Onboard: Hamilton and Verstappen Gain 21 Positions Between Them at São Paulo GP Start

Onboard footage from the São Paulo Grand Prix start shows Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen combining to gain 21 positions, a vivid snapshot of how much can change in the opening seconds at Interlagos. The clip follows both drivers through the first-corner scramble, turning a single start into a case study in positioning, braking points and opportunistic racecraft.

Why it matters:

Starts remain one of the most volatile phases of a Grand Prix, especially at a circuit with a long run to Turn 1 and a pack that often arrives tightly bunched. A combined gain of 21 places underlines how quickly a driver can recover from a difficult qualifying result—or how costly a cautious launch can be.

The details:

• Hamilton and Verstappen gained 21 positions between them from the start of the São Paulo GP.
• The onboard view captures the pair’s progress through the opening exchanges rather than a single isolated move.
• The combined figure is the headline; the split between the two drivers is less important than the shared theme of aggressive, decisive starts.
• Interlagos’ first-lap environment rewards drivers who read the gaps early and commit to the outside or inside line without hesitation.

What’s next:

The footage will be useful for teams reviewing launch performance and first-lap risk. It also serves as a reminder that in F1, races are often shaped before the field settles into its opening stint.