What an absolute chaos of a weekend. Lando Norris mastered a drenched Interlagos to take back-to-back victories at the Sao Paulo Grand Prix, coming home 14s clear of the chasing pack and securing his third win of the season. Behind him, the race for the podium and the points turned into an utterly relentless survival test through Saturday thunderstorms and Sunday's treacherous wet-dry conditions.
Mercedes rolled out of Brazil having secured the 2026 Constructors' Championship, even if their drivers made things thoroughly dramatic. Kimi Antonelli, fresh off clinching the drivers' crown a weekend prior, actually managed to spin his car on the grass at Turn 12 during his reconnaissance lap before snatching the initial race lead at the start. His teammate George Russell, forced to start P7 due to a five-place grid penalty for an Internal Combustion Engine change, spun on a damp pit exit and ultimately finished behind Antonelli, who took P5 despite a five-second penalty for an unsafe pit release.
Max Verstappen treated everyone to another trademark recovery drive, slicing all the way from the back of the grid—courtesy of power unit component penalties—to finish in P2. The Red Bull charger was joined on the podium by teammate Isack Hadjar in P3, sealing the team's second double podium of the year after Baku. Hadjar had inherited P2 mid-race before obeying team orders to let Verstappen past.
Ferrari endured what Charles Leclerc bluntly labeled a "complete disaster". Lewis Hamilton, making his 400th F1 start and starting dead last in P20 due to power unit penalties, charged through the field on an incredible opening lap to gain 11 places, though fading intermediate tyres, a late spin, and a track-limits investigation dragged him down to P9. Leclerc fared little better; despite clawing his way up and passing Liam Lawson, a late post-race five-second penalty for contact with the Kiwi dropped the Monegasque to P8, leaving Ferrari with a paltry six points from the pair.
Meanwhile, Liam Lawson put in a stunning shift for Racing Bulls, qualifying fifth in the rain and starting third thanks to penalties. The Kiwi even grabbed second from Norris on the opening lap before the heavy-hitters reclaimed their turf, ultimately beating both Ferraris to finish as best of the midfield. Despite scoring in 15 of the 20 Grands Prix this season and even stepping into the senior Red Bull squad for three rounds while Hadjar was injured, Lawson still lacks a confirmed seat for 2027 alongside teammate Arvid Lindblad, with Nikola Tsolov waiting in the wings.
To top off a classic weekend at Interlagos—where Ayrton Senna's visage looks down on the paddock—it was officially announced that the Autodromo Jose Carlos Pace will remain on the Formula 1 calendar until at least 2035.
F1
F1
