Formula 1 arrives at the Autodromo Jose Carlos Pace for the Sao Paulo Grand Prix, bringing the current triple header to a close with Round 20. Track action kicks off with Free Practice 1 and 2 on Friday, November 6, leading into Free Practice 3 and Qualifying on Saturday, November 7, before the Grand Prix gets underway on Sunday, November 8.
First appearing on the calendar in 1973, the 4.309km circuit holds plenty of history and demands respect. The lap record still stands at 1m 10.540s, set by Valtteri Bottas with Mercedes in 2018. When it comes to pole positions at the venue, Ayrton Senna, Mika Hakkinen, Felipe Massa, Rubens Barrichello, Lewis Hamilton, and Max Verstappen share the record with 3 apiece. Michael Schumacher holds the record for most wins with 4. Interlagos itself was built in 1938 on land unsuitable for housing, and takes its name from Jose Carlos Pace, who triumphed here in 1975 for Brabham. Drivers face a 202m pole run to the Turn 1 braking point, while past races have seen 96 overtakes completed in 2025. Safety Car probability sits at 86% and Virtual Safety Car probability is at 57% based on the last seven races in Sao Paulo, with a pit stop time loss of 21.83 seconds.
Former Renault F1 driver Jolyon Palmer notes that Interlagos features a tricky opening corner where drivers can brake much later than expected and carry speed into the apex, though going too early or late risks a front-left lock-up. The technical middle sector relies entirely on flow and rhythm through tight right-handers, where lateral loads make lock-ups costly. The final corner dictates exit speed onto the long straight up the hill, requiring a careful balance to avoid unsettling the car on the kerbs. The anti-clockwise layout and long, loaded left-handers also present a stiff physical challenge for the drivers' necks.
Recent history at the track shows Lando Norris taking pole and victory for McLaren in both 2025 and 2024. Max Verstappen secured pole and the win for Red Bull in 2023, alongside a victory in 2021 and a pole in 2021. Kevin Magnussen took a surprise pole for Haas in 2022, while George Russell won for Mercedes in 2022 and Lewis Hamilton took victory for Mercedes in 2021.
Pirelli has opted for a softer compound selection this year, bringing the C3 as hard, C4 as medium, and C5 as soft. Resurfacing work between Turns 3 and 5 and Turns 8 and 9 may alter grip levels and tyre degradation over long runs compared to last year's two-stop strategies. Track evolution during practice will be crucial, and with Interlagos' position in the calendar, rain and temperature shifts could easily bring intermediate and full wet tyres into play.
Kimi Antonelli arrives in Brazil having secured his maiden Drivers' Championship with four rounds to spare in Mexico City, finishing third behind race winner Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton. Verstappen claimed his third victory in four events, while Hamilton secured his first pole position for Ferrari before a tense battle with his team-mate. George Russell endured a difficult weekend in Mexico following a first-lap deployment issue and a 10-second time penalty. Russell now sits behind Verstappen, who climbed to second place two points ahead of Hamilton, while Leclerc and Lando Norris chase from behind. In the constructors' battle, Mercedes needs only to outscore Ferrari by three points to secure both titles for the first time since 2020. Meanwhile, debutant Rafael Camara steps in to replace Esteban Ocon at Haas, driving a 2026 challenger at his home event.
The venue is no stranger to dramatic championship deciders, most notably the 2008 season finale. Felipe Massa stormed to pole position in front of his home crowd and crossed the finish line first in rainy conditions, which briefly looked enough to secure the title. However, as conditions worsened, Timo Glock stayed out on dry tyres and slowed on the final lap, allowing Lewis Hamilton to snatch fifth place and claim the championship by a single point.
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