Formula Partridge wins at last: Up and down in Brazil

Celebrations in King's Lynn as its F1 talent incubator produces another star, while world is shocked that F1 champion isn't a team player

Mercedes team member sprays George Russell with champagne as he is held

Bryn Lennon/F1 via Getty Images

Dead Rubber? Never heard of ‘em. Not in these parts anyway, the F1 county where previously a crunch title decider could send you to sleep, but now a seemingly meaningless jaunt down to Interlagos causes vertiginous drama which everyone can’t take their eyes off.

It does mean something of course. Precious championship points help greatly with prize income, someone, surely someone, is going to get the Haas seat, and current performance trends could set a pattern for next year.

Whilst Mercedes continues to bear down on Ferrari – with the help of Formula Partridge – Alpine looks to secure fourth in the least harmonious way possible, and a few team-mates have fallen out also.

It’s all up and down round the body of water at Interlagos.

 

Going Up

Formula Partridge comes forth

George Russell on podium with Norfolk flag

Pride of Norfolk: how the podium ceremony should have looked

Norfolk’s new favourite son exorcised the demons of two years ago in Bahrain – a Pirelli wardrobe malfunction and a puncture causing the nightmare – to lead the Silver Arrows back to glory at Interlagos.

“I’m so proud of you all!” squeaked young Russell to a team mainly comprised of grisly blokes twice his age.

A open-top bus parade for the King of King’s Lynn – presumably sponsored by North Norfolk Digital – has yet to be confirmed.

 

The anti-hero of the day

Verstappen and Perez laugh going up Brazil 2022

ME let YOU through!?

Red Bull

Verstappen has now officially claimed his crown as F1’s current anti-hero by resolutely failing to give back sixth (the horror!) to team-mate Sergio Perez after taking it on the proviso he would move up the field and demote the Mexican’s rivals for runner-up in the title race.

It didn’t quite work out the way Checo would have hoped, Verstappen rather preferring to keep hold of eight points, thank you very much.

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“After all I’ve done for him,” lamented the slighted Mexican – turns out there’s history, possibly to do with Perez crashing in Monaco qualifying earlier this season, with Verstappen laying down the law over the radio about whose kingdom this was. All hail the Belgian-born Dutch wunderkind, you thought Horner might mutter.

After the drabness of this F1 season caused by Red Bull kicking the championship can far down the road, it’s only fair that Milton Keynes’ men turn on each other to give us some much-needed entertainment. Noble.

 

Magnussen has his day

Haas-F1-driver-Kevin-Magnussen-at-the-2022-Brazilian-GP

A-Haa! Magnussen files his entry for the Formula Partridge contest

Grand Prix Photo

Rubbish car goes out and snatches pole from the big guys in Brazil. You just can’t beat it.

 

Making a mountain out of…

Alonso Ocon Brazil 2022 sprint battle going up

Alonso and Ocon: literally taking chunks out of each other

Dan Istitene/F1 via Getty Images

Alpine: never a team far from drama and disaster, eh?

First in the Sprint Esteban Ocon shoves off Fernando Alonso, then the Spaniard biffs him back for his troubles.

Then Alonso finishes the race in fifth and Ocon eighth.

If Carlsberg did F1 meltdowns…and comebacks…they wouldn’t be as good as Enstone’s.

 

Experimental track

Russell Verstappen sprint race going up

Bring on more sprint races — but only at Interlagos

Getty Images

Two years in a row this Sprint has been entertaining, Russell and Verstappen’s duel proof enough on its own – should we just limit it to Interlagos?

 

Nigel Bottas

Valtteri Bottas going up Brazil 22

Is it just a coincidence that Bottas’s moustache appeared just as his form improved?

DPPI

Simon Lazenby almost interviewed Valtteri Bottas’s moustache by accident on the Brazilian grid, before the glacial being attached to it suddenly showed slightly more life.

He’s done well though, has ‘Our Valtteri’. Doesn’t score points for ten races, then does it twice in a row. Guess that’s progress, Nigel?

 

Goin’ Down

Instant reaction

Some of the ‘this-is-history-in-the-making’ overtones in much of the social media posts about the Red Bull team-mates (i.e.’WILL ANY TEAM–MATES EVER TRUST EACH AGAIN???) were slightly over the top. 1982 San Marino GP anyone?

 

Freewheelin’ into a three-wheeler

2-Haas-F1-driver-Kevin-Magnussen-at-the-2022-Brazilian-GP

Exit Ricciardo, taking the Interlagos qualifying hero with him

LAT via Haas

In terms of ending your time in F1 as badly as possible, Daniel Ricciardo is doing it pretty well.

 

 Clock ticking for Mick

Mick Schumacher going down Brazil 2022

So about that contract Guenther….

Haas

The bell may be tolling for Mick Schumacher’s F1 career. The young German needed a result in his penultimate 2022 race, but qualified last and finished out of the points. WEC-ky races o’clock or F1 reserve obscurity?