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Lando Norris wins Brazilian GP as Max Verstappen storms from 21st to second

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Nigora Umarova
Nigora Umarova
International Department Journalist
Formula 1 Sport
Antonelli made the strongest start on the damp Interlagos circuit
Lando Norris wins Brazilian GP as Max Verstappen storms from 21st to second

Lando Norris won the São Paulo Grand Prix on Sunday, November 8, overcoming a difficult start and changing weather conditions to claim his second consecutive victory at Interlagos.

Max Verstappen finished second after charging through the field from 21st on the grid, while his Red Bull teammate Isack Hadjar completed the podium.

George Russell took fourth ahead of newly crowned world champion Kimi Antonelli, whose race unravelled after an early lead. Despite missing the podium, Mercedes secured the 2026 Constructors’ Championship, adding the teams’ title to Antonelli’s drivers’ crown.

Norris started from pole but lost two positions on the opening lap as Antonelli took the lead and Liam Lawson moved into second. However, the McLaren driver recovered as the track dried, eventually taking control of a race that saw drivers switch between intermediate and slick tyres before heavy rain returned in the closing laps.

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Verstappen charges through the field

Antonelli made the strongest start on the damp Interlagos circuit, overtaking Norris before Turn 1. Lawson also passed the McLaren driver, while several cars ran wide further down the order.

The Mercedes driver quickly established a lead of more than six seconds as Norris struggled to bring his intermediate tyres up to temperature.

Verstappen, meanwhile, made rapid progress from the back of the grid. He overtook Lewis Hamilton on Lap 4, passed Oscar Piastri and Alex Albon shortly afterwards and climbed into the top six by Lap 9.

Norris recovered second place from Lawson on Lap 6 but continued losing ground to Antonelli until the circuit began drying.

Hamilton was among the first drivers to switch to slick tyres, pitting for softs on Lap 15. His opening sectors showed that the crossover point had arrived, prompting the leading teams to follow.

Norris stopped on Lap 17, one lap before Antonelli, giving the McLaren driver warmer tyres when the Mercedes emerged from the pits.

The gap between them rapidly disappeared. Antonelli complained about an unusual feeling in his car before spinning off on Lap 19, allowing Norris to take the lead.

The Italian subsequently lost places to Hadjar and Verstappen, reporting that his Mercedes was pulling to one side under acceleration and struggling through left-hand corners.

By Lap 24, Antonelli had fallen to fourth, almost 10 seconds behind Norris.

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Teams gamble on tyre strategy

Norris gradually extended his advantage over Hadjar, while Verstappen struggled with a reported loss of rear downforce before his car began to recover.

Red Bull swapped its drivers on Lap 38, allowing Verstappen into second place. By then, however, Norris had built a lead of more than nine seconds.

The teams faced another strategic decision as forecasts suggested rain could return before the finish.

Verstappen made his second stop for fresh soft tyres on Lap 46, with Norris following four laps later. Hadjar and Antonelli briefly inherited the lead as they attempted to extend their stints, but both eventually pitted.

Norris regained first place on Lap 55, ahead of Verstappen and Hadjar.

Russell, meanwhile, was recovering from an earlier incident at the pit exit. The Mercedes driver had spun while switching to slick tyres on Lap 17, narrowly avoiding the barriers as other cars approached.

He subsequently climbed back through the field and was allowed past Antonelli on Lap 57.

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Late downpour threatens Norris as Mercedes secure the title

Rain returned with fewer than 10 laps remaining, forcing teams to abandon slick tyres.

Russell was among the first to react, switching to intermediates on Lap 62. Norris, Verstappen, Hadjar and Antonelli followed one lap later.

Hamilton stayed out longer on slicks but spun as the conditions deteriorated, losing valuable time before eventually pitting.

The renewed rain briefly gave Verstappen an opportunity to close in on Norris. The McLaren driver struggled to warm up his intermediate tyres and initially lost more than a second per lap.

However, Norris soon recovered his pace and extended his advantage to around 14 seconds by the penultimate lap.

Behind him, Hadjar maintained third place ahead of Russell, who reported handling problems similar to those Antonelli had experienced earlier.

Leclerc also made a late move on Lawson after the pair went wheel to wheel on Lap 70. The incident was noted by the stewards, but no immediate investigation followed.

Norris crossed the line to claim victory, with Verstappen completing an impressive recovery from 21st to second and Hadjar securing third.

Russell finished fourth ahead of Antonelli, although the Italian remained under post-race investigation over a possible unsafe release involving Franco Colapinto.

The Mercedes pair’s points were enough to secure the Constructors’ Championship, completing a title double for the team after Antonelli clinched the drivers’ crown at the previous round in Mexico.

For Ferrari, it was another difficult afternoon. Leclerc recovered from 14th on the grid to finish eighth, while Hamilton ended the race ninth after his late spin.

São Paulo Grand Prix – top 10

PositionDriverTeam
1Lando NorrisMcLaren
2Max VerstappenRed Bull
3Isack HadjarRed Bull
4George RussellMercedes
5Kimi AntonelliMercedes
6Oscar PiastriMcLaren
7Liam LawsonRacing Bulls
8Charles LeclercFerrari
9Lewis HamiltonFerrari
10Nico HulkenbergAudi

Provisional top 10, pending the final classification and stewards’ decisions.

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