Sao Paulo GP: Norris wins in the wet as Mercedes clinch the 2026 constructors' title
Lando Norris won a wet Sao Paulo Grand Prix on 8 November 2026. Mercedes sealed their ninth constructors' title; Leclerc and Antonelli were penalised.
The essentials: Lando Norris (McLaren) won the Sao Paulo Grand Prix at Interlagos on Sunday 8 November 2026, in a race that switched from wet to dry and back to wet. Max Verstappen finished second after starting 21st, and Isack Hadjar completed a double podium for Red Bull. George Russell (4th) and Kimi Antonelli (5th) scored enough points to give Mercedes the 2026 constructors’ championship with three rounds to spare.
What happened in the race?
Norris started from pole, but Antonelli, crowned drivers’ champion a week earlier at the Mexico City Grand Prix, took the lead at the start. Liam Lawson (Racing Bulls) also passed the McLaren around the outside of Turn 2, dropping Norris to third.
The race then turned on the weather. According to Formula 1, Lewis Hamilton was the first driver to switch to slick tyres at the end of lap 14. Norris stopped on lap 16 and Antonelli on lap 17. On lap 20, Antonelli spun at Turn 1 and lost the lead. He went off again later and dropped behind both Red Bulls and his team-mate. Russell had his own scare when he spun backwards at the pit exit on lap 17 and touched the wall.
Light rain returned in the closing stages. Norris managed the switch back to intermediate tyres and won by 14.6 seconds. “It was a very tough race, very, very tough,” he said, according to Formula 1. It was his third win of the season, as reported by Sky Sports.
Verstappen’s recovery from 21st to second was the other story of the afternoon. Sky Sports quoted him as saying that “starting in P21 and being on the podium in second is a very good result.” Hamilton, making his 400th Grand Prix start, climbed from 20th to 9th.
What is the final classification?
The official result, after the stewards’ decisions:
| Pos. | Driver | Team | Gap | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lando Norris | McLaren | 1:35:23.504 | 25 |
| 2 | Max Verstappen | Red Bull | +14.602s | 18 |
| 3 | Isack Hadjar | Red Bull | +24.485s | 15 |
| 4 | George Russell | Mercedes | +33.991s | 12 |
| 5 | Kimi Antonelli | Mercedes | +41.017s | 10 |
| 6 | Oscar Piastri | McLaren | +56.475s | 8 |
| 7 | Liam Lawson | Racing Bulls | +75.402s | 6 |
| 8 | Charles Leclerc | Ferrari | +78.586s | 4 |
| 9 | Lewis Hamilton | Ferrari | +1 lap | 2 |
| 10 | Nico Hülkenberg | Audi | +1 lap | 1 |
Fernando Alonso (Aston Martin) finished 12th and Carlos Sainz (Williams) 19th. Lance Stroll retired after 30 laps.
Why were Leclerc and Antonelli penalised?
Both drivers received five-second time penalties after the race, according to Formula 1.
- Leclerc touched the left rear wheel of Lawson’s car at Turn 12 on the penultimate lap, then passed him. The stewards judged the contact “minor” but said: “This was an obvious sporting consequence.” They gave five seconds rather than ten because of the wet conditions. Lawson, who was less than two seconds behind on the road, moved up to seventh.
- Antonelli was released from his pit box into the path of Franco Colapinto’s Alpine, which had to take avoiding action. “The team acknowledged that this release could have been handled better and in a safer manner,” the stewards noted. With a 20-second margin over Piastri, the Italian kept fifth place.
Oliver Bearman (Haas) received the same penalty for an unsafe release in front of Leclerc and stayed 17th.
What does Mercedes’ title mean?
Russell and Antonelli’s points made Mercedes’ lead over Ferrari unassailable. According to Sky Sports, it is the team’s ninth constructors’ title, its first since the eight in a row from 2014 to 2021. That puts Mercedes level with Williams, third on the all-time list.
“It’s amazing,” team principal Toto Wolff said, as quoted by Sky Sports. “We have taken a few years to be back at the top spot.” With Antonelli already champion, Mercedes holds both 2026 titles.
The fight for third place in the constructors’ standings is still open: Sky Sports puts McLaren 17 points behind Red Bull.
What comes next?
The next round is the Las Vegas Grand Prix, from 20 to 22 November 2026. Qatar and Abu Dhabi are still on the official calendar, but the NZ Herald notes that there is no guarantee both races will go ahead because of the conflict in the Middle East, which means Las Vegas could be the final round.
For more on the title decider, read our preview of the Mexico City Grand Prix.
