06 November 2023 , 09:30
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Fernando Alonso says beating Sergio Perez to third in the last few seconds of the Brazilian Grand Prix wasn't the "crucial moment" of his race - it was overtaking Lewis Hamilton.
Alonso, still going strong aged 42, went neck-and-neck with Red Bull star Perez and narrowly pipped him to third place by just a tenth of a second at the chequered flag. But the experienced Aston Martin driver had coolly overtaken Mercedes ace Hamilton on turn four of the first lap in what was just one part of a dramatic opening to Sunday's race.
"Obviously the last lap overtake was quite a lot of commitment," Alonso explained, all while Mercedes' inquest into an "inexcusable" and "miserable" race began after Hamilton only finished eighth. "We were both just all-or-nothing in a few corners. But I think, to be honest, the most important overtake of the race was on Hamilton into turn four in lap one. That changed my race.
"If I start P4 and I have to fight with Hamilton on the first stint, even if I can eventually get in front by lap 10 or whatever, my tyres will never be in a condition to stand the first stint and then have a tyre advantage to Checo (Perez) in the second stint and third stint. So for me, that is one crucial moment of my race and it's lap one into turn four with Hamilton."
The Spaniard's moment to overtake Hamilton came immediately after the restart following a red flag in Sao Paulo which was brought on by a three-car collision. Alex Albon of Williams attempted to blast out of the blocks but made contact with both Haas drivers, Kevin Magnussen and Nico Hulkenberg, before the first corner, meaning that the race was paused for 25 minutes as the drivers returned to the pits.
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Ferrari's Charles Leclerc, who started second on the grid, never even made it past the formation lap. The 26-year-old's hydraulics seemingly failed, resulting in him crashing into the barriers and furiously bemoaning over his team's radio: "Why am I so f****** unlucky?"
But long after the drama of the first few minutes, Alonso and Perez gave us a blockbuster finale. The latter looked to have earned a place on the podium with one lap to go after finally overtaking Alonso, only for Formula 1's most experienced driver to regain the lead on his Mexican opponent when it mattered.
This crash resulted in an early red flag at the Brazilian Grand Prix (Mark Thompson/Getty Images)Have your say! Will Lewis Hamilton ever win another F1 championship? Give us your prediction in the comments section.
"It was quite an intense battle," Perez, who remains second and above seven-time world champion Hamilton on the 2023 leaderboard with two races remaining, told Sky Sports post-race. "We tried everything. Unfortunately we didn't succeed on that, but it was well deserved for Fernando. "I think we had a great fight, very fair and to the limit.
"I think this is something that a lot of drivers can learn from because what we did, the way we fought today, it's how it should be done. I'm in the wrong side, I end up losing but it's fine because it was a great fight."