--- title: "2026 São Paulo Grand Prix: Norris wins in the rain, Verstappen recovers 19 positions, Mercedes secures Constructors' Championship early" description: "At the São Paulo Grand Prix, Lando Norris (McLaren) won the rain-hit race, while Max Verstappen recovered 19 positions from 21st on the grid. Mercedes claimed the 2026 Constructors' Championship early." date: 2026-11-08T21:04:14.339Z lang: en url: https://xab.info/en/posts/sao-paulo-grand-prix-2026-norris-verstappen-mercedes tags: [formula-1, sao-paulo-grand-prix, lando-norris, max-verstappen, mercedes, red-bull, constructors-championship] author: "Inna Kinsheva" publisher: "XAB.info" --- # 2026 São Paulo Grand Prix: Norris wins in the rain, Verstappen recovers 19 positions, Mercedes secures Constructors' Championship early ![Two Formula 1 cars racing on the wet Interlagos track during the São Paulo Grand Prix](https://xab.info/media/2026/11/08/grand-pri-sao-paulu-formula-1-2026-norris-ferstappen-mercedes/grand-pri-sao-paulu-formula-1-2026-norris-ferstappen-mercedes-1.webp) ## Key Points - The winner of the 2026 São Paulo Grand Prix (round 20) at Interlagos was Lando Norris (McLaren). - Max Verstappen started 21st due to a power unit penalty and finished second, gaining 19 positions. - Isack Hadjar finished third for Red Bull, giving the team a double podium. - Mercedes won the 2026 Constructors' Championship early (their ninth in history, first since 2021). - Kimi Antonelli is already the reigning drivers' world champion, having secured the title at the Mexico City Grand Prix. On Sunday, November 8, the 20th round of the 2026 Formula 1 World Championship took place at the Interlagos circuit in São Paulo. The race was held in difficult weather conditions: the track was wet, so all drivers chose intermediate tires at the start. The winner of the event was McLaren driver Lando Norris, who had won pole position the day before and ultimately maintained his lead after a key mistake by his rival. According to the official Formula 1 website, the race distance was 71 laps, and Kimi Antonelli (Mercedes) set the fastest lap of 1:12.689. ### Rainy start and loss of the lead Norris, starting from pole, failed to hold the lead at the first turn, getting overtaken by reigning world champion Kimi Antonelli in the Mercedes. Following this, the Briton dropped behind Liam Lawson of Racing Bulls, falling to third place. Antonelli began to pull away, but after the general switch to dry-weather tires, the balance of power shifted. ### Antonelli's mistake and the lead change On lap 20, the Italian made a mistake at the first turn and spun his car, allowing Norris to retake the lead. The trouble did not end there: on lap 24, Antonelli went off track again at the same first turn, paving the way for Max Verstappen to take third position. Ultimately, the Mercedes driver finished fifth, and his teammate George Russell finished fourth. ### Verstappen's charge from 21st position The main hero of the weekend was four-time world champion Max Verstappen. Due to a penalty for replacing power unit components, he started the race only 21st, but began rapidly gaining positions in the very first laps: after the opening lap the Dutchman was 11th, entered the top ten on lap three, and on lap 24, taking advantage of Antonelli's mistake, climbed to third position. In the second half of the distance, he consolidated second place, but could not catch Norris — finishing 14.602 seconds behind, while having gained a total of 19 positions from his starting spot. ### Red Bull double podium and results for Ferrari and Hamilton Finishing third was Verstappen's Red Bull teammate Isack Hadjar, who drove one of the best races of the season to secure a double podium for the team. Ferrari missed out on the podium: Charles Leclerc, starting 14th, finished seventh, ahead of Liam Lawson in the closing stages. Lewis Hamilton completed his 400th Grand Prix in ninth position, despite starting the race down in 20th. ### Mercedes wins the Constructors' Championship early Despite having no drivers on the podium, Mercedes secured the team title: Russell's fourth place and Antonelli's fifth position made the German team untouchable for their rivals with three rounds remaining in the season. For Mercedes, this is their ninth Constructors' Championship in history and their first since 2021, completing a 2026 championship double — as Kimi Antonelli had previously wrapped up the drivers' title early at the Mexico City Grand Prix. ### What's next Three rounds remain before the end of the 2026 season — in Las Vegas, Qatar, and Abu Dhabi. Although the fate of both main titles has already been decided, the battle for the remaining positions in the drivers' and constructors' standings continues. ## Fact-Check & Sources - [Дождливый хаос, прорыв Ферстаппена и новый чемпион: чем завершился Гран-при Сан-Паулу Формулы-1](https://sport.rbc.ua/ukr/othersport/doshchoviy-haos-proriv-ferstappena-ta-noviy-1794171569.html) - Winner — Norris; Verstappen 21st start → 2nd place (+19 positions, gap 14.602s); Hadjar 3rd; Russell 4th, Antonelli 5th; Leclerc 7th; Hamilton 9th (400th Grand Prix); fastest lap Antonelli 1:12.689; distance 71 laps; Mercedes — 9th Constructors' title, first since 2021; remaining rounds: Las Vegas, Qatar, Abu Dhabi. ## FAQ ### Who won the 2026 São Paulo Grand Prix? The race was won by McLaren driver Lando Norris, who secured pole position and maintained the lead following Kimi Antonelli's mistake on lap 20. ### Why did Max Verstappen start 21st? The Dutchman received a penalty for replacing power unit components and started from 21st position before climbing 19 spots to finish second. ### Who won the 2026 Constructors' Championship early? Mercedes secured the team title with three races to spare thanks to George Russell's fourth place and Kimi Antonelli's fifth position.