#1146 São Paulo Grand Prix

The fight for the world title continues in São Paulo. This will be a very important Grand Prix, as 33 points will be up for grabs. Lando Norris is the new leader of the World Championship, holding a one-point advantage over Oscar Piastri. The British driver says that being in the lead doesn’t change his mindset:

 

"We’ll see at the end of the year. For now, nothing changes. I feel the same as before. Winning always helps you win more, but it’s not like I didn’t have confidence before. I drove well and felt good in Singapore and Austin, and of course, winning gives you a small boost".

 

In 2024, Lando Norris had complained about luck, which he felt was on Max Verstappen’s side. The McLaren driver reiterates, on the eve of the current edition, that in case of rain, luck will again play a role:

 

"Every time in Brazil it’s always the same, so I think the expectation is to be ready for anything—rain, dry conditions, sun, or cold. I don’t care what happens, I’m happy with everything, but obviously, it’s easier for everyone when it’s dry and I can try to repeat a weekend like the one I had in Mexico. When it rains, there’s a bit more luck involved".

 

In São Paulo, Oscar Piastri returns to the role of hunter, giving up the position of the hare. The Australian driver says he won’t miss the chance to beat Lando Norris and believes he can turn the situation around again despite coming off a difficult period:

 

"I don’t think the real Oscar has disappeared. I’ve had two tough weekends where I learned a lot, and I’m still satisfied because I tried to give my best. Ultimately, the most important thing was to try to improve performance. Am I under pressure? People can think what they want—I know I still have what it takes to win the championship. There have been obstacles along the way, but this year everyone has faced them at different times".

 

Max Verstappen is still 36 points behind the top of the World Championship standings. The recovery from over 100 points down is impressive, but with only four races and two Sprint Races remaining, catching up won’t be easy. It’s a tough mission, as McLaren remains the team to beat, even though Red Bull has made significant progress recently:

 

"We’ve had good races that reduced the gap, but it’s still quite large. I have to score a lot more points than them every weekend, which isn’t simple. If this were 2023, I’d say there’s no problem, but this season is a bit different - we’re trying to optimize everything. We’ll probably need a bit of luck in at least one race, but we’ll give it everything".

 

Verstappen is trying to put pressure on his rivals while taking it off himself and his team:

 

"We have nothing to lose. In the worst case, we’ll stay third; in the best, we could win the championship. I’m not under pressure—I know I’ve had a great season and driven very well. I think it would have been hard for anyone on the grid to match me. Of course, the McLaren teammates’ battle might be a bit of a distraction, but they still have a very fast car".

 

With Charles Leclerc’s second place in Mexico City, Ferrari managed to move ahead of Mercedes in the Constructors’ Championship standings. It’s an objective that doesn’t exactly thrill fans but remains essential, especially due to the financial rewards involved. Ferrari has gained an advantage in recent weeks, although the fight remains tight and likely to change again in the final four Grands Prix (including two Sprint Races). Ferrari leads Mercedes by just one point, with Red Bull - carried by Max Verstappen - ten points behind in fourth. Even Charles Leclerc admits that this fight doesn’t excite him much, though he recognizes that finishing ahead of rivals is important:

"It wouldn’t be enough at all. When you drive for Ferrari, the only thing that’s enough is victory. But it’s true that we’re fighting against very strong opponents, against teams with great history in this sport, so it’s not easy. Still, when you work for such an incredible brand like Ferrari, you have to aim for victory - the second place isn’t enough. That said, considering where we started the season and where we are now, it’s been a good championship because we’ve made great progress over the year. At the start, it was very difficult to understand how to address the problems with this new car, but now we’re fighting for second place among Constructors, so that must be our goal. Next year, though, our goal must be higher - definitely".

 

Leclerc admits he isn’t particularly passionate about this battle and would rather end his winless streak with a Grand Prix victory:

 

"What would I choose between a race win and second in the Constructors’? I don’t know, I’ll take both. Obviously, if you win, it’s more likely you’ll secure second place too, but it’s a tough question. Still, I’d love to win… I think it’s important to win at least one race in a season that’s been so difficult for everyone. We’d probably be happier as a team after a win, but second place remains our goal. We have to aim for both—I don’t want to choose between them".

 

During the recent Mexico City Grand Prix, Lewis Hamilton was handed a 10-second penalty for cutting Turn 2 during a battle with Max Verstappen and not giving back the position. The penalty compromised his race, leaving him far from the front and finishing eighth, nearly a minute behind the winner. Right after the race, Hamilton was not understanding toward the stewards. In Interlagos, he revisited the issue, saying:

 

"The FIA? There’s no clarity. And I think that’s probably part of a bigger problem - transparency and accountability. There’s also the secrecy behind how decisions are made. I don’t know if they’re aware of how much their decisions matter. They influence careers and can decide championships, as you’ve seen in the past".

 

George Russell is among the four drivers who have taken wins this season. The Mercedes driver triumphed in Canada and Singapore and believes there will be more opportunities for Mercedes to achieve success before the year ends. Alongside Ferrari, Mercedes could be the referee in the title fight involving Lando Norris, Oscar Piastri, and Max Verstappen:

 

"I think the title fight will go down to Abu Dhabi. Until then, I’ll race everyone the same way - maybe in Abu Dhabi I’ll be a bit less aggressive unless a GP win is at stake".

