Ex-Formula 1 driver turned pundit Martin Brundle was surprised that Max Verstappen wasn’t a leading contender for ‘Driver of the Day’ on Sunday at the Brazilian Grand Prix, where he claimed yet another victory.
Verstappen made the perfect start from pole position and did well to weather an early threat, in the shape of Lando Norris.
Norris had one attempt at overtaking the three-time World Champion in the opening laps, before Verstappen suddenly opened his legs and escaped into the distance in typical fashion.
The Red Bull driver cruised to victory ahead of Norris by just over eight seconds, which resulted in him surpassing 500 points in the Drivers’ Championship.
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Verstappen’s record-breaking 17th win of 2023 saw him move onto 524 points, a staggering 276 points ahead of second-placed Sergio Perez.
The Dutchman’s win also saw him break Alberto Ascari’s 1952 record for percentage of wins in a season.
Ascari won 75% of the races in 1952, with Verstappen’s win at Interlagos having meant he’s won 77% of the races this year, a percentage which can still increase even more with two races remaining.
Despite his dominance and record-breaking win, it was Norris who won the fan vote for ‘Driver of the Day’, to which Brundle questioned why the Red Bull driver “doesn’t even get a look in”.
“Driver of the Day, currently being led by Lando Norris, who has been the driver of the day in the last two races, going for a hat-trick,” Sky Sports commentator David Croft said in the closing laps.
“So, the bloke out front doesn’t even get a look in then?” questioned Brundle.
“Well, it’s all about the car, isn’t it?” joked Croft in response. “That’s what everyone says. I don’t necessarily, totally agree with that one.
“It’s a fine car but he’s using it consistently better than his teammate this season.”
Prior to talking about the award, Brundle had been busy praising Perez, who looked like his old self in Brazil.
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The Mexican missed out on a podium finish by just 0.053s, although Brundle pointed out that he was still 25 seconds behind Verstappen at the time.
By the end of the race, Perez had actually fallen to over 34 seconds behind the reigning World Champion.
“I was welcoming back Sergio Perez for a super drive and it has been, but he’s currently 25 seconds behind Verstappen,” Brundle pointed out.