamilton. Elsewhere, Ricciardo passes Perez for 5th. Raikkonen rejoins in 4th.
Verstappen, on fresh rubber, makes short work of Perez, while Vettel posts a new fastest lap (12.996).
Hulkenberg pits at the end of lap 30.
Ricciardo is told that Verstappen is behind on fresh rubber. "Don't hold him up please," he is told. "OK, understood" the Australian politely replies.
As Sainz pits, it is noticeable that Bottas is losing ground to Vettel, the softs clearly better suited to the Ferrari, as was the case on Friday.
Raikkonen is given all the gossip in terms of Hamilton's tyres and warned that the Mercedes will be a threat at the end of the race. The Finn responds with a new fastest lap (12.945).
After 33 laps (of 71), Hamilton leads Vettel, Bottas, Raikkonen, Verstappen, Ricciardo, Perez, Massa, Alonso and Gasly.
Hamilton goes quickest in S1, the Briton still running the softs he started the race with. Vettel is currently 3.8s behind.
Perez pits at the end of lap 35, rejoining in 9th.
Told that his tyres should be good to the end, Alonso responds; "Yeh, but I want to catch Massa to get the DRS". What a party pooper!
Hulkenberg closes in on Gasly, who fills the last of the point scoring positions. The Renault driver makes short work of the Toro Rosso on what has been a difficult weekend for both parties.
A new fastest lap (12.673), this time from Verstappen.
Check out our Sunday gallery from Interlagos, here.
Told about Perez' pace, Alonso replies: "Perez, I don't car, he will come, there is nothing I can do, I want to catch Massa". It's almost personal.
"Box, box, we have to retire the car," Hartley is told, "sorry for that." The Kiwi duly obliges.
The leaders are now working their way through the back markers.
The second Renault (Sainz) now closes in on Gasly. There is little the Frenchman can do.
Hamilton pits at the end of lap 43, switching to the supers he rejoins in 5th. Ricciardo also pits, the Red Bull driver rejoining in 7th. However, the Australian is overtaken by Alonso and drops to 8th... but not for long surely.
9.2s down on Verstappen, Hamilton goes quickest in S2 on his fresh rubber.
Gasly pits at the end of lap 45, as does Ericsson.
Stroll passes Grosjean for 13th.
Ricciardo passes Massa for 6th as Alonso wonders how he might follow suit.
On fresh rubber, Gasly takes Stroll for 13th. As the two continue to battle, they are holding up Hamilton. The Briton isn't best impressed.
Grosjean pits at the end of lap 49 and serves his penalty. On returning to the track he immediately gets a blue flag. C'est la vie!
As Hamilton closes to within 4.9s of Verstappen, who is 4.4s down on Raikkonen, Vettel leads Bottas by 2.8s.
A replay of the moment Grosjean is told of his penalty. Needless to say he doesn't take it too well. "For what?" he asks. "You must be kidding me! You must be kidding!"
"The tyres feel like rocks, they're so stiff," complains Verstappen. Shades of Fred Flintstone.
Meanwhile, Alonso continues to stalk former teammate Massa.
Going quickest in S3, Hamilton closes to within 0.699s of Verstappen.
Hamilton closes and makes his move in T1 but the Red Bull driver has the line. However, on the straight that follows the Renault (OK, Tag-Heuer) is no match for the Mercedes.
"Nothing you could do about that Max, just have to bring it home now."
Having appeared to drop back, Perez is now closing on Alonso.
As he hunts down Raikkonen, who is 3.5s up the road, Hamilton posts a new fastest lap, and it's a sizzler... 11.932.
"Can I make a pit stop, these tyres are horrible," asks Verstappen. There follows a long 'discussion' with his engineer who advises against it. Despite that, the youngster pits, without losing his place (5th).
Meanwhile, another fastest lap from Hamilton (11.918).
"Vettel has been told to manage his tyres," Bottas is told, "so if there's anything left, go and attack him."
Another fastest lap for Hamilton (11.845) as he closes to within 1.8s of Raikkonen.
On his fresh rubber, Verstappen posts 11.044.
Alonso is now right up Massa's gearbox.
TV close up suggests Hamilton has a blister on his right-rear.
Perez is all over Alonso who is all over Massa.
A lock-up for Hamilton in T1 as he takes a look at Raikkonen.
Next time around it is the Finn who locks-up, but Hamilton also appears to be struggling.
Hamilton is told of a mode adjustment he can make for a "bit more poke".
The left-front on Stroll's car appears to be delaminating.
At the end of lap 69 Hamilton has another look, but with no success. Both drivers are struggling on different parts of the track.
They begin the final lap, but as Vettel takes the flag there is nothing Hamilton can do about Raikkonen, meaning both Maranello drivers are on the podium.
Attention shifts to the epic battle for seventh, as Massa resolutely holds off Alonso who holds off Perez.
"We won, we won," shout Vettel, who even finds time for some donuts. Hmm.
In parc ferme, Hamilton remains in his car, the body language tells the story, he's spent.
Unable to find a Brazilian flag - and you thought everyone carried on - Massa holds a green marshal's flag aloft from his cockpit.
While Vettel and Ferrari will take some comfort from this victory, one has to ask whet the result would have been but for the error that resulted in Hamilton starting from the pitlane.
Despite his determination to pass Massa, Alonso waits at the end of the pitlane to applaud the arrival of his former teammate. A nice touch.
The Brazilian, greeted by a Williams guard of honour, climbs onto his car to take the applause of his countrymen.
In the ante-room, the conversation between Bottas and Raikkonen is as animated as you'd expect. You just can't shut them up.
Meanwhile, we are given a replay of Felipinho greeting his Dad on his slow-down lap, in English!
On the podium, Vettel and Bottas both admit to wheelspin at the start, the Finn paying tribute to the performance of his Mercedes teammate.
While all three drivers opt to talk about grip and the heat, as opposed to praising the crowd, country and hemisphere, Rubens Barrichello and Massa join the proceeding to inject some heartfelt emotion... albeit in Portuguese.
So on to Abu Dhabi...
Check out our Sunday gallery from Interlagos, here.