Lando Norris secured victory at the 2026 Brazilian Grand Prix at Interlagos on Sunday, November 8, marking his third win of the season. Mercedes-AMG Petronas F1 Team simultaneously clinched the Constructors’ Championship. This follows Kimi Antonelli’s earlier triumph in the Drivers’ Championship at the Mexican Grand Prix.
Norris, driving for McLaren-Mercedes, completed the 71 laps in 1h35m23.504s. He finished 14.602 seconds ahead of Max Verstappen.
Mercedes secured its ninth Constructors’ Championship, and its first since 2021, with George Russell finishing fourth and Antonelli fifth. The team now holds an unassailable 140-point lead over Ferrari with three races remaining.
Antonelli had already claimed the Drivers’ Championship in Mexico on November 1, becoming the youngest F1 champion at 20 years old. He is also the first Italian champion since Alberto Ascari in 1953.
Verstappen, starting from 21st on the grid due to engine penalties, executed a recovery drive to finish second for Red Bull-Ford. His teammate Isack Hadjar secured third place, completing a double podium for Red Bull.
The race at the Autódromo José Carlos Pace began and concluded under wet conditions, with a dry middle stint. Light rain and temperatures between 16-17°C influenced strategy throughout the event.
Norris started from pole position but initially lost two places. He recovered to second before taking the lead when Antonelli spun at Turn 1.
Several drivers faced grid penalties before the race. Russell dropped five places for a power unit change, starting seventh. Charles Leclerc received a ten-place penalty, and Lewis Hamilton started 20th after a full engine change.
Hamilton, making his 400th Grand Prix start, climbed from 20th to ninth. He was eventually lapped by Norris during the closing stages of the race.
Oscar Piastri finished sixth for McLaren, while Leclerc took seventh for Ferrari. Liam Lawson secured eighth for Racing Bulls-Ford.
A late battle between Leclerc and Lawson resulted in contact at Turn 12, which is currently under investigation by race stewards.
Nico Hulkenberg, driving for Audi, claimed the final point in tenth position despite serving a ten-second penalty for leaving the track.
The 2026 Formula 1 season introduced significant technical regulations. These include a revised power unit configuration with a 50/50 split between internal combustion and electrical power.
The MGU-H component has been removed, and the MGU-K output increased to 350 kW. New active aerodynamics and smaller, lighter cars are also part of the regulations.
Ford returned to Formula 1 in 2026, partnering with Red Bull Powertrains to supply power units to Red Bull Racing and Racing Bulls. Audi entered as a works team with its own power unit.
Cadillac made its debut using Ferrari power units, and Aston Martin is supplied by Honda. Alpine now uses Mercedes power units.
In the Constructors’ Championship, Mercedes leads with 652 points, followed by Ferrari on 512, Red Bull on 415, and McLaren on 398.
Antonelli leads the Drivers’ Championship with 390 points. Verstappen is second with 279, followed by Russell (262), Hamilton (261), Leclerc (251), and Norris (246).
Isack Hadjar is contracted to Red Bull until at least the end of the 2027 season. Lewis Hamilton’s Ferrari deal reportedly extends through 2027 with an option for 2028.
Charles Leclerc’s contract with Ferrari is understood to extend beyond 2028. Max Verstappen is signed with Red Bull until 2030, and Lando Norris with McLaren until at least 2030.
