Starting from the very back of the pit lane at the Brazilian Grand Prix, the Red Bull driver carved his way through the field to finish third, securing not only a standout comeback but an extraordinary new Formula 1 record.

With this result, Verstappen has now stood on the podium from more different starting positions than any driver in F1 history. His list now stretches across 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 20 and, for the first time, the pit lane. No driver before him reached the podium from such a wide range of grid slots.

Only eight drivers have ever climbed from the pit lane to a podium finish, a group that includes Alain Prost, Nigel Mansell, Sebastian Vettel, Rubens Barrichello and Kimi Räikkönen. The last time the feat occurred was in 2014, when Lewis Hamilton finished third in Hungary. Verstappen has now added his name to the illustrious list.

Interlagos has long been a happy hunting ground for him, from his epic wet weather race in 2016, and his win in 2019 battling wheel-to-weel against Hamilton, to his charge to victory from 17th on the grid in 2024, culminating in this year’s surge from the pit lane.

The Austrian team struggled with a lack of grip in Brazil, culminating in Max Verstappen’s Q1 elimination down in P16. Red Bull then decided to break Parc Fermé, overhaul the setup, and install a new power unit. Verstappen then charged from the pit lane to the podium despite an early puncture.

Team boss Laurent Mekies said that the "dark" qualifying moment had actually helped the team understand the car and their own processes better, which resulted in some hefty gains. Read Mekies' full statements here.

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