The Brazilian Grand Prix in Sao Paulo last weekend was a heart-stopping epic that saw Max Verstappen, Lando Norris. and Fernando Alonso getting podium finishes as Lewis Hamilton and Mercedes struggled, and Red Bull remained on top.

It was a sprint to the finish between Dutchman Max Verstappen and Brit Lando Norris, but the McLaren driver just could not overcome the Red Bull ace, with Spaniard Fernando Alonso of Aston Martin finishing third. Meanwhile, Verstappen's Red Bull teammate, Sergio Perez of Mexico, finished fourth.

Five Takeaways From the Brazilian Grand Prix in Sao Paulo

The Brazilian Grand Prix was certainly an exciting affair, especially with such a close finish between Verstappen and Norris. Here are five things from that epic race in Sao Paulo:

Toto Wolff Unhappy With Mercedes and Lewis Hamilton Performance

While the finish was all about Verstappen and Norris, a few eyes were set on a man who did not even make the podium, Lewis Hamilton. According to Planet F1, Mercedes boss Toto Wolff said that the Brazilian Grand Prix was an "inexcusable performance" for his drivers, Hamilton included. The team of Lewis Hamilton and George Russel started out strong but sputtered as the race went on.

"There's even no words for that. That car finished second last week and the week before and, whatever we did to it, was horrible," said Wolff. "Lewis survived out there but George... I can only feel for the two drivers with such a miserable thing."

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Lando Norris Happy About Performance Despite Loss to Max Verstappen

Following his podium finish, Lando Norris spoke with F1 and said, "This has been a close to perfect weekend, close, not quite, but as close as it gets."

"I just got a very good start, I did the opposite of yesterday. I mean that saved me, I don't know what happened to [Leclerc], I saw he had an issue which was a shame as it would have been good to try and race everyone a little bit," he added.

Lando Norris Climbs Up the Rankings With Only 2 Races Left

With his 2nd place finish in Brazil, Lando Norris moved up to fifth place in the rankings, overtaking Carlos Sainz. He is now behind Aston Martin's Fernando Alonso, who is in fourth place, while Lewis Hamilton is still in third place with 226 points. He would not be able to catch up to Verstappen, though, as with two races remaining, the Dutchman is firmly on top at 524, followed by his Mexican teammate, Sergio Perez, at 2nd.

Red Bull's Max Verstappen Extends Record With 17th Win of the Season

Max Verstappen has been dominant, and he currently has the record for the most wins of the season. He is firmly in 1st place, with teammate Perez and rival Lewis Hamilton not looking like they could catch him.

Next Stop for F1 Is in Las Vegas

F1 will go "Viva Las Vegas!" next time, as the next major grand prix happens in Nevada. It is scheduled for Sunday, November 19, and will be the first time this major racing event is happening. It will have 60 laps and will be the penultimate race, followed by the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.

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Written by: Rick Martin

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