The Brazilian Grand Prix delivered plenty of overtaking, spins and strategic battles at the Interlagos circuit. Norris lost the lead to newly crowned world champion Kimi Antonelli immediately after the start but regained the advantage when the Mercedes driver made a mistake. Verstappen, meanwhile, carved his way through the field to secure a double podium finish for Red Bull alongside Hadjar.
Antonelli takes the lead at the start
After the torrential rain that disrupted qualifying, the Interlagos circuit was still wet on Sunday. Most of the 21 drivers taking the start opted for intermediate tyres. Valtteri Bottas was unable to join them after a technical problem with his Cadillac. A seized wheel nut on the right-rear wheel prevented the Finn from starting the race.
Antonelli made an excellent getaway, overtaking polesitter Norris within the opening metres to take the lead. Norris then surrendered second place to Liam Lawson, who had started on the second row following the numerous grid penalties handed out after qualifying.
While Antonelli began to build a gap at the front, Norris reclaimed second place from Lawson on lap six. The Racing Bulls driver could not match the pace of the two leading cars over a longer stint but remained among the frontrunners during the opening stages.
Further back, the drivers who had received engine-related penalties were making rapid progress. Lewis Hamilton climbed from 20th on the grid to ninth within the first two laps. Verstappen also made a tremendous start, quickly working his way into the points.
The Dutchman continued his recovery with a series of decisive overtakes. On lap five, he passed Oscar Piastri at Turn 3 before getting ahead of Alexander Albon at Turn 4. By lap 13, Verstappen was already running fifth.
Antonelli spins away the lead
As the race progressed, the circuit began to dry. The intermediate tyres became increasingly ineffective on the improving surface, prompting Hamilton to switch to slicks on lap 15. Most of the field followed shortly afterwards.
The change to dry-weather tyres did not go smoothly for everyone. George Russell spun on his way out of the pit lane and dropped to tenth place. Fortunately for the Mercedes driver, he was able to continue without significant damage.
Antonelli was also struggling. The Italian reported unusual handling over the radio, with his Mercedes apparently pulling to the right. On lap 20, he lost control through the Senna S and spun off the circuit. Norris capitalised on the mistake to regain the lead.
Things went from bad to worse for Antonelli. A few laps later, Hadjar moved ahead of him before another mistake allowed Verstappen to pass as well. The newly crowned world champion had fallen out of the podium positions.
Verstappen charges through to second
Verstappen maintained his remarkable recovery after the opening round of pit stops. Consistently quick lap times brought the Dutchman right onto the tail of his Red Bull teammate Hadjar.
On lap 39, Hadjar allowed the faster Verstappen through. Red Bull wanted to give the four-time world champion an opportunity to chase down race leader Norris, who was around ten seconds ahead at that point.
Hadjar was not entirely happy with the team decision and made it clear over the radio that he expected to be given the position back if Verstappen failed to catch the McLaren.
Red Bull opted for soft slicks at Verstappen’s next stop, hoping to give him the extra pace required to close the gap. McLaren responded four laps later by bringing Norris into the pits, successfully protecting his advantage.
Mercedes, meanwhile, attempted to bring Antonelli back into contention with an alternative strategy. The Italian stayed out longer as the team anticipated either another rain shower or a possible safety car. With his lap times deteriorating, Mercedes eventually called him in on lap 54.
Despite Verstappen’s impressive pace, Norris remained firmly in control at the front. The McLaren driver kept his pursuer at a comfortable distance and maintained the lead.
Rain returns for a treacherous finale
Conditions deteriorated considerably during the final ten laps. The rain intensified from lap 62 onwards, forcing almost the entire field to abandon slicks and return to intermediate tyres.
Hamilton lost control on the dry-weather tyres and spun shortly before his next pit stop. The seven-time world champion managed to continue but lost valuable time.
Norris and Verstappen also reacted to the worsening conditions on lap 63. Both completed the closing stages on intermediates and negotiated the increasingly slippery sections without major incidents.
Norris eventually crossed the line 14.602 seconds ahead of Verstappen to claim his third victory of the season and the 14th Grand Prix win of his Formula 1 career.
Hadjar finished a further 9.883 seconds behind the Dutchman in third, completing an excellent double podium result for Red Bull.
Mercedes clinch the constructors’ championship
Russell benefited from delaying his final pit stop, gaining several positions as the rain returned. The British driver eventually finished fourth, while Antonelli recovered to fifth despite his two spins.
Those results were enough for Mercedes to secure the constructors’ world championship with three races remaining. The Silver Arrows now have 652 points, giving them an unassailable 140-point advantage over Ferrari. It is Mercedes’ ninth constructors’ title and their first since 2021.
Ferrari had to settle for seventh and ninth places. Charles Leclerc, who had started near the back following an engine penalty, managed to pass Lawson during the closing stages. Hamilton also salvaged a points finish after an eventful afternoon.
Oscar Piastri finished sixth in the second McLaren, while Lawson took eighth after his impressive opening stint. Nico Hülkenberg secured the final point for Audi in tenth, despite having received a ten-second penalty for gaining an advantage by leaving the track.
It was a disappointing home Grand Prix for the Brazilian drivers. Gabriel Bortoleto could do no better than 16th for Audi. Formula 1 debutant Rafael Câmara struggled with the difficult conditions in his first race for Haas, suffering several off-track moments before finishing last.
Lance Stroll retired his Aston Martin after 32 laps. Despite the rain and numerous spins, the race passed without any major crashes.
2026 São Paulo Grand Prix results
P1 – Lando Norris – McLaren
P2 – Max Verstappen – Red Bull Racing
P3 – Isack Hadjar – Red Bull Racing
P4 – George Russell – Mercedes
P5 – Kimi Antonelli – Mercedes
P6 – Oscar Piastri – McLaren
P7 – Charles Leclerc – Ferrari
P8 – Liam Lawson – Racing Bulls
P9 – Lewis Hamilton – Ferrari
P10 – Nico Hülkenberg – Audi
P11 – Arvid Lindblad – Racing Bulls
P12 – Fernando Alonso – Aston Martin
P13 – Franco Colapinto – Alpine
P14 – Pierre Gasly – Alpine
P15 – Alexander Albon – Williams
P16 – Gabriel Bortoleto – Audi
P17 – Oliver Bearman – Haas
P18 – Sergio Pérez – Cadillac
P19 – Carlos Sainz – Williams
P20 – Rafael Câmara – Haas
P21 – Lance Stroll – Aston Martin (retired)
P22 – Valtteri Bottas – Cadillac (did not start)
