2026 F1 Brazilian Grand Prix starting grid

According to Al Jazeera and BBC coverage, Lando Norris won the Sao Paulo Grand Prix after a challenging race that began on a wet track, dried progressively, and saw more rain return near the end. Starting from pole position, Norris was relatively slow away compared to new world champion Kimi Antonelli, who blasted into an early lead and built an eight-second advantage over the first 13 laps. As the track dried, Norris cut the deficit by stopping for slick tyres one lap earlier than Antonelli. This forced Antonelli into a mistake three laps later where he spun at Turn One, promoting Norris into a lead he never relinquished. Norris called it one of the hardest and best races of the year regarding focus and execution. McLaren team principal Andrea Stella praised Norris for his exceptional adaptability in mixed variable conditions. Max Verstappen charged from 21st on the grid to finish second, ending 14.6s behind Norris, according to The Race and BBC reports. Verstappen had started four places lower than his victory two years prior due to a penalty for using too many engines. He suspected an aerodynamic performance loss after experiencing extreme high-speed oversteer once switching to slicks, noting a night-and-day difference when switching back to intermediates for the final stint. Red Bull teammate Isack Hadjar finished on the podium in third, delivering what team principal Laurent Mekies called the best race he has done with the team. Mercedes secured its first constructors' championship in five years despite a wobbly race day. Antonelli finished outside the podium positions and expressed anger over how the victory was lost, while teammate George Russell recovered from a pitlane spin to beat Antonelli. Debutant Rafael Camara raced for Haas under challenging circumstances after being called up at the start of the week without having previously driven a 2026 F1 car.