 

In Mexico, George Russell made headlines for his heated radio messages, demanding a position swap with Antonelli. Regarding what happened in the last GP, he said it was an unpredictable and chaotic situation:

 

"It’s easy to say afterwards that we could’ve managed things better. The point is, I found myself in a strange position because of what happened on the first lap, where I think there was a great injustice, especially toward Hamilton. What I can do is try to avoid ending up in situations like the one in Mexico - a tenth can make the difference between the front row and the second, and consequently between a podium race and a midfield fight".

 

Andrea Kimi Antonelli is ready for his debut on the iconic Interlagos circuit. In Mexico City, the Italian driver finished ahead of George Russell, and in São Paulo he’ll aim to score more points to help Mercedes reclaim second place in the Constructors’ Championship:

 

"I can’t wait to get on track - it seems like such a fun circuit to drive. It’s a Sprint weekend, so hopefully I can find confidence quickly and be fast. The weather is always unpredictable in Brazil. Honestly, it hasn’t been an easy period; debuting with a top team adds extra pressure, but it’s been a time that has made me stronger. I hope not to go through such difficult times again, but I’d definitely handle them better now thanks to the experience I’ve gained. What do I lack compared to Russell? In terms of pure speed, we’re on the same level, but he’s able to put everything together thanks to his experience".

On Friday, November 7, 2025, unsurprisingly, that leads to a queue of cars forming at the end of the pit lane for the session start just after 11:30 a.m., with the entire 20-strong field beginning their practice programmes on the hard compound tyre. Drama ensues inside the opening 10 minutes, though, when Yuki Tsunoda loses control of his Red Bull exiting the Descida do Lago complex and slides into the barriers - multiple hits causing damage to the front and rear. While Tsunoda manages to recover and limp back to the pits, it is an early blow to his weekend chances at Interlagos, given that mechanics will be spending a chunk of the practice hour carrying out car repairs. Once every driver has got a lap on the board, Mercedes man George Russell leads the way with a 1'11"188, just ahead of reigning four-time World Champion Max Verstappen, followed by the Williams of Carlos Sainz and the two Ferraris. Meanwhile, the tight, twisty nature of the Autodromo Jose Carlos Pace is highlighted through a series of traffic-related moments - Kimi Antonelli, Isack Hadjar, Russell and Norris all shown getting held up during their hard-tyre runs. As the session develops and drivers sample the softer tyres available, a flurry of green and purple sector times leads to plenty of leaderboard movement, and a new benchmark time of 1'09"975 from Norris on mediums. Piastri is just a few hundredths away from his teammate in P2, as the pair continue their battle for the Drivers’ Championship title, with fellow contender Verstappen looking set to join them before backing out of his late soft-tyre run. Kick Sauber makes an eye-catching start to the weekend, with Hulkenberg and home favourite Gabriel Bortoleto classifying third and fifth respectively, sandwiching the lead Aston Martin of Fernando Alonso. Russell drops back to sixth position after his early phase at the front on hard tyres, just over half a second off the pace, from Sainz, Hadjar, Mercedes teammate Antonelli and Liam Lawson in the other Racing Bulls machine.

A few hours on from Norris just pipping Piastri to top the timesheets in the weekend’s sole practice session, the drivers and teams return to action for Friday’s Sprint Qualifying to decide the grid for the penultimate Sprint of the season on Saturday. Tsunoda - whose running is limited in FP1 following a spin off track - is the first to head out when the 12-minute SQ1 begins at 3:30 p.m., with the medium tyres mandatory for all in the first segment. Despite a potentially mixed weather forecast for the weekend ahead, conditions are dry and sunny as the action picks up during SQ1. When all 20 drivers have put a lap on the board, it is Norris who goes quickest on a 1'09"702, leading the way from Piastri and Russell. At the other end of the timesheets, Albon, Ocon, Colapinto, Sainz and Tsunoda are the drivers in the elimination zone as the segment enters its final minutes. The Ferrari pair also appear to be struggling for pace, with Hamilton and Leclerc both several tenths away from the top. While both of the Scuderia’s cars improve to slot into sixth and eighth respectively, the track is about to get even busier as the pack all try to better their efforts and guarantee their place in SQ2. Albon hauls himself up into the top 10, but Colapinto - recently confirmed to stay at Alpine in 2026 - can only move to P15. The Argentinian is subsequently pushed down to P16 as others improve. Lawson also finds himself in the drop zone in P17, while Tsunoda ends up in P18. Behind them is Ocon, but perhaps the biggest shock is that Sainz cannot move himself forward after locking up on his last run, leaving the Spaniard - who misses Thursday’s media day due to illness - down in P20. At the front, Verstappen slots into second place, with Norris remaining on top via a lap of 1'09"627. Another 10 minutes go on the clock for SQ2, in which the medium tyres are again mandatory. Bortoleto is the first to set a lap in front of his home crowd, while some - including Piastri and Russell - are content to head out on track a little later. Alonso puts his Aston Martin into P1 after the first round of laps, the two-time World Champion’s time of 1'09"330 giving him an edge of 0.043s over Norris, with Piastri following in third. The Ferrari pair again look to be experiencing some tricky moments, with Leclerc and Hamilton both locking up after placing in ninth and 11th respectively. 

