Lewis Hamilton’s Brazilian Grand Prix recovery gathered momentum on laps 28 and 29 as the Ferrari driver overtook Alex Albon and Arvid Lindblad in quick succession, returning to the points before closing on the battle involving George Russell and Nico Hülkenberg. After a difficult opening phase and an earlier switch to slick tyres, the seven-time Formula 1 world champion was once again making progress through the field at Interlagos.
Hamilton moved into 10th position after passing Albon on lap 28, then overtook Lindblad just one lap later. The consecutive moves transformed his immediate race situation, bringing him to within three seconds of the fight between Russell and Hülkenberg with more than half the 71-lap Grand Prix still remaining.
Lewis Hamilton returns to points after overtaking Alex Albon at Brazilian GP
Hamilton’s first breakthrough came on lap 28, when he moved ahead of Williams driver Alex Albon to reclaim a position inside the top ten.
Albon had already been overtaken by Arvid Lindblad, who was running ahead in his Racing Bulls. Hamilton subsequently passed the Williams as well, allowing him to move into 10th place and continue his pursuit of Lindblad.
Although the Ferrari driver had managed to recover a points-paying position, his progress was not immediately straightforward. He remained close behind the Racing Bulls but was initially unable to find a way past.
That left Hamilton in a battle which had already involved several changes of position, with Lindblad proving the next obstacle between the Briton and the cars further ahead.
For Ferrari, returning to the top ten represented an important step after Hamilton’s earlier difficulties. The seven-time world champion had started 20th, produced a strong opening lap and subsequently lost ground during a sequence of incidents and position changes.
Lewis Hamilton overtakes Arvid Lindblad on lap 29 as Ferrari recovery accelerates
Hamilton did not remain behind Lindblad for much longer.
On lap 29, the Ferrari driver completed the overtake on the Racing Bulls, gaining another position immediately after his successful move against Albon.
The pass was particularly significant because it allowed Hamilton to move beyond the car that had temporarily halted his progress. Rather than remaining caught behind Lindblad, he was able to turn his attention towards the next group of drivers.
The immediate target was the battle involving Mercedes driver George Russell and Audi’s Nico Hülkenberg, who were running approximately three seconds ahead of Hamilton following his latest overtake.
That gap gave the Ferrari driver another objective as the race approached its middle stages. However, the available information did not establish whether Hamilton possessed sufficient pace to catch the pair or how quickly the distance between them was changing.
Lewis Hamilton closes on George Russell and Nico Hülkenberg battle
The two overtakes represented another change in fortunes during what had already been an eventful Brazilian Grand Prix for Hamilton.
His race had begun with an impressive charge from 20th to 11th on the opening lap, but the early recovery subsequently encountered several obstacles.
An error while following Oscar Piastri allowed Max Verstappen to move ahead, while Ferrari later instructed Hamilton to return a position to Oliver Bearman following scrutiny from the stewards over a potential opening-lap infringement.
Hamilton also lost ground to Lindblad and teammate Charles Leclerc before the changing weather conditions introduced a new strategic challenge.
On lap 15, Ferrari fitted soft slick tyres after Hamilton repeatedly reported that a dry racing line was emerging at Interlagos. The Briton rejoined in 20th position, with the circuit still slippery in certain areas.
His subsequent progress back into the points demonstrated how much his position had improved since that pit stop, although the information available does not establish how much of the recovery resulted from outright pace, rival pit stops or other race developments.
By lap 29, Hamilton had overtaken both Albon and Lindblad and was within three seconds of the Russell-Hülkenberg fight.
With 42 laps remaining after the completion of lap 29, the Ferrari driver had time to pursue further gains. His immediate recovery was already clear, but whether he could close the gap to the next group and continue climbing the classification remained to be seen.
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