São Paulo GP
The Debrief by Aramco
Fernando secures a podium and Lance finishes fifth after an absorbing conclusion to the 2023 São Paulo Grand Prix.
Fernando delivered a podium in astonishing circumstances at Interlagos, with Lance taking P5 at the chequered flag.
A team effort backed up by solid execution saw Lance qualify third and Fernando fourth on Friday.
Both drivers were unfortunate not to make the top 10 during Saturday's Sprint Shootout, but they both made up places during the Sprint; Fernando took P11 and Lance P12 yesterday.
Lance and Fernando began today's race on Soft compounds, but Lance lost two places from P3 to P5 at the start while Fernando stayed in P4.
A red flag was brought out after a Lap One crash and, on the restart, Fernando passed Lewis Hamilton for P3.
Lance pitted for a new set of Mediums on Lap 22, emerging 10th and passing the Mercedes soon after on his way back into the top five. Fernando pitted for new Mediums on Lap 25 and emerged third – holding off Red Bull's Sergio Peréz for his second stint.
Fernando came into the pits for his second stop on Lap 47, switching to a new set of Softs and emerging P3. The Red Bull began to make up ground and was in DRS range of Fernando for much of the final 10 laps, but Fernando put up a staunch and intelligent defence that was broken only on the penultimate lap.
In a nail-biting end to the Grand Prix, Fernando managed to pass the Red Bull and re-take P3 into Turn Four. The battle for the final podium place culminated in a drag race to the line that was split by 0.053 seconds.
Lance's final stop came on Lap 52, but an issue saw him lose time and emerge sixth. A rapid final stint saw Lance secure a top-five finish as the team collected 25 points from São Paulo.
The Grand Prix
Read what Fernando, Lance, and Team Principal Mike Krack said on Sunday.
#14 | Fernando Alonso | Grand Prix
"For the last 30 laps, it felt like I had pressure from Sergio [Pérez]. But when he passed me two laps from the end, I thought the chance of a podium finish was no longer possible.
"Then he braked a bit late into Turn One on the final lap, and I said to myself I would go for it into Turn Four.
"This is a phenomenal result for the whole team. We'd been struggling a little in recent races – especially the last two events – so this podium is for everyone at the track and everyone back at Silverstone.
"It shows that we will always keep fighting until the very last lap, the last corner."
#18 | Lance Stroll | Grand Prix
"Neither of my starts were great – I had a lot of wheelspin and very little traction, so I didn’t get off the line well.
"After that we had a lot of pace – quicker than Ferrari, quicker than Mercedes – and it felt like we were back to where we were at the beginning of the year.
"Today's result gives us the belief that we can go out and fight for points in these final two races.
"Finally, a big shout out to the whole team – the last few races have been tough but today is a real reward and sends us home with smiles on our faces after three weeks on the road.
"I'm looking forward to Vegas!"
Mike Krack, Team Principal
"Today's result was a great reward for a lot of hard work over the last few months and a difficult couple of races.
"Credit to everybody at the track and at the Campus for putting their heads down and working hard: we can all see what is possible with great teamwork.
"Fernando drove with great intelligence and skill – over the last few laps, he showed the world what a great driver he has always been.
"Lance did brilliantly to pass both Mercedes, keep the Ferrari behind and catch Sergio and Fernando at the end.
"It shows what is possible if we provide our drivers with a quick car: they perform exceptionally.
"We will celebrate this result – but the work continues to close the gap to the teams ahead of us. We will give 100 per cent focus to doing everything we can in the last two races.“