F1 – Brazil Grand Prix LIVE: Lap-by-lap updates as Max Verstappen WINS having started from 17th… to all but end Lando Norris’ title hopes after Brit slipped from pole position to finish in  sixth place

Speaking after the race, he said: ‘My emotions today have been a roller coaster, with qualifying being really unlucky with that red flag, starting P17 I knew that was going to be a very tough race.

‘We stayed out of trouble, we made the right calls and stayed calm and we were flying so all of these things together made that result possible but I mean unbelievable, to win here from so far back on the grid.”

On understanding the grip and setting fastest laps, he added: “It’s very hard to pass around here with the new tarmac, it’s only one line you can take but I just knew that I had to go for it. It’s of course always easy to front lock, to try and balance that out, but I had confidence on the brakes as well which helps. Turn One is always a good corner to pass.’

Verstappen has increased his championship lead over Norris to 62 points with the win.

He can now secure the championship in Vegas if he leaves that weekend with a lead of 60+ points.

Speaking on the radio, Verstappen says: ‘what an unbelievable race, guys. You know what that is? Simply lovely, I tell yo that.’

Jubilant scenes for the Alpine team as Ocon comes second with Gasly third. Those points could very worth be worth $50m for the team with what it does to the standings in the constructers championship.

It’s been an absolute masterclass on how to race in the wet as Verstappen crosses the line to surpass Michael Schumacher for the most consecutive days leading the championship.

The order looks pretty set for now with only Perez and Hamilton inovled in much of a battle.

The Red Bull man is right behind the Mercedes, whi sits in 10th.

Only a huge mistake from Verstappen can stop him winning this race.

Norris’ team tell him to try and close the gap on Leclerc. He responds saying that is obviously what he’s trying to do.

Mood in the McLaren camp is not looking too positive.

McLaren’s day could still get worse with the investigation still ongoing into the starting procedure infringement.

He appeared to move before the green lights went out and a penalty is likely based on past precedents.

Perez makes a mistake and Hamilton capitalises, slipping into 10th.

Norris is showing no signs of some late-race heroics. He’s still a long way back from fifth-placed Leclerc and the gap is not closing.

It’s starting to look like a procession for the three-time world champion, whose gap continues to grow.

This race could not have gone much better for him so far.

A four-second lead now for the champikonship leader. He started this race in 17th.

Piastri follows team orders and lets him team-mate move into 6th. It’s still been a disaster of a race for Norris so far.

The safet6 car depaets and the drama resumes as Verstappen makes his move on Ocon and takes the lead.

Norris goes off the track and slips down to 7th.

A huge moment in the race for the championship.

Carlos Sainz has slammed into the wall and the safety car is back out.

He’s out of the race and the chaos of this race continues.

The Haas driver loses his rear for the second time in a matter of minutes and goes spinning towards the wall.

Luckily for hin he stops just in time and manages to rejoin the race. Down to 16th.

The McLaren driver loses his car on the corner as he chases Russell but manages to regroup quickly and remains on his tail.

Bearman immediately spins off but that doesn’t hold things up as Ocon gets the race back underway

And it will be a rolling start.

The weather conditions need to improve according to race control, The rain does seem to have lightened up but there’s no confirmed time for a restart.

He tells his team: ‘I knew it, we should have stayed out.’

Him and Norris in the same boat.

The Dutchman hadn’t pitted yet while his title rival had.

‘I guess everyone can just change tyres for free now?’ asks Lando Norris. “They can,” is the reply from the pit wall.

A costly decision from McLaren.

Oh dear. Franco Colapinto’s race is over as he crashes into the wall and that means Verstappen will get a free stop under the rad flag.

Fortunately Colapinto is OK.

The heavy rain has dissipated.

Norris finally gets past the Mercedes man but has he done it too late?

He’s 4th with Gasly, Verstappen and Ocon ahead. Ocon now has an eight second lead.

The safety car is out for the rain now. Drama in Sao Paulo.

The race leaders tried to make a smart stop under the virtual safety car but it hasn’t worked out!

Rusell comes back into 4th while Norris is 5th. Ocon has the lead with Verstappen 2nd.

It’s teaming it down now. Norris is really forcing the issue on Russell now while Hulkeburg spins. Cars are coming into the pits but still choosing the inters.

The rain has arrvied and Leclerc is the first one to box. On to a fresh set of inters he goes and comes back into 12th.

