Lando Norris secured victory at the 2026 FIA Formula 1 São Paulo Grand Prix, mastering changeable conditions at the Autódromo José Carlos Pace. The McLaren driver finished 14.6 seconds ahead of Max Verstappen, who completed a significant recovery drive.
Red Bull’s Isack Hadjar completed the podium in third, marking his third podium finish of the 2026 season. The race, the 20th round of the 2026 F1 season, saw critical errors from Mercedes drivers Kimi Antonelli and George Russell.
Mercedes, however, clinched their ninth Constructors’ Championship with Russell finishing fourth and Antonelli fifth. The team needed to outscore Ferrari by at least three points at Interlagos to secure the title.
Antonelli, who became the youngest ever F1 World Champion at 20 years and 68 days old after securing the Drivers’ title at the Mexico City Grand Prix on November 1, 2026, initially led the race.
Starting from pole position, Norris lost the lead to Antonelli at the start on intermediate tyres. Antonelli built an eight-second advantage by lap 13 as the track began to dry.
Norris pitted earlier for dry-weather slick tyres on lap 16, gaining significant time. Antonelli followed a lap later but then spun at Turn 1 on lap 20 while attempting to build tyre temperature, handing the lead to Norris.
Verstappen started 21st due to a 30-place grid penalty. This penalty was incurred for exceeding his engine component allowance, taking a fifth internal combustion engine, turbocharger, and exhaust set.
The Red Bull driver made rapid progress through the field, reaching eighth by lap five. On lap 38, Red Bull instructed Hadjar to allow Verstappen past to challenge Norris.
George Russell also faced a five-place grid penalty for taking a sixth internal combustion engine. He spun exiting the pit lane on lap 16, losing approximately 15 to 20 seconds.
Despite his pit lane incident, Russell recovered to finish fourth. Mercedes ordered Antonelli and Russell to swap positions in the closing laps to ensure the Constructors’ Championship.
Lewis Hamilton, making his 400th Grand Prix start, began the race from 20th on the grid. He received a substantial 65-place grid penalty after Ferrari replaced his entire power unit following issues in Free Practice 3.
Hamilton’s penalty included a sixth internal combustion engine, fifth turbocharger, fifth exhaust system, fourth energy store, fourth control electronics, fourth MGU-K, and seventh ancillary component. He finished ninth for Ferrari.
Charles Leclerc also incurred a 10-place grid penalty for taking a fifth internal combustion engine. He finished seventh but received a post-race five-second time penalty for causing a collision with Liam Lawson.
This penalty dropped Leclerc to eighth position in the final classification. Liam Lawson, driving for Racing Bulls, moved up to seventh as a result of Leclerc’s penalty.
McLaren had introduced upgrades for the Sao Paulo Grand Prix, which Norris reported as yielding performance gains. Norris’s victory was his third of the 2026 season.
Oscar Piastri finished sixth for McLaren, while Nico Hulkenberg secured the final point for Audi in tenth place. Hulkenberg started fourth on the grid, benefiting from penalties applied to other drivers.
The 2026 Formula 1 season will conclude with a triple-header, starting with the Las Vegas Grand Prix on November 22.
