F1 Focus: Alonso and Perez receive much-needed boosts

This week, the focus is on the Brazilian Grand Prix, which featured resurrections, redemption arcs and harsh reality checks.

Mercedes make a mess of things

Mercedes headed to Interlagos in high spirits after finishing second on track at the previous two races courtesy of Lewis Hamilton. Rather than moving a step closer to securing second in both the drivers' and constructors' championships though, they came crashing back down to earth in Sao Paulo.

Their race pace was poor on both Saturday and Sunday, and rather worryingly, they didn't know why - even at the end of the season, they still don't have a strong understanding of their own car.

A lack of pace wasn't their only problem either, with the decision to not instruct Hamilton to let teammate George Russell pass at a point when the latter was much faster a baffling one that ultimately saw both get overtaken by the Ferrari of Carlos Sainz.

By the end of the race, Hamilton had dropped down to eighth and Russell had retired due to engine issues, meaning the team scored fewer points than all of their rivals on a weekend that drained all of the optimism that the team had previously possessed.

Team boss Toto Wolff branded it his "worst weekend in 13 years" while Hamilton said that he feels Red Bull are "probably going to be very clear for the next couple of years" at the front of the field.

With the vast resources the team have at their disposal and a driver pairing that I'd say is the best in the sport, they really shouldn't be allowing that to happen, and if they do, questions need to be asked of Wolff.

The pressure eases on Perez

Speaking of Red Bull, Mercedes' losses were Sergio Perez's gain as the Mexican regained a foothold on second in the championship with a much-needed solid weekend.

It didn't start well, but after qualifying down in ninth for the main race, he recovered well to finish fourth, and between those two sessions, he also qualified and finished third in the sprint race, showing strong pace and race-craft throughout the weekend.

Just as big a positive for him as his own performance was the fact that Hamilton, the biggest threat to his position in this year's standings, finished in eighth and Daniel Ricciardo, the biggest threat to his future at Red Bull, finished in 17th.

Checo's team have said on numerous occasions that the bare minimum he needs to do this season is finish second to Verstappen in the championship, and with 32 points separating him and Hamilton with just two races remaining, he looks all but certain to do that.

It still feels unlikely to me that he'll be Verstappen's teammate by the end of next season but, in Brazil, he probably did enough to ensure that he does at least start the 2024 campaign as a Red Bull driver.

Alonso and Aston Martin provide a reminder of their potential

After a flying start to the season, Fernando Alonso and Aston Martin have been somewhat forgotten about in recent months as the team have fallen down the pecking order, but they reminded the world in Brazil that they can be a force to be reckoned with.

Provided with a strong car for the first time since the summer, the Spaniard was a joy to watch on Sunday, making the perfect restart to get past Hamilton and pulling off some last-lap heroics to take back third from Perez, securing his first podium since August.

He produced some of the best driving of the season in his battle with the Mexican, holding him off for a good while despite having a much slower car and then getting back in front with a stunning move. As is so often the case, he perfectly balanced firmness and fairness in his wheel-to-wheel racing like few others can.

I said at the start of the season that Hamilton and Alonso were the only two drivers that could be a match for Verstappen if given equal machinery, and eight months on, I'm as certain as ever about that, despite the fact the latter has celebrated his 42nd (!) birthday in that timeframe.

Whether Aston Martin can provide such machinery for Alonso is very much uncertain, but not impossible given the resources and ambition they possess, and with his talent and his undisputed status as the team's number-one driver - a status that only himself and Verstappen enjoy among the frontrunners - it'll be quite the combination if they can.

Personally, there's not a single thing I'd like to see more in the world of sport than a title fight between Fernando Alonso and Max Verstappen, and while an unlikely one, it remains a possibility.