A must-win for Hamilton? F1 Sao Paulo GP talking points

Big weekend for Hamilton’s title hopes 

Lewis Hamilton comes into this weekend’s race in Brazil in need of a victory if he is to keep his hopes of winning a record-breaking eighth world title firmly in his own hands. 

Should Hamilton finish behind Verstappen, regardless of position, at the next two races, then the Red Bull driver could wrap up the world championship at the inaugural Saudi Arabian Grand Prix. 

Following Verstappen dominance in Mexico City last weekend, Hamilton knows he needs to strike back. The seven-time world champion has already admitted he will be “in trouble” if Red Bull continues its strong form in Brazil. 

By no means is this title fight over. Verstappen’s advantage may stand at a seemingly healthy 19 points but there are still 107 points left up for grabs. 

Reliability will play a huge role and one DNF for either contender could have catastrophic consequences and dramatically swing momentum in a split second. 

But this weekend is nevertheless a pivotal one for Hamilton. A third win on the bounce for Verstappen - and 10th of the year - would dent Hamilton’s title aspirations and further strengthen his grip on a maiden world championship. 

Teammates Sergio Perez and Valtteri Bottas also have a major role to play. Perez fell just shy of beating Hamilton to second place last Sunday, while Bottas prevented Verstappen from securing the fastest lap bonus point. 

Mercedes and Red Bull will only continue to use their ‘number two’ drivers to boost their teammates’ respective chances as the title fight reaches its climax. 

Will final F1 sprint create more drama?

Brazil will also see the third and final sprint race of the 2021 season, which could create even more jeopardy. 

Verstappen has the strongest record in the sprint format, claiming five out of the possible six points on offer at Silverstone and Monza. In contrast, Hamilton has taken just two. 

Given the Interlagos circuit has suited Red Bull more than Mercedes in recent years given its high altitude, Verstappen will be feeling confident about his chances. 

Curiously, the previous two sprint races have been followed by a collision between Verstappen and Hamilton in Sunday’s grand prix. Could Brazil end up making it a hat-trick of clashes? 

It is something that is on the championship leader’s mind heading into the weekend. 

“It’s difficult to say how competitive we are going to be,” Verstappen said in a Red Bull preview. 

“In 2019 we won the race but it was a close battle all the way through and I expect something very similar again this year. Let’s see what the weather forecast is going to be because that can impact the performance quite a bit. 

“It’s also a sprint race this weekend; I tend to do well in the sprint race but then get bad race results so let’s try and turn it around.” 

Both Verstappen and Hamilton will be eager to make the most of the extra points on offer to boost their respective championship prospects in a season where every point will prove crucial come the end of the year. 

A return to the podium for Gasly? 

Pierre Gasly will have fond memories of his last visit to Brazil in 2019, where he claimed his maiden F1 podium by beating Hamilton in a drag race to the line to complete a historic Honda 1-2. 

The Frenchman has been in impressive form ever since that day, and has built on an excellent 2020 season with another superb campaign this year. 

For the third time this season, Gasly claimed a brilliant fourth place in Mexico, behind only the two Red Bulls and Hamilton’s Mercedes. He also finished nearly 20 seconds clear of the Ferraris. 

Gasly’s qualifying performances have been equally impressive and he will be looking to continue his fine displays at Interlagos, where his Honda-powered AlphaTauri is expected to be particularly competitive. 

AlphaTauri is currently level-pegging with Alpine on 106 points and has a real chance to overhaul its main rival for fifth place in the constructors’ championship with another strong result this weekend. 

“Everyone is now very motivated about getting fifth in the constructors’ and the result last Sunday is a real motivation to keep pushing hard in Brazil, another track that I think can suit us,” Gasly said ahead of the weekend. 

How far can Ferrari pull clear? 

Another team on the move is Ferrari. The resurgent Maranello squad finally leapfrogged McLaren into third place in the constructors’ championship last time out with a solid P5-P6 finish. 

Despite expecting a better weekend in Mexico, Ferrari will be feeling confident about the possibility of further extending its lead over McLaren, which currently stands at 13.5 points heading into the final four rounds. 

Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz continue to perform at a remarkably consistent level, while McLaren’s competitive edge has seemingly dropped off at recent events, handing the Scuderia the upper hand. 

With the Mercedes power unit once again set to take a slight performance hit in Brazil, Ferrari will be determined to capitalise with another big points haul to strengthen its grip on P3 before heading to three tracks that are expected to play more to the strengths of McLaren’s 2021 car. 

Has time run out for Giovinazzi? 

Antonio Giovinazzi was left to rue a “completely wrong” strategy after he finished a frustrated 11th in Mexico and missed the chance to score points for just the second time this season. 

Despite some consistent and impressive performances against experienced teammate Kimi Raikkonen, the writing appears to be on the wall for the 27-year-old Italian, who did not hold back in displaying his anger towards Alfa Romeo publicly following the last race. 

With his hopes of retaining his seat seemingly diminishing, Giovinazzi is keen to end the season on a positive note at least on a personal level, even if he does find himself without a drive for next year. 

Alfa Romeo boss Frederic Vasseur has said the team is nearing a decision over who will partner new signing Valtteri Bottas next year, with some outlets even reporting a final call has already been made ahead of a possible announcement next week.