Karun Chandhok thinks F1 will be furious after driver complains during the Sao Paulo Grand Prix

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One of the main changes heading into the Sao Paulo Grand Prix weekend was the track itself, which had been recently resurfaced.

Newly laid circuits often add a degree of uncertainty at races because teams are unsure on the impact it will have on the grip levels during the race.

Previously this has caused headaches for drivers, including the 2017 British Grand Prix and the 2020 Turkish Grand Prix which was effectively an ice skating rink in the wet conditions.

At Sao Paulo, the initial report from Pirelli stated that the new surface was prone to producing higher tyre temperatures and more degradation in the dry. The drivers were less than impressed with the developments, with Lewis Hamilton being the most vocal.

Hamilton complained that the bumps were too much and even worse than Baku 2022 for his car, when he completed the race but suffered from terrible back pain in the aftermath.

Fernando Alonso was also vocal about the bumps and said it was ‘not normal’ over team radio after also complaining about his back. Karun Chandhok believes F1 will be ‘having words’ with the organisers when discussing it in commentary during the race on Sky Sports.

Karun Chandhok thinks F1 should be ‘asking for its money back’ after Intelagos resurface

The greasy and wet conditions were challenging enough for drivers over the Sao Paulo GP weekend, but the track surface added an extra layer of uncertainty.

Lando Norris also complained about the bumps following practice, although it appeared to affect the McLaren less than the Mercedes and Aston Martin. Chandhok says teams will not be impressed either way with the resurfacing.

“They need to be having words with whoever did the resurface job,” said Chandhok.

“You can’t put a new surface down, having spent millions, because it’s not cheap to put down a new surface, and end up with something bumpier than what you had the year before. If you have that kind of building outside of your house, you’d be asking for your money back.”

What Max Verstappen did that Lewis Hamilton could not do in the wet

Verstappen put in a masterclass performance when he won the race from 17th on the grid, mimicking his drive around Interlagos in 2016.

Chandhok compared it to Ayrton Senna’s famous drive in the rain at Donington in 1993, after he overtook six cars on the opening lap.

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Verstappen could reach the limits of his car better than Hamilton and Alonso according to Peter Windsor, due to the issues they faced with their car on the bumps.

Alonso was also nursing a brake issue towards the end of the race which caused him to drop off the pace dramatically by the chequered flag.