Lewis Hamilton sends three-word message to Max Verstappen after winning the Sao Paulo Grand Prix

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The 2024 Sao Paulo Grand Prix may be looked back on as one of the greatest victories in Red Bull driver Max Verstappen’s Formula 1 career.

For only the third time in the history of Formula 1, a driver has started 17th on the grid and gone on to win, with Max Verstappen emulating Kimi Raikkonen who was the last person to achieve the feat.

Red Bull were well aware that they were on the back foot going into Sunday’s Grand Prix.

Their car has had a significant pace disadvantage to McLaren and Ferrari in the past few months, reflected in their position in the Constructors’ Championship.

However, Verstappen has stood head and shoulders above the rest of the field, extracting every possible bit of performance out of his RB20.

That has meant Verstappen going against the wishes of the Red Bull factory at times, but it’s worked out in the end.

The 27-year-old’s lead in the Drivers’ Championship has now grown to 62 points and with just three race weekends left, Lando Norris is going to need a miracle to overturn that deficit.

Verstappen posted on Instagram after the race and immediately received thousands of messages of congratulations.

One of those messages was from Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton who has had plenty of run-ins with Verstappen over the years but had to admire his brilliance after his Sao Paulo Grand Prix victory.

Lewis Hamilton sends message to Max Verstappen after Brazilian Grand Prix victory

After being caught out by one of five red flags in qualifying, Verstappen started the race in 17th after a five-place grid penalty was applied.

By the end of the first lap he was running in the points and when Franco Colapinto’s crash brought out the final red flag of the day, Verstappen was running in second having not pitted for new tyres.

Verstappen got the better of Esteban Ocon at the final restart of the day and drove off into the distance.

Karun Chandhok was incredibly impressed with Verstappen even if it left him questioning the way he had driven in the races leading up to the Sao Paulo Grand Prix.

Posting on Instagram, Verstappen said: “Unbelievable!!! What a roller coaster… SIMPLY LOVELY. Thank you everyone @redbullracing.”

Nico Hulkenberg, who was disqualified from the race referred to Verstappen as the greatest of all time, while another man who fits into that category, Lewis Hamilton, said: “Amazing drive, congrats.”

READ MORE: Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton’s life outside F1 from net worth to family

Max Verstappen compared to Ayrton Senna after Sao Paulo Grand Prix win

Verstappen knows that victory at the next race in Las Vegas would be enough to make him a four-time F1 world champion.

It would mean he’s more decorated than the likes of Nelson Piquet, Niki Lauda and Ayrton Senna.

READ MORE: Red Bull driver Max Verstappen’s life outside F1 from net worth to girlfriend

Senna was being honoured throughout the race weekend as the anniversary of his death was 30 years ago.

Sebastian Vettel paid tribute to Senna before the race weekend started and Hamilton got to drive one of his iconic McLaren’s before Sunday’s Grand Prix.

Chandhok compared Verstappen’s win to one particular Senna victory and it’s a comparison the 27-year-old is likely to treasure on his way to surpassing the Brazilian’s title record.