 

Alongside Hamilton, the drivers at risk of elimination entering the final minutes are Albon, Gasly, Bearman and Bortoleto. While Alonso and Piastri opt to remain in the pits as the clock ticks down, the rest of the field battle to improve. However, a spin for Leclerc sees the double yellow flags briefly make an appearance, meaning that some drivers have to abort their final efforts. Despite this moment, Leclerc makes it through in P9 - but teammate Hamilton is not so fortunate, the seven-time World Champion exits in P11 after not making it to the line in time to start his final run. It is also confirmed that Hamilton will be investigated after the session for a yellow flag infringement at Turn 10. The other names in the bottom five - Albon, Gasly, Bortoleto and Bearman - are also ultimately unable to get themselves out of the danger zone. As the dust settles on SQ2, it is time for the eight-minute top-10 shootout of SQ3. With the soft tyre the mandatory compound for this segment, Norris looks quick from the off, the Briton going fastest on his banker lap of 1'09"271. While Norris leads the way from Antonelli, Russell, Piastri - three-tenths away from his teammate - and Leclerc, different strategies are at play for the rest of the pack, with the likes of Verstappen and Alonso opting for only one flying run. McLaren, meanwhile, embark on a cooldown lap before going for a final effort. Elsewhere, Verstappen appears disappointed as he crosses the line in sixth, the Red Bull driver shaking his head, while Russell takes fourth to demote Alonso to fifth. Norris seems clear at the top on a lap of 1'09"243, Piastri being unable to beat that time - but all eyes are then on Antonelli, with the young Mercedes driver looking to be on a quick lap. While he misses out to Norris by 0.097s - meaning that the British driver secures his first Sprint pole of the campaign and fourth of his career - the Italian still manages to slot between the McLaren pair in P2. At the other end of the top 10, Stroll claims seventh for his best Sprint starting slot of the season, followed by Leclerc, Hadjar and Hulkenberg. Even in the Sprint Qualifying, Lando Norris seemed to be in excellent form, managing to secure an important pole position. With Max Verstappen only sixth, the opportunity for Norris to gain more points seems to open up - weather permitting:

 

"It was a bit more difficult than I would have liked, but many cars were very close to each other. Mercedes was fast on the Softs, but it’s always tricky when you have both Mediums and Softs available and you need to figure out how much to push. But we did our job, which was to be the fastest today. I didn’t feel very comfortable; it was more complicated than in Mexico, but it’s still a great result. It’s only Friday, but it’s a good start".

Regarding the chances of rain, Norris said:

 

"According to the forecasts, it should rain a lot in the morning and there should be incredibly strong winds. But for now, there’s no point worrying about it. I’m happy with today - it was tough. I did a good job putting everything together".

 

A great performance from Andrea Kimi Antonelli in Sprint Qualifying, as the young Italian driver secured second place, finishing less than a tenth of a second behind Lando Norris:

 

"Sometimes I wonder why that happens - when there’s a new track, you have no expectations, you just try to drive as well as possible and get into rhythm as quickly as you can, and that definitely helps. I’ve felt comfortable on all the new circuits this year, so we’ll see what happens tomorrow".

 

An even more remarkable result considering the general difficulties encountered during qualifying - some of which Antonelli himself highlighted:

 

"The soft tyre didn’t work as we expected, and with the track getting colder, the warm-up was more difficult and not really consistent. The feeling was a bit strange because when I left the garage, the tyres felt good, but when I started my flying lap, I felt a loss of grip compared to the beginning of the out-lap, so it was a bit odd. Even during the lap, the tyre didn’t really work properly, so we’ll have to see tomorrow with the temperatures, but we also need to understand why the tyre didn’t perform the way we wanted".

 

In the Sprint Race, Andrea Kimi Antonelli will start from the front row once again - months after the Miami Grand Prix, where he made contact with Oscar Piastri at Turn 1, an episode the Italian still remembers well:

 

"We’ve seen in every race that in Turn 1, on the first lap, you can pretty much do whatever you want. We’ll try to get a good start, but it’ll be important to score the right points, especially for the Constructors’ battle. Of course, if I find myself wheel-to-wheel, I’ll try to come out ahead through the chicane".

 

Meanwhile, in Sprint Qualifying, Max Verstappen was unable to shine and will have to settle for sixth place on the starting grid. The Dutch driver couldn’t find the right feeling with his Red Bull Racing car at Interlagos and didn’t hide his frustration over team radio, saying the car felt almost broken due to how difficult it was to drive:

 

"I felt a lot of vibrations in the car; it was difficult to drive and definitely not what we wanted. But I think, beyond that, we just don’t have grip. The middle sector is terrible - I just can’t get the car to turn. And I can’t rely on the rear end, so overall, it’s quite negative for us"

 

Rain could be an ally for Verstappen, although the Dutchman doesn’t sound particularly optimistic:

 

"I don’t know, we’ll see if it helps us. It’s quite clear that we’re missing something, and I don’t expect things to suddenly improve much in the wet. Anyway, we’ll see tomorrow".

After leading the World Championship for several months, Oscar Piastri has been overtaken in the standings by just one point by his teammate Lando Norris. With four Grands Prix and two Sprint Races still to go, the Australian driver can still turn around the negative trend of his recent performances. In the Sprint Qualifying, he finished in third place - a solid starting point, though Lando Norris beat him by 0.185s on a track lasting only 69 seconds:

 

"The Softs were slightly different from what I expected. I had a couple of small mistakes on my first lap, and it wasn’t ideal. It’s a bit of a shame, but today I felt much more satisfied compared to the last two races. Practice went very well, and in Sprint Qualifying a few things changed, so I had to readjust. In the end, I’m fairly happy. I would have liked to achieve something more, but we can definitely fight with what we have, also looking ahead to Sunday, when a lot more points will be at stake".

