This year's edition of the Sao Paulo Grand Prix at Interlagos served up its usual fascinating challenges and surprises. The race was great, perhaps only missing a late surprise or crescendo. I must first congratulate the whole Mercedes Benz team, car and power unit combined, for once again winning the Constructors' Championship for a ninth time as a team.
A tally which draws team boss Toto Wolff level with Sir Frank Willams as the most in F1 history, and with a further eight Mercedes drivers' titles on his watch, equalling Sir Ron Dennis' combined total of 17 as team principal. That's outstanding company in the hierarchy of F1. Well done to every person concerned.
Driver of the weekend for me was Lando Norris, although we didn't have the chance to witness the full extent of Max Verstappen's talents, more of which later. Max was voted the fans' driver of the day for the sixth time in the last seven races. There has been relatively little wet running in the all-new 2026 cars, Sepang notwithstanding, and none in Interlagos until the 'qualifying hour', which took a total of 146 minutes to conclude, with Lando on pole position.
The rain fell heavily and the cars floated around even on full wet tyres, and so it had to be red flagged for a good while. Luckily there was a window here and there to get the whole process done, even if the last six minutes on a once more saturated track understandably saw no action. George Russell was aggrieved he didn't 'win' qualifying before he took his five-place grid penalty for needing an extra internal combustion engine over and above the annual allowance.
George came across Alex Albon's Williams during a small window in the level of water on the track, and together with his pit wall decided to abandon that lap and make some space for a final effort, but it was too wet. If they had continued, there's a chance it would have been provisional pole, and George needs every ounce of good news he can find at the moment. He was in fine form all weekend, saying he felt like his old self despite the conditions, but a spin in the pit lane after his first stop in the race may well be the image which sums up his year.
He'll bounce back, I have no doubt. Another Max special emerged Lando in his upgraded Mc Laren, the only team to have new parts in Brazil as the season heads towards conclusion. The track had been resurfaced in places too, and it was a mission to find the best grip whilst not dismantling the car against the barriers.
The higher ride height and more supple 2026 cars looked quite controllable in the conditions as it turned out, but the skills on show were impressive to say the least. Rafael Camara had a baptism of fire on his F1 debut for the Haas team, in Esteban Ocon's seat, at his home Grand Prix. He clouted the turn three exit barriers hard in Q1 but survived to make Q2, where he once again made it nose first into the t.
Source: Sky Sports Champions League · Summarized by HeadlinesBriefing