The 2026 Formula 1 season arrives at the Interlagos circuit in São Paulo this weekend for its 20th round. Andrea Kimi Antonelli has already secured the Drivers’ World Championship. Mercedes aims to clinch the Constructors’ title, needing to outscore Ferrari by three points.
Rain and thunderstorms are forecast for the São Paulo Grand Prix weekend. Saturday’s qualifying session has a 50% chance of significant rain after 14:00. Sunday’s race could also see heavy rain and thunderstorms, with a 40-60% probability.
Interlagos is known for its challenging wet conditions. The 4.309km track features elevation changes and varying grip levels. Visibility can also become a significant issue. A wet track can reduce average lap speed by over 35 km/h.
Kimi Antonelli, driving for Mercedes, secured his maiden F1 title in Mexico City. The 20-year-old became the youngest champion in Formula 1 history. He will wear a special Ayrton Senna tribute helmet in Brazil.
Antonelli has expressed a strong desire to win at Interlagos. His admiration for Ayrton Senna gives the circuit a special significance. He visited Senna’s family earlier this week.
George Russell, also with Mercedes, has endured a challenging 2026 season. His campaign has been marked by reliability issues and inconsistent performances. Russell has struggled to adapt to the W17 car’s narrow operating window.
In Mexico City, Russell finished sixth after a power deployment problem. He also received a 10-second penalty for a collision with Isack Hadjar. Russell left the Mexico circuit without speaking to media. Mercedes received a €5,000 fine for this.
Russell admitted on social media that 2026 ‘was not meant to be my year.’ He stated he had ‘more bad days than good’ this season. His Mercedes contract includes a performance clause for 2027.
Lewis Hamilton secured his first pole position for Ferrari in Mexico City. He finished second in the race, 0.799 seconds behind Max Verstappen.
Hamilton clashed with teammate Charles Leclerc on the opening lap in Mexico. He subsequently called for ‘serious conversations’ within Ferrari. Hamilton believed the incident cost Ferrari a potential one-two finish.
He questioned the FIA’s five-second penalty for Leclerc. Hamilton argued it contradicted pre-race driver briefings. Ferrari’s 2026 car performs well in corners. However, it has struggled with power unit competitiveness against Mercedes and Red Bull.
Max Verstappen, driving for Red Bull, won the Mexico City Grand Prix. He is currently second in the Drivers’ Championship with 261 points. Verstappen is regarded as a strong performer in wet conditions.
The Cadillac Formula 1 Team made its debut in the 2026 season. Sergio Perez is confirmed as a Cadillac driver, alongside Valtteri Bottas. Perez signed a contract extension with Cadillac until at least 2029.
Cadillac utilizes Ferrari power units for the 2026 season. In Mexico City, Perez finished 17th in his 300th Grand Prix appearance. Cadillac qualified 21st and 22nd for that event.
