Lando Norris secured victory at the 2026 Brazilian Grand Prix, navigating a race heavily impacted by changing weather at Interlagos. The McLaren driver converted his pole position into his third win of the season. Max Verstappen finished second for Red Bull, having started from 21st on the grid. His Red Bull teammate Isack Hadjar completed the podium in third place.
Norris praised his McLaren team for their performance in the challenging conditions. He had initially lost the lead at the start but regained it after a key incident. The victory marks McLaren’s first win since the Dutch Grand Prix in late August.
Max Verstappen’s drive from 21st to second was notable, marking his third consecutive podium finish at Interlagos from a low grid position. Verstappen reported that his car felt ‘completely opposite’ after the first stint, suspecting damage. He was unable to challenge Norris for the lead in the latter stages.
Isack Hadjar’s third-place finish secured a double podium for Red Bull Racing. Hadjar, in his sophomore F1 season, concurred with Verstappen regarding the difficult conditions. He acknowledged a challenging switch from intermediate to soft tyres.
Mercedes clinched the 2026 Constructors’ Championship at this event. George Russell finished fourth and Kimi Antonelli fifth, securing enough points for the title. Antonelli had previously sealed the Drivers’ Championship at the Mexican Grand Prix.
The race weekend was significantly affected by weather. Heavy rain, thunderstorms, hail, and strong wind gusts were forecast for race day. Qualifying on Saturday was also rain-affected and experienced an 84-minute delay.
Multiple drivers faced grid penalties for power unit component changes. Max Verstappen started 21st, Lewis Hamilton 20th, and George Russell dropped to seventh from his second-place qualifying position. Charles Leclerc also incurred a 10-place penalty.
Kimi Antonelli, starting second, took the lead from Norris at Turn 1. However, he later spun at Turn 1, allowing Norris to retake the position. Antonelli also reported his car was ‘pulling to one side’ and is under investigation for an unsafe release during a pit stop.
George Russell expressed frustration over an aborted qualifying lap. He believed a miscommunication with his team prevented him from challenging for pole position. Russell had been on a strong lap before being told to back off due to traffic.
McLaren had introduced new upgrades for the Brazilian Grand Prix, including updates to the front wing, rear wing, and floor components. This was part of their ongoing development cycle to improve aerodynamic performance.
Red Bull Racing had a difficult start to the 2026 season under new technical regulations. However, the team has shown improved performance in recent races. Verstappen had secured three wins in the four races prior to Brazil.
“It was a very tough race, very, very tough,” Norris stated. “Obviously not the best of launches off the line, but a lot of challenges today. With the conditions, going on slicks in the wet is always tough, especially when you’re pushing for the lead and trying to catch up a little bit. So the main thing today was I just kept it cool, and I didn’t make any mistakes, and I had the pace when I needed to.”
The final top ten finishers were: Lando Norris (McLaren), Max Verstappen (Red Bull), Isack Hadjar (Red Bull), George Russell (Mercedes), Kimi Antonelli (Mercedes), Oscar Piastri (McLaren), Charles Leclerc (Ferrari), Liam Lawson (Racing Bulls), Lewis Hamilton (Ferrari), and Nico Hulkenberg (Audi).
