Bernie Collins highlights F1’s ‘bigger problem’ Sao Paulo GP raised after Max Verstappen complaints

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Max Verstappen took a dominant victory at the Sao Paulo Grand Prix after starting from 17th on the grid at Interlagos.

The Dutchman took his first victory since the Spanish Grand Prix and silenced any talk of a championship battle.

Verstappen can now win his fourth world championship next time out at the Las Vegas Grand Prix if the Red Bull driver ends the weekend at least 60 points ahead of Lando Norris.

Heading to Brazil, Verstappen had suffered a difficult run as Norris built some momentum in the second half of the season with McLaren.

The Sao Paulo Grand Prix ran in very difficult conditions, with qualifying held just hours before the race, creating a much more difficult Sunday.

Bernie Collins explained on the Sky Sports F1 Podcast she had one main issue in Brazil that highlighted a problem in Formula 1.

Bernie Collins’ ‘frustration’ is with drivers pushing for a red flag to benefit their race

Norris was battling Mercedes driver George Russell at the front of the field before the red flags stopped the race 32 laps in after Franco Colapinto crashed behind the safety car.

The leading pair had pitted for new intermediate tyres before the race was interrupted with a safety car, critically giving up track position as Verstappen and Esteban Ocon stayed out.

This meant Ocon led the race ahead of Verstappen and benefitted from changing tyres under the red flag, with both taking on new tyres but without losing any time.

It allowed the pair to leapfrog Norris and Russell with half the race to go and give Verstappen an opportunity to extend his championship advantage.

READ MORE: ‘Silence them’… Gianpiero Lambiase’s unbroadcast radio message to Max Verstappen at Sao Paulo Grand Prix

Collins explained that the three-time world champion and Ocon were pushing for a red flag and complaining to the race director before the safety car interrupted the Sao Paulo GP.

In doing so, Verstappen and the Alpine ace proved a ‘bigger problem’ Formula 1 faces with drivers calling for races to be stopped due to the conditions despite not utilising the full wet tyres Pirelli provides.

She said: “The bigger problem for me is that in this race, I think three or four people have changed to full wet at a point. This is my gripe, and this is my current frustration with what happened on Sunday. And it happened many times in the past. But we get to a point where drivers are on track, complaining about track conditions.

“Some drivers have stopped to fit a new intermediate because the current intermediates are too worn for the condition. Some drivers have stopped for a full wet.

“But the drivers that haven’t stopped, and in particular from what I gathered, Max Verstappen and Esteban Ocon, are then complaining very heavily about track condition, whether Max, in particular, calls out directly the FIA and the race director that there should be a red flag.”

Max Verstappen could leave Red Bull ahead of 2026

Verstappen is getting closer to his fourth consecutive world championship despite not having the quickest car for the second half of the season.

The Dutchman built a significant advantage after winning seven of the first 10 races this season while the rest of the field looked to catch up.

Red Bull are very unlikely to retain the Constructors’ Championship as they are third behind McLaren and Ferrari with three races to go.

Verstappen may still be looking to leave Red Bull before 2026 if the team don’t improve and they aren’t in a position to win the championship next season.