In Pictures: Brazil 2026
The final stop on the long back-to-back tour of the Americas was the São Paulo Grand Prix, held at the Autódromo José Carlos Pace in Interlagos.
The Brazilian circuit featured several changes compared to last season. During the year, resurfacing work was carried out on the sections between Turns 3 and 5 and between Turns 8 and 9.
STATISTICS
A total of 43 Grands Prix have been held at Interlagos to date. Thirty-seven editions, from 1973 to 2019, carried the title of Brazilian Grand Prix, before the event was renamed the São Paulo Grand Prix in 2021. Six editions have since been held under the new name.
Michael Schumacher is the most successful driver at the Brazilian venue, with four victories, while Sebastian Vettel, Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen have each won three times. Ferrari and McLaren are the most successful constructors, with nine victories apiece.
FRIDAY
While track temperatures at Interlagos reached 44°C (111°F) during the morning, they dropped considerably in the afternoon, falling to 28°C (82°F) by the end of FP2.
Norris was quickest in FP1. The McLaren driver topped the opening session with a 1:11.717, ahead of Antonelli, who finished second in 1:11.799, and Verstappen in third with a 1:11.953.
Kimi Antonelli was the fastest driver on the opening day of the São Paulo Grand Prix weekend. The newly crowned World Champion set the pace in the second free practice session with a lap of 1:10.763. Lando Norris finished second in 1:11.016, while Max Verstappen posted the third-fastest time with a 1:11.022.
SATURDAY
Qualifying for the São Paulo Grand Prix took place entirely on wet-weather tyres. Heavy rain began falling over the Interlagos circuit shortly before the start of Q1, resulting in standing water in several sections of the track.
The start of the session was consequently delayed. Once Race Control deemed conditions safe, all drivers headed out on Full Wet tyres.
The result was a fiercely contested Q1, followed by a Q2 in which drivers gradually switched to Intermediates. These were also used throughout Q3 as the field continued to search for more performance. With track temperatures dropping to just 20°C (68°F), Lando Norris secured pole position with a time of 1:12.470.
George Russell took second place, while Kimi Antonelli qualified third. During the session, Norris used two new sets of Full Wets and two sets of Intermediates. Russell and Antonelli each used one new set of Full Wets and two new sets of Intermediates.
Conditions during FP3 had been markedly different, with track temperatures reaching 47°C (117°F), accompanied by wind gusts of up to 30 km/h. Max Verstappen set the fastest time of the session in 1:11.622, ahead of Kimi Antonelli (1:11.647) and Lando Norris (1:11.753).
SUNDAY
The São Paulo Grand Prix got underway on a damp track, with the entire field starting on Intermediate tires. Several drivers had received grid penalties, most notably Lewis Hamilton, who started 20th, and Max Verstappen, who lined up 21st.
Verstappen made an extraordinary start, quickly working his way through the field with a series of overtakes. The Red Bull driver continued his charge through the opening laps and eventually secured second place, completing an impressive recovery from the back of the grid.
Having secured pole position on Saturday, Lando Norris followed it up with victory on Sunday. The McLaren driver won the São Paulo Grand Prix in challenging weather conditions, with rain present at the start and returning during the closing stages of the race.
Norris made his first pit stop on lap 16, switching to Soft tires for a 33-lap stint. He then made a second stop for another set of the same compound, which he used for 13 laps before returning to the pits for a fresh set of Intermediates as rain began to fall again over Interlagos.
Verstappen and third-placed Isack Hadjar followed a similar strategy, using one set of Intermediates, two sets of Softs and a final new set of Intermediates. Their approach helped them secure the remaining podium positions alongside Norris.
The two Mercedes drivers, George Russell and Kimi Antonelli, finished fourth and fifth respectively. Their results provided the points needed for the German team to clinch the Constructors' World Championship. Russell and Charles Leclerc also recorded the longest stints on a single set of Soft tires, with both drivers completing 45 laps on the same set.
The São Paulo Grand Prix brought the final round of the Americas tour to a close, with Mercedes securing the Constructors' World Championship title. The Formula 1 season now heads to the United States for the Las Vegas Grand Prix, the next stop on the calendar.
Media courtesy of Pirelli S.p.A., Getty Images, DPPI, and the official Formula 1 team press offices. All images are provided via Getty Images through the respective team media platforms and are credited to their rightful copyright holders. Photos not for sale.
FRIDAY
SATURDAY
SUNDAY - 2026 SÃO PAULO GRAND PRIX
2026 São Paulo Grand Prix Classification
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