F1: Brazilian Grand Prix, Qualifying Predictions

Lewis Hamilton has already been crowned champion of the 2018 Formula One season but there is still a little racing left to do this year. All eyes turn towards the penultimate race on the calendar, the Brazilian Grand Prix, to see who grabs the last two victories of 2018. The constructors’ trophy, as well as the third place in the drivers’ standings too, remain to be claimed.

Free Practice 1 concluded with Max Verstappen topping the timesheets with less than a tenth of a second separating him from Sebastian Vettel and Lewis Hamilton. The Red Bull – Ferrari – Mercedes order then repeated itself as Daniel Ricciardo, Kimi Räikkönen and Valtteri Bottas followed them.

Second free practice saw Vettel splitting the Mercedes duo from the Red Bull one as Bottas put in a lap only three thousandth faster than Lewis. Nico Hülkenberg, however, endured a rotten session as he skidded into the barriers after only six laps to his name. Fortunately, the German climbed out of his Renault soon after.

With a lot still on the line, here is a list of qualifying predictions for the Brazilian Grand Prix:

#5 Fernando Alonso leaves a mark on Brazil

Surprisingly, Fernando Alonso has never won a Brazilian Grand Prix during his more than 16 year-long illustrious career in the sport. He has come as close as the second a few times but has never been able to get his hands on the elusive winner’s trophy.

The two-time world champion has already announced his decision to step away from Formula One after the completion of this season. However, a lot of fans around the world would be hoping for a last hurrah from the Spaniard before he hangs his gloves, at least in this category.

McLaren have not been as competitive as they would have hoped with the Renault engines, but if anyone can drive the car to a strong position, it would be Alonso. The 37-year-old might not top the timesheets during qualifying but he can surely provide for a bit of entertainment to the crowd one more time.

#4 Strong Qualifying for Haas

Haas have shown promise all season but failed to capitalize on the chances that have been available to them. The remaining two races of the year would provide them with the perfect opportunity to prove their decision of backing their two drivers for 2019, despite a few young drivers waiting in line for a seat in F1.

Kevin Magnussen and Romain Grosjean have both retained their seats with the United States based team and would be hoping to solidify or improve on their current positions in the driver standings.

The midfield battle for points is uncompromising and a small mistake on the part of these racers can result in them losing multiple positions to their rivals. Kevin and Romain are precariously stood on ninth and thirteenth currently, with drivers close enough to challenge both.

Slipping in Q3 can prove vital for the Haas racers in order to score points in Brazil and the team would be looking to do just that.

#3 Third Consecutive Entry for Leclerc in Q3

Charles Leclerc has improved so immensely in only his first year in Formula One that the entire world has taken notice. The rookie has bagged a Ferrari seat for next year and has continued to impress throughout. Not only has he outscored his teammate, Marcus Ericsson, during qualifying and races alike, he has also proved to be a formidable opponent for on-track battles.

Being featured in the third part of qualifying is not a rare occurrence by the Sauber driver. Given his outings during the free practice sessions on Saturday, it seems that Leclerc will reach Q3 again at Interlagos.

The Monégasque racing driver is currently 15th in the points table but only four points separate him for 13th placed Romain Grosjean. With an eye on scoring a decent result for the team, Charles would be pushing for claiming the best possible position during qualifying.

#2 Sebastian Vettel remains in the mix

Sebastian Vettel is not a driver who remains too far from the action at the front. The championship might have slipped past his hands, but the Ferrari driver would surely be looking to end the season on a high note.

The one-lap pace on the Prancing Horse is not likely to be enough to take the fight to Mercedes for pole, but a place on the second row can surely be bagged by the German. A good start off the line on Sunday from P3 might just result in a much-needed victory for Vettel.

Ferrari remain a formidable opponent and they showed during the free practice sessions that they have the race pace required for challenging any drivers on track. A morale boost might just be what the doctor ordered heading into the end of the season, so as to come back rejuvenated and put u a stronger fight next year.

#1 A Mercedes Battle for Pole

Mercedes have been open about employing team orders during races ever since Lewis Hamilton became their top contender for the world championship. While those orders have not necessarily affected proceedings during Saturday, with the world title already awarded to Lewis, the teammates will hopefully now be allowed to race.

Despite Ferrari winning the Brazilian Grand Prix last year, it has been a Mercedes on pole every year since 2014. However, Hamilton has only once been victorious at Interlagos, and Sebastian Vettel remains the only driver in the current lot to have more than a single win in Brazil to his name.

Valtteri Bottas would be looking to rectify his 2017 Grand Prix form where Sebastian overtook him for the lead. Both the Mercedes drivers have a point to prove and a straight battle between the two would surely be enthralling.