Paris (AFP)

An unexpectedly unexpected conclusion to a season so complicated: Pierre Gasly (Toro Rosso), 2nd Sunday of the Brazilian Grand Prix won by the Dutchman Max Verstappen (Red Bull), discovered the joys of the podium in F1.

The Norman becomes at 23, 9 months and 10 days the youngest tricolor to climb on the box. He is also the first since Romain Grosjean (Lotus), 3rd in the 2015 Belgian GP.

Spaniard Carlos Sainz Jr (McLaren), last on the grid after a breakdown in qualifying, also signs his first top 3 thanks to a penalty imposed after the race to the British Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes), who had crossed the line in 3rd position .

For the Frenchman, this 20th and penultimate round of 2019 brings a positive conclusion to a difficult season.

Promoted from Toro Rosso to Red Bull during the winter, it was downgraded in the summer for lack of results, to the benefit of the Thai Alexander Albon. But since his return to the Italian team, the Normand seems to have found his good mood and his level of performance.

"It seems stupid to say that but it's clearly the best day of my life, he said at the microphone of Canal + So many emotions, I do not even know what to say, it's just amazing! "

- "Pierre never left" -

"It's not a rebirth," he said, "but he's gone, Peter, he never left, I said, my answer will be on the track, I did not think she would be that way there (laughs), so it's even better! "

Fast all weekend (he was 6th on the starting grid behind the drivers of the top teams Mercedes, Ferrari and Red Bull), Gasly will lead again in 2020 for the Italian team, his contract having been extended at the beginning of the week .

The second tricolor Romain Grosjean (Haas) is 13th.

Verstappen, in pole position, took the best twice on Hamilton and escaped the incidents that have enamelled the end of the race to afford a victory there too taste redemption.

Last year, he had let slip a success that stretched his arms on the same circuit of Interlagos, Sao Paulo, in a collision with the French Esteban Ocon (Force India) during a useless confrontation.

"I had a lot of fun," replied the Dutchman. "It's great to win, we knew we had the speed for that all weekend, I'm happy to do it this time."

This thrilling GP also saw the Ferrari of the German Sebastian Vettel and Monegasque Charles Leclerc hit the 66th lap of 71, while the second tried to overtake the first.

- "Disappointing" for Ferrari -

Both were forced to abandon because of the damage caused, which made the business of Gasly and Sainz, such as the collision between Hamilton and Albon in the 70th lap.

"We are disappointed, this is the kind of situation that should not happen," admitted Ferrari's "main team" Mattia Binotto on Canal +.

While his drivers have faced each other on the track this season with the N.1 status of the Reds in their sights, "I think it's okay to let them fight," he said. he still. "Because in the constructors' championship, 2nd place is guaranteed, they were running for themselves, but for the team, it's always disappointing to see these things".

The commissioners, finally, judged the fresh six-time world champion Hamilton "mainly responsible" for his touch with the Thai Red Bull. They imposed him after the race 5 sec of penalty, which makes him move back from the 3rd to the 7th place final.

"I must apologize to Albon, it's my fault," admitted the Mercedes driver.

For Toro Rosso, this is the second podium of the year after that of the Russian Daniil Kvyat, 3rd in Germany after another crazy race. McLaren was no longer on the box since Australia in 2014.

© 2019 AFP