Lando Norris won the Sao Paulo Grand Prix ahead of Max Verstappen and Isack Hadjar, while fourth and fifth places for George Russell and Kimi Antonelli secured the 2026 constructors’ championship for Mercedes.
The race produced two different celebrations: McLaren took the win, but Mercedes took the team title. Norris finished 14.6 seconds clear after 71 laps that began wet, dried out and ended with another rain shower, according to Formula 1’s official race report.
Norris wins, Red Bull recover
Starting from pole did not give Norris a straightforward afternoon. Antonelli and Liam Lawson passed him at the start, leaving the McLaren driver third. He recovered to claim his third victory of the season as the changing conditions tested tyre decisions and control.
Verstappen’s second place came from 21st on the grid, turning a heavily penalised starting position into a podium. Hadjar finished third to give Red Bull two drivers in the top three.
That makes the podium more revealing than a simple pole-to-win result. Norris had to regain the advantage he lost at the start; Verstappen had to recover through the field. Both finished ahead of the Mercedes pair, but neither stopped Mercedes settling the championship.
Mercedes finish the title job
Russell and Antonelli came home fourth and fifth. Antonelli had led early before losing ground in a race that included spins, while Russell also recovered from a pit-lane spin. Their finishing positions were enough to put the constructors’ title beyond reach.
Oscar Piastri finished sixth for McLaren. Lawson was classified seventh ahead of Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc, with Lewis Hamilton ninth on his 400th Formula 1 start. Nico Hulkenberg completed the top 10 for Audi.
The contrast is the story of this Interlagos result: Norris delivered the individual win, Verstappen supplied the biggest recovery among the podium finishers, and Mercedes left with the championship.
Sources: Formula 1 official race report; BBC Sport race coverage. Updated classification: Leclerc received a five-second penalty for causing a collision and dropped to eighth, promoting Lawson to seventh. Official race result.