 

With forecasts predicting rain, Oscar Piastri won’t be caught off guard:

 

"It’s going to be an interesting day. We’ll see what the weather does, but I’ll try to take every opportunity that comes my way. The car’s pace was really good, so I hope that can translate into a positive result regardless of the conditions".

 

To pay tribute to Brazil and its idol Ayrton Senna, Lewis Hamilton arrived at Interlagos with a helmet featuring the South American country’s flag, which had granted him honorary citizenship a few years ago. However, the first day of the São Paulo Grand Prix was not equally satisfying for the British driver:

 

"Surely the yellow flags didn’t help. It’s not that we didn’t try. The team thought we would be much faster than we actually were. We gave our best, and that counts; we just weren’t fast enough".

 

Hamilton doesn’t have many explanations for what happened:

 

"We’re working hard, so there’s not much more I can do. Right now I’m eleventh, and from this position I’ll just try to have fun. The year hasn’t gone well for me, and I have to enjoy whatever comes my way - I can only do that".

 

Charles Leclerc is understandably disappointed at the end of the Sprint Qualifying, finishing only in eighth place. The Monegasque driver also experienced a spin in SQ2 due to a lack of feeling with the SF-25 on the Interlagos circuit:

 

"I'm not happy. The car was really slow today. We are slow. My first lap in SQ3 was also good, but so far it has been a difficult weekend".

The hopes of a comeback don’t seem very realistic:

 

"I have no reason to think there is a setup problem. We will try something, but I'm not sure it will really improve or worsen things".

 

George Russell will start from the second row, in fourth position. The British driver was surprisingly beaten by his teammate. Therefore, aiming for a podium finish in the Sprint Race is possible, although the weather remains an unknown factor. Being outqualified by his teammate doesn’t seem to bother the British driver too much, as he is confident he can make up for it in the Grand Prix qualifying session. For this reason, the post-session analysis focuses mainly on Mercedes’ role as the second-strongest team, as they aim to overtake Ferrari again in the Constructors’ Championship standings:

 

"P2 and P4 are great starting positions for us. We maintained an excellent pace throughout all the Sprint qualifying sessions and the car’s balance felt perfect. That’s encouraging for us, considering how tight the battle for second place in the Constructors’ Championship is. Hopefully, we can keep this speed and momentum for the rest of the weekend. The weather forecast for Saturday suggests it might rain. Even if that happens, I’m confident we’ll have the right car to fight our rivals and score important points in the Sprint. From there, we’ll move on to qualifying, where we’ll aim to deliver a similar performance".

On Saturday, November 8, 2025, as the lights go out for the 24-lap event, Norris makes an excellent start to surge ahead into the lead, while Antonelli faces pressure from Piastri but manages to hold onto second. Behind them, Verstappen is quick to pick off Alonso for fifth and Hamilton also makes moves, climbing up to eighth place to run behind teammate Leclerc. Lance Stroll loses out and drops down two positions to ninth, and further back there is contact between Ollie Bearman and Liam Lawson at Turn 4, an incident that sends the former into a spin and drops him down to P18. The incident is investigated by the stewards after the Sprint. Within four laps, Norris stretches out a gap of nearly one and a half seconds from Antonelli, with each of the top five running in relatively clear air. The margins are much finer behind, however, as Alonso is chased by Leclerc and Hamilton. That calm quickly unravels with a dramatic sequence of events on Lap 6, as Piastri takes too much kerb and crashes into the barriers at Turn 3. With water seemingly being dragged onto the track, Hulkenberg and Colapinto then both go off at the same corner, resulting in the Safety Car being deployed. While Hulkenberg is able to get his Kick Sauber going again and return to the pits with a broken nosecone, Piastri and Colapinto are both out of the running - and with those cars needing to be recovered and the barriers requiring repairs, a red flag is thrown to bring the Sprint to a halt. The remaining cars make their way back to the fast lane of the pit lane during the stoppage, before a restart time is confirmed a short while later. Kick Sauber fixes Hulkenberg’s car in time to rejoin the Sprint, meaning that he is released onto the track to get himself to the back of the queue in the pit lane. Ahead of a rolling start, the Safety Car leads the pack out - all having changed tyres during the break - and Norris again executes a good start when the action resumes with 15 laps remaining. Behind him Russell looks to challenge Antonelli, but it is the latter who holds position through Turn 1. Alonso is also looking racy, the Aston Martin driver attempting a move on fourth-placed Verstappen before having to back off and settle for fifth. While Verstappen then starts to pull away, Alonso again finds himself under pressure from Leclerc behind. As the halfway mark of the Sprint passes, Norris leads Antonelli by 1.2s, with Russell, Verstappen, Alonso, Leclerc, Hamilton and Stroll completing the points-paying positions, though Stroll has the Alpine of Gasly hot on his tail. Alonso - still being chased by Leclerc - is told to lift and coast by his race engineer, while further back Gasly is still looking to get ahead of Stroll for eighth. The Frenchman keeps an eye on what is happening ahead, reporting:

 

"That Ferrari needs to get past Alonso".

