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Verstappen's legendary São Paulo GP comeback: Can he repeat the miracle?
In 2024, Max Verstappen pulled off one of the greatest comebacks Interlagos has ever seen. As the 2025 São Paulo Grand Prix kick-off, fans wonder: can he repeat the feat?
The 2025 São Paulo Grand Prix weekend begins, with the Drivers' Championship title still up for grabs. Lando Norris leads the way over his team-mate Oscar Piastri by one point and is 36 points ahead of the resurgent Max Verstappen.
Brazil is one of the two remaining sprint events and more points are up for grabs than during normal race weekends, with all three frontrunners – Norris, Piastri and Verstappen – looking to capitalise.
- What's next for Verstappen? Check out all the remaining races on the 2025 F1 calendar here
Max Verstappen's legendary drive from P17 to P1 in Brazil
It's the perfect time to look back the 2024 event, where eventual champion Max Verstappen miraculously finished on the top step of the podium after starting from 17th on the grid.
Max Verstappen on track
© Lars Baron/Getty Images/Red Bull Content Pool
In the lead-up to the 2025 race weekend, that performance is still the main talking point among fans. Clips of the race have been resurfacing across social media, sparking discussion on F1 forums. Even the official F1 account joined in, reposting highlights with the caption: "It was a victory which looked impossible… but impossible doesn’t exist to Max Verstappen."
The fan reaction has been just as intense. Comments range from, "One of the best races I have ever watched" to "Simply Max!" – and one fan summed up the mood perfectly: "I love how São Paulo is all about Max and Max only!"
The P17 comeback: what actually happened in 2024
Lando Norris had narrowly won the sprint race and finished on pole in qualifying, but Verstappen was knocked out in Q2 and finally started in 17th after replacing his power unit before the main event began.
Before the 2024 race, but after qualifying, Max told formula1.com: "We're starting far in the back, so it will be quite difficult to pass around here with all the spray and the amount of rain, but we'll have a look."
He had more than a look. After an incredible first lap, passing six other cars, Max was up to 11th and chasing down the top 10. As São Paulo's traditional rain arrived, the McLarens struggled and Verstappen surged through the field.
It was an incredible achievement not only because Verstappen finished first, but because of what it meant for the season, Max’s career and for the fans of the iconic event.
Why fans love the São Paulo Grand Prix
The São Paulo Grand Prix is a fan favourite every season. It's not set on a modern mega-campus, instead focusing on the passion of the fans and the track that’s intricately designed with excitement in mind.
"Give me five": Fans believe in a fifth F1 title for Verstappen
© Mark Thompson/Getty Images/Red Bull Content Pool
From the iconic climb up the hill from Juncao down to the first corner, anything can happen. Whether racers are risking an overtake before or after the start/finish line, they need to be careful but committed.
That’s all heightened by the fact that the weekend is almost always affected by rain. After a relatively dry first few days, the heavens opened on Sunday in 2024 and it worked in Verstappen’s favour. As he said after the race: "In the rain, it can work for you, or it can work against you."
In the rain, it can work for you, or it can work against you
You could sense a real connection between Verstappen's determination to overturn a poor qualifying result and the passion of the fans. Roaring him on halfway across the world from his home country, the magic of the São Paulo Grand Prix was on full display. It was a truly season-defining moment, making Verstappen the first driver ever to win a Formula One race from ten different positions on the grid.
Brazilian GP 2025 preview: what's the weather forecast for São Paulo?
Verstappen hopes a similar fate will fall on him and the Oracle Red Bull Racing team in 2025. Speaking to media ahead of the race weekend, he said: "Over the last few rounds, we have done a very good job as a team, but if we want to close that gap we have to be constantly ahead now. I think that'll be a big challenge, but we'll see."
As planetf1 notes, the forecast is expecting rain for this weekend, too. But as last year showed, that won’t stop Verstappen from going for the win. And this year, it’s more important than ever.
