Sao Paulo showed the beauty of the Interlagos circuit as Formula 1 raced on the streets of Brazil once again.
Max Verstappen drove another historic race, climbing 19 positions to finish P2 after a grid penalty set him at the back of the grid.
Mercedes beat Ferrari in a fight to the Constructors’ championship, clinching it with three races left in 2026.
Read on as Sports News Blitz F1 writer Leia Cornall gives a lap-by-lap rundown of the 2026 Sao Paulo GP.
Verstappen and Hamilton storm through the field
Lap 1/71 - The green flag is flown as the drivers look to the lights in Sao Paulo, looking ahead to a race full of surprises, as is typical around the Interlagos circuit.
Qualifying finished in the wet, and it looks like the race begins in the same conditions, with the entire grid starting on the Intermediate tyre compound. Valtteri Bottas does not appear to be in position to start the race.
At the lights, newly crowned 2026 world champion Kimi Antonelli storms forward to take P1 from pole-sitter Lando Norris, as VCARB’s Liam Lawson follows suit, brilliantly taking second place in the Grand Prix.
Redbull driver Max Verstappen and Ferrari’s Lewis Hamilton both start uncharacteristically low due to grid-place penalties, although both drivers are known for comebacks in the wet, especially around Interlagos.
This is proven as Verstappen gains nine places off the line, Hamilton gaining 11 places as Williams driver Alex Albon is noted by Race Control for being out of position at the start.
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Drivers struggle with racing conditions on Intermediate tyres
Lap 6/71 - Drivers across all teams seem to be noting a struggle with the tyres as the racing line dries, as a series of incidents are noted by Race Control - including Verstappen and Hamilton.
Verstappen is noted for being out of position at the start, and Hamilton for leaving the track and gaining an advantage on Haas driver Oliver Bearman. Hamilton promptly gives his position back to Bearman, avoiding any further investigation by Race Control.
Verstappen’s incident is cleared as Norris retakes P2 from Liam Lawson, who then loses position to Redbull’s Isack Hadjar, now running in P3.
Hamilton reports his tyres are chewed through - boxing on lap 15 for Soft tyres, triggering the rest of the field to come into the pits.
Two laps later, Norris, Hadjar and Mercedes’ George Russell box for Soft tyres, with Verstappen and Antonelli staying out.
Russell has a moment on the slippery pit lane exit, spinning and narrowly missing the barrier as he momentarily blocks the pit exit. He is able to safely continue in the race, with his engineer reporting no serious issues.
Antonelli and Verstappen are called to box for Soft tyres a lap later. These tyres don’t seem to be working for Antonelli, as he spins out at Turn 1, letting Norris by and granting him the lead of the race. Antonelli worries he may have a suspension issue.
The threat of rain returns
Lap 24/71 - Both VCARB drivers are being put under pressure by the McLaren of Oscar Piastri and Hamilton’s Ferrari as Antonelli spins again, giving up P2 to Verstappen. Red Bull report rain is a concern in 15 laps.
Lap 32/71 - Aston Martin signals Lance Stroll to come into the pits and retire from the Grand Prix.
Albon has an incident noted for unsafe rejoining of the race track during a battle against Alpine driver Pierre Gasly; the stewards serve him a 5-second time penalty.
Between laps 46-53, many drivers across the field pit for a new set of Softs. Nico Hulkenberg of Audi is given a 10-second time penalty for leaving the track and gaining an advantage.
Lap 58/71 - The rain has started up again. Drivers report the track is not ideal for slicks. Russell pits for the Intermediate tyre first, with a few back-markers following him in.
Lap 62/71 - Norris pits from the lead of the race as the rest of the field follow. The rain is too heavy to run on slicks, as Lewis Hamilton spins just before the pit entrance. He just manages to keep his car out of the concrete wall, boxing immediately for inters.
Nico Hulkenberg serves his penalty in the pits, overtaking Arvid Lindblad in the VCARB for P10, giving him a chance at a points finish.
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Leclerc and Lawson battle on the penultimate lap
With two laps left of the race, Charles Leclerc puts pressure on Liam Lawson for P7 in the Grand Prix. They go wheel-to-wheel as Leclerc’s Ferrari nudges Lawson’s VCARB before Leclerc successfully overtakes.
The incident between Leclerc and Lawson has been noted by Race Control to be investigated after the race.
Norris wins by a margin after a dramatic end
Norris wins the Sao Paulo GP with a 14.6-second gap to Verstappen behind him, marking back-to-back wins for Norris in Brazil and another historic drive for Verstappen after climbing 19 places from the back of the grid.
Mercedes finish fourth and fifth, winning them the Constructors’ World Championship as Ferrari struggled to find pace across the weekend.
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