 

At the front, Norris appears to be struggling with his rear tyres on the drying track, the Briton having switched to the soft compound during the stoppage. By Lap 20, Antonelli closes to just 0.4s behind Norris. Behind them, Leclerc finally finds a way past Alonso to move up into fifth, leaving the Aston Martin to face pressure from the other Ferrari of Hamilton. As the final lap arrives, all eyes are on Antonelli as the Italian continues his pursuit of Norris. But with a hefty crash into the barriers for home favourite Bortoleto - after which the Brazilian fortunately reports that he is okay - meaning that the Sprint ends under double yellow flags, it is Norris who takes victory as the chequered flag falls, allowing him to extend his championship lead over Piastri to nine points. Antonelli crosses the line just 0.845s behind, while the other Mercedes of Russell follows in third. Verstappen claims fourth place, with Leclerc, Alonso, Hamilton and Gasly taking the remaining points on offer. Stroll and Hadjar just miss out in ninth and 10th respectively, while Haas’ Esteban Ocon and Bearman are 11th and 12th. Lawson follows in 13th from Tsunoda, Sainz, Hulkenberg and Albon. Bortoleto, Piastri and Colapinto, meanwhile, are the three retirees from the event after their respective crashes. Lando Norris said at the end of the Sprint Race:

 

"It was tough. It makes the win more rewarding when you have a race like this, especially with Kimi here - he was certainly not making my life easy. It’s one of those ones where you have to push because you know the guy behind is going to try and push that little bit more. It was sketchy - I had a couple of little lifts, but even with the wind it was tricky. With the degradation on the tyres, it was difficult so definitely not an easy race but probably the race you expect here in Brazil. It’s always a difficult one".

Lando Norris triumphantly closes the Interlagos Sprint Race, extending his lead in the standings over Oscar Piastri - who went off track after a mistake on lap seven - to nine points. The incident in Turn 3 - historically one of the trickiest corners at the Brazilian circuit - was perhaps indirectly triggered by Norris himself, who, by running wide over the kerb on the exit of the Senna S, brought some moisture onto the racing line, catching his teammate out. Jokingly accusing the Brit is George Russell, who finished third and had a front-row view of Piastri’s mistake from just behind the Australian:

 

"It felt a bit like when, in Super Mario Kart, you throw a banana peel at your rivals! Lando is the smartest guy on the grid. That’s a kerb we always use… we use it a lot in qualifying. Obviously, when conditions are as wet as they were today, it’s better to stay away from it. That’s why I turned slightly and saw water being dragged onto the track, but nothing more".

 

The first to notice the danger was Andrea Kimi Antonelli, who actually reported over the radio that Norris, by running wide over the outer kerb at Turn 2, had brought water onto the track. Antonelli, however, managed to avoid the damp patch that lap by staying clear of the kerb:

 

"I tried to stay off the kerbs for the whole race because it was very, very tricky, especially at the beginning. When I saw Norris lifting water, I tried to be more careful to avoid spins or difficult moments, because the first sector was definitely the wettest. It was really crucial to drive precisely to be able to overtake him".

 

Having gained one place at the start from Fernando Alonso and then moving up to fourth after Piastri’s off, Max Verstappen’s Sprint Race was far from aggressive. In fact, the Dutchman once again had to rely on his car control to avoid suffering the same fate as the Australian when Norris kicked up more water with another aggressive kerb hit. After the red flag, Verstappen switched to medium tyres but struggled to hold off Fernando Alonso after the restart. Verstappen now trails Norris by 39 points:

 

"I’m in no man’s land. We’ll make some changes and hope they bring the car into a better operating window. I’d like to be fighting with the guys up front, but at the moment we’re not there. If the changes work, maybe I could fight with the Mercedes".

 

Starting eighth on the grid, Charles Leclerc had a strong opening lap that put him in seventh. Piastri’s incident then gifted him sixth place, which became fifth after a fine overtake on Fernando Alonso at Turn 4 on lap 23 of 24. The Monegasque thus collected four points, probably the maximum possible given the SF-25’s lack of competitiveness at Interlagos:

 

"This weekend has been really difficult. Unfortunately, we have a problem on both cars that we can’t explain. We’re losing a lot of time on the straights. We’re running more downforce than others, but that doesn’t explain such a big gap, so something’s not right. I hope we can understand what’s going wrong before qualifying. We’re not where we want to be".

 

Lewis Hamilton also had a good start, moving up to eighth place. After the Sprint Race restart, the British driver held on to seventh until the chequered flag:

 

"We’re struggling with the car’s balance, and our top speed is really low. That’s why we can’t overtake. We need to figure out how to deal with this before qualifying. Still, I enjoyed the Sprint Race even though the conditions were tricky. I gained positions with a great start, but then the red flag neutralized everything. Up to that point, my pace was quite good, but it all evened out when everyone switched to new tyres".

