Norris claims victory at Interlagos in wild wet weather race; Verstappen storms from 21st-place start to P2; Hadjar continues to impress putting second Red Bull on podium in tricky conditions
McLaren’s Lando Norris earned his first podium since Round 14 in Spain and his first victory since Round 11 in the Netherlands with a supremely controlled drive in very adverse wet -dry-wet conditions at the Sao Paolo Grand Prix on Sunday. Norris kept his cool amidst the changeable conditions, which saw the field all start on Intermediate wet Pirelli tries, then change to Soft slicks for the middle period and then all back again to Inters for the final stanza as the rains returned to Interlagos for the closing laps. Norris crossed the line over fourteen seconds ahead of Max Verstappen’s second place Red Bull, the McLaren man converting his pole into victory, albeit in anything but a linear fashion amidst the vicissitudes of this 71-lap thriller. But Verstappen’s P2 was also utterly remarkable, with the Dutch Master having clawed his way to the second step of the podium from a penalty-induced 21st on the starting grid. Verstappen’s latest virtuoso performance marked yet another legendary wet weather drive by the four-time champion in Brazil. Red Bull doubled their pleasure on the day, as their second driver, Isack Hadjar, who has been nothing short of impressive this season in what had been something of a cursed seat, also made the podium with a sparkling P3 effort. And although both Mercedes suffered from highly unpredictable balance issues throughout the race which saw both drivers spin durning the GP, a P4 finish for George Russell and a fifth place for newly minted World Champion Kimi Antonelli were still good enough to clinch the 2026 Constructors’ Championship for the Silver Arrows, their first team title since 2021.
From P21 to the podium… 🤯📈
Enjoy the very best of another INSANE Interlagos drive by the incomparable Max Verstappen 🦁
#F1 #BrazilGP https://t.co/W3cfrseT6N
— Formula 1 (@F1) November 9, 2026
The second McLaren of Oscar Piastri, who has had a desultory season at best, came home P6 ahead of Charles Leclerc’s Ferrari. Leclerc was then demoted to P8 when he was handed a 5-second penalty for causing a collision while passing Racing Bulls’ Liam Lawson on the penultimate lap. With his future in F1 subject to heavy speculation, Lawson continued to show that he belongs and more than earned his eventual P7 with a feisty and combative effort all race long against men in arguably superior equipment. The other Prancing Horse of Lewis Hamilton had a very eventful 400th Formula 1 start, with a slew of overtakes early on after being buried back in P20 on the grid due to his own engine penalties, and then a lurid late spin on Lap 61 amidst the intensifying rain while still on slicks. After all that drama, the seven-time champ finished P9. Audi’s Nico Hulkenberg used all of his veteran guile at a circuit and in weather that he loves to outrun a 10-second penalty for an illegal overtake and take the last point in P10.
Top 10 finishers of the Sao Paolo GP:
| POS | DRIVER | TEAM | RACE TIME | LAPS | PITS | FASTEST LAPS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
|
McLaren | 1:35:23.504 | 71 | 3 | — |
| 2 |
|
Red Bull | +14.602 | 71 | 3 | — |
| 3 |
|
Red Bull | +24.485 | 71 | 3 | — |
| 4 |
|
Mercedes | +33.991 | 71 | 2 | — |
| 5 |
|
Mercedes | +41.017 | 71 | 3 | 1:12.689 (55) |
| 6 |
|
McLaren | +56.475 | 71 | 3 | — |
| 7 |
|
Racing Bulls | +1:15.402 | 71 | 3 | — |
| 8 |
|
Ferrari | +1:18.586 | 71 | 2 | — |
| 9 |
|
Ferrari | +1 Lap | 70 | 3 | — |
| 10 |
|
Audi | +1 Lap | 70 | 3 |
Complete race results available via Formula1.com.
Everyone can now catch their breath a bit after all the enjoyable chaos in Sao Paolo, as the teams will have a week off before heading to Las Vegas in a fortnight. Hope to see you then to find out who Lady Luck will smile upon there and who will crap out on the Strip!
