In between Austin and Interlagos, the team took a trip to the Circuit Paul Ricard in the South of France to test Pirelli’s prototypes for 2021’s 18-inch wheels. None of the race team were on that trip, with the car-build crew from the MTC handling the test. Other staff from the factory are also strengthening the garage at these final races. The season has been long, and attrition takes a toll: having a good subs bench is a performance factor in F1 that rarely gets the credit it deserves.

For the last couple of seasons, we’ve had a teenager in the garage – but no more. Lando turned 20 on Wednesday and had his deferred Birthday Party at in Brazil. His cake came in the shape of a milk carton (naturally) and his crew took him – with the acquiescence of his physio – to a churrascaria for a big birthday steak before racing got underway. The racing drivers’ diet tends to be a strict one: it’s a better treat than you might imagine.

Interlagos used to be an early season race, moving back to the end of the year in 2004, but whether the date is in the austral autumn or spring, the weather always manages to disrupt proceedings. This year it was the start of the weekend that was wet. The session started with rivers running across the track in places, lots of standing water, and laps was limited, with no-one really wanting risk damage at a time of year when spares are running low. The rain stopped mid-session and the track dried rapidly, leading to the unusual situation of Wet, Intermediate and Dry tyres all getting a run out during the 90 minutes.

The pace of the car was excellent in the wet but once the track dried out, it soon became apparent we were going to have a tough time of it in Brazil. Interlagos didn’t really suit the MCL34 and, having been best-of-the-rest for the last few races, it became apparent that wasn't going to be the case in Brazil. Neither driver was particularly happy with the car in FP2, struggling to find a balance. Happily, overnight data analysis and some fairly radical set-up changes created a much better car for FP3 – but going into qualifying, the belief was that getting into Q3 would be challenging.

Carlos never got the chance to test that theory. Power problems on his first flying lap required him to pit. The crew hurled themselves onto the car, inspecting the engine for an obvious fault but with nothing demonstrably wrong, and with the minutes ticking down, there was a temptation to simply fire it up and try again – but the decision was taken to abandon the session: sending him out without a clear diagnosis risked more damage. He would start the race at the back of the field. P20 and last. Lando qualified P11, eliminated in Q2 by a hundredth of a second – and for the first time since Belgium, the team didn’t play a part in Q3.

Straightforward strategy choices have been common this year but Brazil didn’t quite fit the mould. What should have been a clear one-stop race was complicated by higher temperatures which brought all three tyres and two stops into play. Some drivers started with two stops in mind, others converted to two stops as conditions and status dictated. Carlos and Lando were both open-minded. This makes life a little tough on the pitcrew, primed with constant updates from the pitwall on the next tyre (and corresponding front wing adjustment) if the driver were to suddenly dive for the pitlane.

Lando had a tough race. Despite a good getaway off the line, getting boxed-in saw him slip back a couple of places before settling into a rhythm. He swapped to the Hard tyre after 27 laps with the intention of going to the end – but like many drivers, he struggled to make the Hard tyre work. Lando, and race engineer Will Joseph were discussing difficult choices: sticking with it, or swapping to a two-stop strategy when the first Safety Car made the decision much more straightforward, allowing Lando to swap tyres without losing too much ground.

Carlos, if anything, had the more difficult decision to make, because he had more to lose. Having gone longer on his first set of Soft tyres, Carlos had pitted onto the better Medium compound. Ultimately, it’s the driver who makes the decision because he can feel the tyres going away – but his decision relies on good information and opinions from the pitwall. Race engineer Tom Stallard firmly believed staying out was Carlos’ best chance of a good finish and said as much. Carlos concurred. The die was cast. Carlos was the only driver to stay with the one-stop strategy. It was the brave choice: lots to gain but also, after an exceptional recovery drive, everything to lose

Having survived the restart, the thing Carlos really didn’t want was a second Safety Car. “This is bad…” he murmured on the radio. Drivers with a lot to lose thought there was much too much debris to risk a restart before the chequered flag; those with a lot to gain couldn’t see any debris at all. The latter got their wish, and the race was reduced to a two-lap melee. This is where Carlos’ careful work to look after the tyres throughout the stint paid out in gold. Though he had to go mega-defensive, he managed to cling onto fifth place, which turned into fourth when Lewis Hamilton tipped Alexander Albon into a spin. At the flag, the garage erupted, in a way that hasn’t happened since Jenson Button won at this circuit in 2012. Those last few minutes were very tense indeed.

How long has Carlos dreamed of standing on the Formula 1 podium? At least as long as he’s been in the sport – very likely much longer than that. He probably didn't imagine doing it as twilight fell, in front of empty grandstands, the recipient of the position after a five-second post-race penalty was added to Hamilton’s time. Perhaps it’s not the best way to receive his first F1 trophy. On the other hand, perhaps it is. Virtually the whole team found their way up to the Interlagos podium, and he had his moment with rather less pomp and circumstance than is usually the case, but accompanied by considerably more laughter and surrounded by friends. After a very hard weekend, it was a lovely way to end the Brazilian Grand Prix.