As the dust settles on an eventful Sprint Race at the Autodromo Jose Carlos Pace, it is time for the drivers and teams to switch their attention to Qualifying, which decides the starting order for Sunday’s Sao Paulo Grand Prix. After four cars hit the barriers during that action-packed Sprint, questions remain over whether the teams have these repaired in time to participate in Qualifying - particularly in the cases of Colapinto and Bortoleto, both of whom suffer especially heavy crashes. With the start of the session delayed by a few minutes while a barrier at Turn 10 is repaired, those working to be ready are given a little more time to prepare. And when Q1 gets underway, a busy start to the 18-minute segment sees most of the pack head out - including three of the four drivers who crashed earlier, with only Bortoleto still in the garage along with the Mercedes pair. Piastri looks to be pushing hard, the Australian locking up into Turn 1 which leaves him far down the timesheets as the first laps go on the board, the majority of the field running the soft tyres for their initial runs barring Leclerc on the medium compound. Once all of the field barring Bortoleto have been out and set a time, Bearman is a surprise name to slot into the top slot on a 1'09"891 - the first driver to break into the 1'09"0 - ahead of Antonelli by three tenths, but the order continues to change as the track rapidly ramps up. The drivers in the danger zone are Verstappen, Colapinto, Ocon, Tsunoda and Bortoleto, the latter still yet to leave the pits. During a lull in the session, Verstappen ventures out again with the track to himself - but his next effort does not lift him above P16, having a wide moment through Turn 9 during the lap. After being asked by race engineer Gianpiero Lambiase if the team can help with the tools, Verstappen responds: 

 

"I don’t know". 

 

And as the final minutes tick down, the pack are all back out for their decisive last runs. Norris moves himself to the top on a 1'09"656, putting him ahead of Bearman and Piastri, before Gasly also catches the eye by slotting into P2. But the big story is that Verstappen’s next effort is not enough to get him out of the drop zone, meaning that the Dutchman - struggling for grip - exits the session in 16th. It is a doubly difficult day for Red Bull, with the other RB21 of Tsunoda also being eliminated in 19th. Joining them in making an early departure from Qualifying are Ocon in 17th and Colapinto in 18th, while Bortoleto is 20th after being unable to participate in the session. The Williams duo of Albon and Sainz are the first to head out as 15 minutes go on the clock for Q2 before the track becomes busier as the rest of the field look to get themselves through to Q3, most again running the soft compound. Bearman repeats his impressive showing of Q1 by setting an early benchmark of 1'09"755 on a fresh set of soft tyres, the Haas driver just 0.019s ahead of fellow rookie Antonelli, while Piastri - running used softs - goes third quickest. At the other end of the timesheets, Gasly, Stroll, Leclerc, Hulkenberg and Sainz are the names at risk, with Hamilton on the bubble in 10th. Russell, meanwhile - who goes fourth fastest - reports having no grip in his W16. Gasly hauls himself up the order to fifth, while Norris again shoots to P1 on a 1'09"616. Mercedes send Antonelli and Russell out late, the pair not reaching the line in time to set another lap, but both ultimately make it through in third and seventh respectively. Others are not so lucky, including Hamilton who drops down to 13th place. The seven-time World Champion cannot improve, meaning that his SQ2 exit on Friday is repeated in the form of a Q1 departure on Saturday. A potential impeding incident between Russell and Hamilton, meanwhile, is noted by the stewards before it is decided that no further investigation is needed. Alonso is pushed out of the session in P11 after earlier climbing into the top 10, with Albon (P12), Stroll (P14) and Sainz (P15) also failing to make it through to Q3. The McLaren, Mercedes and Racing Bulls pairings are joined by Leclerc, Bearman, Hulkenberg and Gasly for the all-important top-10 shootout, and as the first laps go on the board, Piastri secures provisional pole on a 1'09"897, just 0.002s ahead of Leclerc. Bearman again looks impressive in third, with Antonelli and Russell following in fourth and fifth. Norris, meanwhile, sets the slowest time after locking up into Turn 1, the Briton’s lap subsequently some six-tenths off that set by his teammate. Attentions then turn to the decisive final runs, and Bearman is the first to head out. The Haas driver cannot improve on his previous effort, while Leclerc shoots up to the top spot - but not for long, with Norris going fastest after pumping in a 1'09"511.

While Piastri betters his first run, it is not enough to move him forwards. Antonelli, however, does go quicker, putting the Italian in P2 behind Norris - repeating the same front row that comes from Friday’s Sprint Qualifying. This pushes Leclerc down to third and Piastri fourth - marking the latter’s first top-five start since the Singapore Grand Prix - while Hadjar impresses by claiming fifth ahead of Russell in sixth. Lawson adds to Racing Bulls’ solid showing in seventh, with Bearman taking eighth and Gasly and Hulkenberg rounding out the order in ninth and 10th. Lando Norris clinched his sixth pole position of the season - a result that came after teammate Oscar Piastri’s crash in the Sprint Race and Max Verstappen’s shocking 16th place in Qualifying, two twists that are clearly playing into the Briton’s hands in the fight for the world title. Two major turns of events that could pave the way for a Grand Prix victory:

 

"The first run in Q3, where I locked up, wasn’t perfect - but maybe up to that point everything had been a bit too smooth, so I probably needed a kick up the backside. It’s been a good weekend so far, but the day that counts is tomorrow. That’s where my focus needs to be - we have to win".

 

A race in which the Briton will start from pole position, ahead of Andrea Kimi Antonelli and Charles Leclerc - two pursuers who will no doubt put pressure on him, with one car in particular worrying Norris:

 

"It’s a bit harder to say with Ferrari, but I saw Mercedes’ pace this morning and it was really strong - as good as ours, maybe even better. So I don’t feel as comfortable or confident as I have in some of the last few races. There’s nothing to get too excited about. I think tomorrow’s race will be tough, and I expect Mercedes to be right there. They’ll challenge us".