The focus has been on Norris and Verstappen but Ocon icontiues to close in on third-placed Tsunoda.

A good batle between those two.

He tries to make a move on Leclerc and fails, claiming he was squeezed out on the corner.

Meanwhile, the clouds are closing in. It’s getting darker and darker.

Leclerc has managed to slow Verstappen’s rise up the leaderboard.

That’s good news for Norris but he’s not managing to do his part with Russell extending his lead to nearly two seconds.

Max continues his charge and he’s now right on the back of Leclerc.

Norris will be hoping the Ferrari man can put up more of a fight than those who came before.

The championship contender has failed to make any ground on Russell with the gap still over a second.

This is how it stands at the top:

He keeps making ground. It’s Lawson who Verstappen passes now on his way up to sixth.

Meanwhile, Lewis Hamilton briefly goes off the track, allowing Franco Colapinto to move past him into 12th.

He’s the quickest man on the track and he’s making it count. It’s another easy pass for the Red Bull man as Piastri gives way.

The Dutchman continues to push, he’s now right on the tail of Norris’ team-mate Oscar Piastri.

The gap between Norris and Ruseell is less than a second now while Verstappen has got past Alonso into 8th.

Verstappen sets another fastest lap. He is flying.

Rusell still leads the pack.

There’s only 10 seconds between Norris and Verstappen, who moves past Gasly into ninth.

In the midst of all that action the Red Bull man is already up to 10th from 17th, passing Lewis Hamilton on his way. Heavy rain reported already.

Another poor start for Norris as Russell passes him easily at the start.

An opening lap of many near misses until Sergio Perez takes a spin. He manages to stay in the race but he’s right at the back.

Thhe rain is just starting to fall but we’re still good enough for a standing start.

A chaotic weekend has continued with a chaotic start to this race.

The cars are about to head off for their third formation lap.

Norris is now under investigation for moving under the yellow light.

He could now face a penalty and all this means is this race is going to be impacted by rain sooner than expected.

The cars are all over the place. So some drivers are waiting on the grid, while others have peeled away to go for another formation lap. And now Norris could be in trouble because he’s moved off the grid.

Incredible scenes as Lance Stroll spins off during the formation lap.

He’s tried to keep the engine running but ended up stuck in the gravel.

This will be an aborted start.

The clouds are circling but it’s got warmer.

However, rain is still expected during this race.

Max Verstappen has been left fuming at a late red flag call during qualifying for the Brazilian Grand Prix, as the Red Bull driver dropped to a disappointing 17th on the grid.

In the heavy rain of Sao Paulo, Lance Stroll crashed into a wall as he attempted a turn during Q2 and a red flag was shown, albeit after a short delay as FIA race director Niels Wittich attempted to let those doing a flying lap finish their laps.

The stoppage meant that Verstappen was unable to complete another lap and, with the Dutchman stranded in 12th in that round, he was knocked out of qualifying as only the top 10 make it through to Q3.

Add on his five-place penalty for Red Bull’s decision to change his power unit ahead of the race, and the reigning champion was left in 17th place, severely damaging his prospects for the grand prix.

Unhappy with Wittich’s call, Verstappen launched into a foul-mouthed rant on the radio to voice his discontent.

An electric atmosphere at Interlagos.

Pole-sitter Lando Norris’s rain-soaked path to the world championship opened up in a pinball qualifying session for the Brazilian Grand Prix when Max Verstappen managed only the 12th fastest time.

With a five-place grid penalty, the Dutchman will start from 17th on the grid, though crashed cars above him may not be repairable in time and he is likely to be somewhat boosted up the order.

As for Norris, it was a pole position to dream of on the sodden Interlagos track, with Mercedes’ George Russell second quickest and RB’s Yuki Tsunoda a surprise third.

Norris must now capitalise emphatically on what presents itself as a momentum-shifting opportunity in the title contest.

Verstappen, who heads the standings by 44 points with four races remaining, was partly a victim of bad luck. He was on course to improve his time as seconds ticked down in Q2, only for Aston Martin’s Lance Stroll to tumble off track and cause a red flag that brought a premature end to proceedings.

And welcome to Mail Sport’s live blog for the Brazilian Grand Prix.

This race has a huge amount at stake in terms of this year’s drivers’ championship.

Lando Norris starts on pole ahead of his title rival Max Verstappen, who will start the race from 17th with a five-place grid penalty.

Only 47 ponts separate the two championship rivals with three races to go after this one.