But the story of the race was the performance of Red Bull ace Max Verstappen, who finished third after starting in the pit lane. It was only the eighth time that a driver has finished on the podium from a pit-lane start.

Verstappen won the event in Brazil last year from 17th on the grid, so no one was counting out a charge from the Dutch driver, but a podium finish might have exceeded expectations – particularly given Verstappen had to pit early with a puncture and there was no rain during the race.

It was one of several moments early in the race that had the potential to change its course, with two safety cars within the first 10 laps.

Kick Sauber’s Gabriel Bortoleto saw his horror weekend end in such fashion as he hit the wall on lap one. The lone Brazilian driver on the grid missed qualifying for the grand prix altogether after a bad crash late in the sprint race.

That saw the first safety car out on the track, and a couple of drivers head for early pit stops, before the race restarted about five laps later.

It was only moments after the race got properly under way again that another incident had an impact on the race, with Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc forced to retire after coming out worst off in a three-car incident.

Antonelli found himself squeezed by McLaren’s Oscar Piastri and Leclerc around a corner. He was clipped by Piastri and spun into Leclerc, which forced the Ferrari off the track and saw him lose a tyre.

The early carnage might have changed some strategies, but Lawson was held out on the track on soft tyres until the 20th lap, holding his position well before being called in to switch for mediums.

He came under pressure down the back end of the race to hold his position, but was perhaps fortunate that the main source of that pressure was Kick Sauber’s Nico Hulkenberg – the only other driver on track who completed a one-stop race.

A seventh-placed finish saw Lawson add six points to take his season total to 36, moving to 14th in the Driver’s Championship standings.

Importantly, it was a result reflective of the promise shown in qualifying, and as the spotlight heats up on what the Red Bull stable will look like in 2026, it was a drive that only adds to his claims.

Sao Paulo Grand Prix results

DNF: Gabriel Bortoleto – Kick Sauber, Lewis Hamilton – Ferrari, Charles Leclerc – Ferrari.

Christopher Reive joined the Herald sports team in 2017, bringing the same versatility to his coverage as he does to his sports viewing habits.