 

The day ended on a positive note for the World Championship leader, who took the opportunity to thank his team ahead of Sunday’s race:

 

"It was a lot of fun despite the tricky conditions. The track was slippery and inconsistent, but it’s always a pleasure to drive here at Interlagos, and starting the weekend by winning the Sprint was great. We’ve been in really good form today, and the team’s given me a fantastic car - so thanks to everyone at McLaren".

 

During the São Paulo Grand Prix weekend, Oscar Piastri has struggled to match his teammate’s performance level. The crash during the Sprint Race - while running in third place - understandably hit the Australian’s confidence, and he now sits nine points behind. In Qualifying, Piastri pushed to secure a solid starting position but couldn’t do better than fourth, finishing 0.375s off Norris - a considerable gap on a circuit that only takes 69 seconds to complete:

 

"I just couldn’t go any faster. The conditions were very different compared to yesterday, and everything felt much more difficult today. The result is a bit disappointing, but the car has felt quick all weekend, and I hope I can use that to my advantage tomorrow. I’ll try to take every opportunity that comes my way, and if I can catch up to Norris and put him under pressure, I will - but first, I’ve got to get within DRS range".

 

Entering history - but from the wrong side. For the first time in his career, Max Verstappen is eliminated in Q1 without any technical issues. After a defensive Sprint Race, qualifying takes on grotesque overtones, and Verstappen cannot avoid the humiliation of elimination:

 

"I can forget about the title; clearly something isn’t working for us here. Even with the setup changes, normally you’d feel some reaction through the steering wheel, but that’s not the case. So there’s definitely something wrong. The problem is, we don’t understand why".

Red Bull Racing team principal Laurent Mekies adds:

 

"We’ve been unhappy with the car since the start of the weekend. We took a few more risks before qualifying to see if we could bring the car into a better window. And obviously, that backfired. Sometimes that’s the price you pay when you take a risk - it doesn’t always work. It’s painful, but we can learn from it and improve".

 

Andrea Kimi Antonelli’s weekend continues with decisively positive results. He has consistently held second place from Sprint Qualifying to the Sprint Race and finally in Qualifying. Even though he had never driven on the Brazilian circuit before, the Mercedes driver is impressing with his consistency under varying track conditions. Finishing just over a tenth behind Lando Norris, the Italian driver explains what went wrong on his flying lap:

 

"In the last corner before the uphill section, I shifted up a bit too early. I locked the rear first and then a little bit the front, and I lost about a tenth - but it still wouldn’t have been enough for pole because the first sector wasn’t great. Then I had a bit of understeer, and I need to check why. The wind was hard to read today; its intensity wasn’t constant. Sometimes you’d go into a corner not knowing how the balance would be. In the end, it was a tricky session. We’re all really close, so it was important to make as few mistakes as possible. Anyway, we’ll start tomorrow from P2".

 

It’s therefore a favorable moment for Antonelli, who is preparing to lay the groundwork for what could be his first Formula 1 victory in his rookie season:

 

"It’s definitely a good period. Every time I got into the car I felt more confident, and that helped with the setup too. I’m trying to work a lot with Bono to adapt things more to my driving style. We’re doing a great job as a team. Now we focus on tomorrow. The wind will change again and go back to what it was on Friday, which should be good - we’ll see what happens. Winning is the goal; even if we’re starting second, being up there means we’ll try to go for it. We know the McLaren is fast and that it’s hard to follow in dirty air, but everything’s possible. We’ll try to get a good start, maintain good pace, and put pressure on McLaren".

 

Charles Leclerc’s words after the Sprint Race didn’t seem to promise anything good for Ferrari. And yet, among the many unexplainable things in qualifying, there’s also Ferrari’s newfound competitiveness. The third-place finish - even though 0.294s behind Lando Norris - must be seen as an excellent result, given where they started:

 

"We did everything right. I followed a bit of my own intuition on certain things - we took some downforce off the car, and that helped us. But I don’t think we’ve solved all our straight-line issues yet, and we still need to understand what’s happening because we don’t have an explanation. Even though we don’t have one, we did a really great job today".

 

Leclerc emphasizes the importance of preparation ahead of qualifying:

 

"As happened in Austin and Mexico, execution was perfect. Qualifying was executed perfectly, and that made the difference".

 

Finally, Leclerc comments on Ferrari’s WEC victory:

"Winning after 53 years is amazing news, and I’m super happy for Ferrari and the guys - they really deserve it".

 

After two unremarkable sessions with several balance and top-speed issues, Lewis Hamilton’s difficult period continues, as he’s eliminated in Q2. Team principal Frédéric Vasseur comments:

 

"The grid is getting tighter and tighter - we’re talking tenths between first and sixteenth place. That means if you make even a small mistake, don’t nail your out lap, or get stuck in traffic, you’re already out in Q1 or Q2. Today we did a much better job than yesterday; it’s about putting everything together to make a small difference - we’re talking hundredths between tenth and third place. We expected rain for the Sprint, but it didn’t come. For tonight’s qualifying, we opted for a lower downforce setup".

