GrandPrix247 2024 Race of the Year: The Sao Paulo Grand Prix

The first reason the São Paulo Grand Prix is a great one is the track, the Autódromo José Carlos Pace, São Paulo. It is an all-time classic, and it is always great to see Formula 1 race there.

And then there was the weather, which always delivers a twist in the course of the events, and boy, what a twist that was this season!

Although it was not ideal to cancel qualifying and postpone it to race day. That made it more challenging for the drivers and teams, although we have to sympathize with staff that had to be up from the crack of dawn to get the cars ready for qualifying.

Max Verstappen came to Sao Paulo with an engine penalty looming, and indeed he got one, which gave Lando Norris the upper hand up to qualifying. That is when the Briton was on pole while the Dutchman was 12th and also dropped to 17th after the penalty.

That was a huge shift in terms of the drivers' championship, but then came that masterful drive from Verstappen during the race to take the win. It was a drive that would go down in F1 history and one of the best of all time.

Verstappen's car control in the tricky wet conditions, the way he managed the tyres, the manner in which he attacked all showed his prowess as a multiple F1 champion and were just another moment of brilliance that just showed how great a talent he is.

But maybe what's more important about the Sao Paulo Grand Prix is that it was the moment when Norris probably realized the monumental effort he would need to put in to beat Verstappen, something he was clearly unable to achieve in 2024.

Norris' body language after the race, saying Verstappen won by luck (Red flag) and not talent—he retracted his statements in the FIA gala—all showed that at that moment, it dawned on him how good his rival was and how tough it would be to beat him.

A great track, tricky weather, and a sublime drive through the field were all factors that made the 2024 Sao Paulo Grand Prix our Race of the Year.