Brazilian F1 Grand Prix 2023 Results: Verstappen Wins 17th Race; Lewis Hamilton 6th

Max Verstappen won his fifth race in a row and earned his 17th checkered flag of 2023 on Sunday in the Brazilian Grand Prix, extending the single-season record he already claimed last week.

Lando Norris and Fernando Alonso filled out the podium.

Verstappen claimed the pole in during a qualifying session impacted by inclement weather in Sao Paulo. A blistering start from Norris put him hot on the heels of Mad Max, but he was unsurprisingly unable to maintain that pace.

Verstappen was yet again untouchable once he hit full stride midway through the race. For Norris, the task became holding onto his position in second place.

Alonso and Sergio Pérez waged a tight battle for the final spot on the podium. Pérez overtook Alonso on Lap 70, only to cede third place back on the final lap. They went head to head in a sprint to the finish, and Alonso managed to hang on by the slimmest of margins.

Charles Leclerc has encountered his fair share of bad luck this season, but nothing tops what unfolded Sunday.

The Monte Carlo native was due to start from the second position but crashed out on the formation lap. He experienced a hydraulics problem that sent him skidding into the wall at Turn 7.

Fans couldn't help but sympathize with Leclerc given how the campaign has unfolded for him.

He wasn't the only driver to suffer an unexpectedly early exit.

Kevin Magnussen and Alex Albon also collided on the first lap and claimed Oscar Piastri as collateral damage. Piastri was at least able to continue. Alfa Romeo teammates Valtteri Bottas and Zhou Guanyu eventually joined the DNF ranks as well.

The F1 circuit heads to Sin City for the Las Vegas Grand Prix on Nov. 18, which is the penultimate race of the season. At this point, many drivers might already be looking forward to the end of the year, when they and their teams will have more time to devise ways to bridge the gap on Verstappen in 2024.