Max Verstappen delivered yet another breathtaking performance at Interlagos — storming from the pit lane to the podium at the 2025 Sao Paulo Grand Prix, turning what began as one of his toughest weekends
into a showcase for the ages.
The four-time world champion started from the pit lane after a disastrous qualifying — his worst in four years — but once the lights went out, the Dutchman reminded everyone why he remains one of Formula 1’s most complete drivers.
By lap seven, Verstappen found himself dead last in P18 after early chaos, yet he carved through the field with relentless pace and strategic precision.
A perfectly timed second pit stop on lap 55 dashed any faint hopes of victory but guaranteed him a third-place finish and a place in F1 history.
FROM THE PIT LANE TO P3*#F1 #BrazilGP *He’s not finished yet! pic.twitter.com/hW6oPO7BFG
— Formula 1 (@F1) November 9, 2025
With this result, Verstappen became the first driver ever to score podiums from 17 different starting positions, including the pit lane. He had previously shared the record of 16 with Fernando Alonso.
His range now includes every grid slot from P1 to P10, plus P14, P15, P16, P17, P18, P20, and the pit lane: a testament to his racecraft across every imaginable circumstance.
Verstappen also joined an elite trio of drivers to claim a podium after starting from the pit lane — Sebastian Vettel (Abu Dhabi 2012), Lewis Hamilton (Hungary 2014), and now Verstappen himself.
But the records didn’t stop there. The 68-time Grand Prix winner now boasts the best podium percentage in Formula 1 history among drivers with at least 60 starts — an astonishing 53.91%, edging out Hamilton’s 53.58%.
While Verstappen’s historic charge lit up Brazil, the title fight remains uphill. He trails championship leader Lando Norris by 49 points with just three races and one sprint left this season.
Records may fall one after another, but for Verstappen, the focus is clear: the chase for a fifth world title isn’t over yet.
