Lando Norris won the São Paulo Grand Prix for the second year running, while Mercedes secured the F1 Constructors’ Championship title, marking their ninth overall and first since 2021.
Norris, driving for McLaren, claimed his third win of the season and the 14th of his career. He handled a challenging wet-to-dry race, dropping to third early on before overtaking rivals and capitalizing on a mistake by Mercedes’ Kimi Antonelli. Norris’s ability to switch back to intermediate tires when rain returned was key, allowing him to build a commanding lead.
Norris shines in tricky conditions
“This was certainly up there with one of our best-ever performances,” Norris said, highlighting the team’s operational execution, strategy, and pit stop timing. Team Principal Andrea Stella praised Norris’s driving, noting he made no mistakes apart from a podium mishap where he broke a champagne bottle during celebrations.
Verstappen’s remarkable recovery
Max Verstappen, starting from 21st on the grid, finished second, continuing his streak of impressive comebacks in São Paulo. He gained 19 positions, aided by teammate Isack Hadjar and Mercedes’ errors. This marked his eighth consecutive podium and strengthened his hold on second place in the championship.
Verstappen’s opening stint was key to his progress, as he rapidly made it into the top 10 before picking off rivals. Despite struggling with a mysterious performance loss as the race wore on—a recurring issue with the RB22 this season—he secured a remarkable runner-up spot. “That first stint went really, really well,” said Verstappen. “We got very quickly back into the top 10, and I think the pace wasn’t bad.”
Hadjar’s third-place finish marked his fourth career podium, completing a strong showing for Red Bull. His performance in challenging conditions showcased his growing experience and skill.
Mercedes, despite a messy race with spins from both Antonelli and George Russell, clinched the Constructors’ Championship with a fourth and fifth-place finish. Team boss Toto Wolff celebrated the achievement, attributing it to the collective effort of the team. “What makes me happiest today is seeing the reward for that effort,” he said, emphasizing the contributions from every team member.
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The race also saw strong performances from Liam Lawson, who finished seventh, and challenges for Brazilian drivers Rafael Câmara, who struggled in the difficult conditions. Lawson’s result marked his fifth straight points finish, further solidifying his case for a 2027 contract renewal.
Brazilian drivers face challenges at home
For the first time in a decade, Brazil had two drivers on the grid, but it was a difficult weekend for Haas’ debutant Rafael Câmara. Câmara started an encouraging 11th on debut but tumbled rearwards through the tricky opening stint, which was not a surprise given his inexperience in Formula 1, let alone the conditions, and he was the final of the 20 classified runners.
“It definitely wasn’t an easy one, with all the conditions out there we experienced over the course of one race,” said Câmara. “In t”
Lawson’s consistent performance
“We had a strong race and made the most of everything we had available,” said Lawson. “We’ve had a really decent tripleheader with plenty of positives to take away, and I’ve genuinely enjoyed it.”
The race results saw Norris take the top spot, followed by Verstappen and Hadjar. Fastest lap honors went to Kimi Antonelli, who set a time of 1:12.689, despite receiving a five-second penalty for an unsafe release.
Verstappen’s recovery from 21st to second marked a net gain of 51 places in three São Paulo Grands Prix, showcasing his exceptional skill in challenging conditions. Hadjar’s podium finish highlighted Red Bull’s strong performance, while Lawson’s consistency continued to impress. The race also showed Mercedes’ resilience, securing the championship despite a difficult day on track.