The Dutchman, leader of the world championship, will accompany him on the front line at 2:00 p.m. local time (6:00 p.m. French), on the Interlagos circuit in Sao Paulo, while his great rival Hamilton will start in tenth only.

The Briton, the fastest in qualifying on Friday but disqualified because his car did not comply with the regulations, climbed Saturday from twentieth and last position on the grid to fifth place in the sprint.

But it will automatically retreat at the start of the GP because it is subject to a penalty of five places for an engine change in excess of the quota authorized per season.

His second place on Saturday also gives Verstappen two more points in the drivers' standings, allowing him to extend his lead over the scoring Hamilton to 21 lengths with four innings remaining the season.

The Dutchman is dangerously approaching the 25-point mark that would protect him from retirement in the home stretch.

Second on the grid behind the Red Bull driver, but equipped with softer tires, Bottas logically got off to a better start, overtaking him at the first corner and keeping his lead until the end.

Finnish driver Valtteri Bottas, winner of the qualifying race and therefore pole position, on November 13, 2021 at the Interlagos circuit, on the eve of the Formula 1 Brazilian Grand Prix LARS BARON POOL / AFP

"We made a bet with the tires. We did it because we knew our best chance to take the lead was at the start," said the Finnish winner.

"In the end, on these tires (less durable, editor's note), it was just a matter of surviving and everything worked as expected."

Verstappen "will try again"

"It was not possible to pass him, I was just stuck behind him," admits Verstappen.

"But we'll try again tomorrow."

Dutch driver Max Verstappen, November 13, 2021 at the Interlagos circuit, during the qualifying sprint race for the Formula 1 Brazilian Grand Prix, November 14 NELSON ALMEIDA AFP

The warmer weather should then favor his Red Bull over Mercedes hitherto faster than expected this weekend.

What's more, the Sao Paulo GP "still has the recipe for theatrical events and great races," German Sebastian Vettel recalled on Thursday.

"When you think it's over, that's where things happen."

The second row on Sunday will go to the Spaniard Carlos Sainz Jr (Ferrari) and the Mexican Sergio Pérez (Red Bull), respectively third and fourth on Saturday.

Taking advantage of Hamilton's penalty to gain a position, Briton Lando Norris (McLaren) and Monegasque Charles Leclerc (Ferrari) will settle in third row, and French Pierre Gasly (AlphaTauri) and Esteban Ocon (Alpine) in fourth line.

German Sebastian Vettel (Aston Martin) and the seven-time British world champion will close the Top 10 on the grid.

The Brazilian GP, ​​canceled last year due to the Covid-19 pandemic, is the third and last in 2021 to offer this new sprint racing format.

A little over 100 km long, swallowed in about thirty minutes (i.e. 24 laps at Interlagos), it determines the starting grid of the GP and also offers some points in the championship: three points in the first, Bottas, two in the second, Verstappen, and one in the third, Sainz.

Six "sprint" GPs should be among the 23 races on the calendar for the 2022 season.

© 2021 AFP