SAO PAULO :Max Verstappen surprised even himself with a pitlane to podium charge at the Sao Paulo Grand Prix on Sunday, a year on from winning the race from 17th on the grid in another career highlight.

A day after writing off his Formula One title hopes, Red Bull’s four-times world champion gave his fans fresh hope - at least for some of the afternoon - with a stirring and spirited fightback at Interlagos.

If victory was a step too far, the Dutch driver had second in his sights before having to settle for third.

A new engine installed in his car, along with a list of changed parts and a return to the setup that had served him so well in Texas last month, meant he had to start from the pitlane rather than his qualifying position of 16th but that was only a temporary setback.

An early puncture undid his initial moves through the field but, that fixed, he set about working swiftly back up the race order from 18th.

“To be on the podium from the pitlane, I didn’t expect that at all,” said Verstappen after chasing Mercedes’ Kimi Antonelli to the chequered flag.

“I think our pace was quite strong over all the stints ... Yesterday was very tough for us, but, you know, we never give up. We always try to improve and try to find more lap time,” he added.

The reigning champion briefly led when McLaren’s eventual winner Lando Norris made his second stop, but he dropped to fourth after also pitting.

Verstappen then chased down Mercedes’ George Russell in the final stint to take third.

Red Bull boss Laurent Mekies hailed Verstappen’s race as a sensational drive, and competitors also recognised the Dutchman’s strong showing.

“I think we would probably agree that it was as sensational as last year to bring it to P3 from the pitlane on a dry, relatively uneventful race,” Mekies told reporters.

Antonelli said Verstappen “did an amazing job coming back and he just put me under a lot of pressure at the end. I had to really push the tyre to the limit, and it wasn’t easy.”

Verstappen is third in the drivers’ standings with three races and a sprint remaining, but trailing championship leader Norris by 49 points and McLaren’s Oscar Piastri by 25.

“I’m sure he’s going to be a threat in terms of races, and you never know with the championship,” said Norris. “With how quick he was today, he probably would have won if he started higher up.

“He’ll be a threat - he always is. He’s always there, he’s always fighting, and I’m sure he’ll fight to the end. So I look forward to it.”