Brazil Facts and Stats: A race of highs for Honda

It was hard to say who came away happiest from Interlagos after a showstopper of a Brazilian Grand Prix. Max Verstappen? Pierre Gasly? Race fans in general? The real answer was probably Honda, judging from today’s post-race stats…

• Verstappen’s Red Bull win was his first from pole in Formula 1. It was also his 30th career podium and 75th career points finish.
• Honda - who power both Red Bull and Toro Rosso – led their 5,000th lap in Formula 1 racing today – which just happens to be the anniversary of the birth of company founder Soichiro Honda.
• Gasly’s second place – his first F1 podium – was Toro Rosso's best finish since Sebastian Vettel won the 2008 Italian Grand Prix.
• It meant Honda took their first 1-2 finish since the day Ayrton Senna clinched his final world title at the 1991 Japanese Grand Prix.
• It was Honda’s first 1-2 finish with two different teams since Monza 1987, when Nelson Piquet’s Williams finished ahead of compatriot Senna’s Lotus.

• Fourth-place Kimi Raikkonen (pictured above) ended a seven-race scoreless streak, the longest of his F1 career.
• Alfa Romeo team mate Antonio Giovinazzi finished sixth on the road, the best finish of his F1 career.
• It meant the team saw both cars take the flag in the top six for the first time since the 2012 German Grand Prix (then known as Sauber).
• Following Lewis Hamilton’s post-race penalty, Carlos Sainz moved up to third to secure his first F1 podium, the 100th for a Spanish driver.
• It was McLaren’s first podium result since the 2014 Australian Grand Prix – where coincidentally they also picked up an extra podium following Daniel Ricciardo’s disqualification.