 

Vasseur also congratulates Ferrari’s WEC team, which clinched both the drivers’ and constructors’ titles:

 

"We’re one team, one company. We’re very happy - we send them our support from São Paulo. It’s great for team and company spirit. We’ll push like crazy to support each other. We have great collaboration, and I’m more than happy. It’s also a positive energy boost for us, and we really need it".

 

Lewis Hamilton certainly couldn’t hide the problems he faced in Q2. At the end of Qualifying, the British driver said:

 

"I had no rear grip; the tyres just didn’t work properly. The car’s setup was good - it was all about tyre preparation. The car was fine in terms of top speed, and with Charles up there in the top three, it’s clear the car was better, but I just couldn’t get the tyres to work".

After fans enjoy a taste of racing action at Interlagos during Saturday’s action-packed Sprint, it is time to go again on Sunday as the drivers and teams ready themselves for the 71-lap Sao Paulo Grand Prix. Saturday also presents its fair share of drama via Qualifying, a session that sees Norris clinch pole position while fellow title contender Verstappen makes a surprise exit in Q1, with the Dutchman complaining of no grip in his RB21. In the wake of these struggles, it is confirmed in the hours prior to Sunday’s race that Red Bull opts to make sweeping changes to Verstappen’s car, which include fitting a new power unit and various elements that go beyond his allocation for the season. As such – with these alterations made under parc ferme conditions - Verstappen starts the Grand Prix from the pit lane. Another driver to make changes beyond their allocation is Ocon, the Frenchman’s Haas taking on a new Internal Combustion Engine (ICE), meaning he too lines up in the pit lane for the race start. While mixed weather conditions have potentially been forecast across the weekend at Interlagos, the track action on Friday and Saturday takes place mostly in the dry. However, spots of rain start to fall as the drivers make their way to the grid for Sunday’s Grand Prix. When all 20 cars line up and the tyre blankets are removed - with the drizzle easing off for the time being, though the risk of rain during the race remains at 40% - it is revealed that a range of compounds are at play, with seven drivers including polesitter Norris starting on the medium, eight on the soft and five on the hard, Verstappen among the latter. After the formation lap is completed and the five lights go out, Norris launches away well to hold the lead from Antonelli, while the other McLaren of Piastri is forced to defend hard from Hadjar through the first two corners. There is drama further back, however, with Hamilton dropping down the order after being tagged by Sainz before later clipping the rear of Colapinto’s Alpine, forcing him to limp back to the pits to have the damaged front wing changed. A long stop then ensues for the Briton, putting him to the back of the field amid lasting damage to the floor of his SF-25. Elsewhere, the yellow flags are thrown due to Bortoleto hitting the barriers following contact with Stroll. The home favourite is out of the race, and a Safety Car is subsequently called as his stricken Kick Sauber is recovered. Tsunoda takes the opportunity to pit, swapping from the hard to the medium compound. Five laps down, the Safety Car phase comes to an end and Norris again makes a clean restart. 

 

Leclerc, Antonelli and Piastri are three abreast into Turn 1 - but a lock-up from Piastri sees him hit the Mercedes, which then ricochets into Leclerc’s Ferrari. The Monegasque loses a tyre in the incident and the damage to his car is too great for him to continue, forcing him to pull off track. This triggers a Virtual Safety Car, under which Verstappen - who has climbed up to P13 - pits, bringing him back out in last place. The Dutchman is informed by race engineer Gianpiero Lambiase that this is due to a puncture on the car. As the VSC ends on Lap 9, Piastri - now up to second ahead of Antonelli - is close to his teammate when the action resumes but not quite near enough to make a move. Behind those leading three cars, the rest of the top 10 shake out as Hadjar, Russell, Lawson, Bearman, Gasly, Albon and Sainz. The stewards are kept busy, confirming that Tsunoda will receive a 10-second time penalty for causing a collision with Stroll, while the Turn 1 incident between Piastri and Antonelli is also noted. Back out on track, Russell overtakes Hadjar for fourth while Bearman surges past Lawson to move up into sixth. Further back, Verstappen is flying after bolting on the medium tyres during that earlier pit stop and soon picks off Hamilton and Colapinto to move up to 14th. Sainz and Hamilton’s Turn 1 incident is noted by the stewards, as is Hamilton’s later contact with Colapinto. The Ferrari man is not having the easiest time in the race, reporting that his car is crazy unstable before making another pit stop for the medium rubber. Piastri’s day also gets worse after it is confirmed that the Australian receives a 10-second time penalty for his collision with Antonelli. Running around 1.9s ahead of Antonelli, the McLaren driver needs to build a gap fast. Things are going better for Verstappen, meanwhile, who makes further moves to reach P9 by Lap 18. Further pit stops start to take place soon afterward, promoting the Dutchman up to sixth as Hadjar, Lawson and Gasly pit. Up at the front, Norris is told that Plan B or possibly Plan D could be their preferred options, the Briton now leading by 4.5s from Piastri. Antonelli heads to the pits on Lap 22, swapping the soft tyres for the medium as he drops down to P11. Verstappen, meanwhile, is the fastest man on track in fourth place, the Red Bull driver running just under 20 seconds away from leader Norris. There is trouble for the other RB21 of Tsunoda, who is noted for failing to serve his time penalty correctly.

The stewards also decide to hand Hamilton a five-second time penalty for causing a collision with Colapinto, adding to Ferrari’s difficult day at Interlagos as the Briton continues to circulate in 17th. Thirty laps down, Norris leads by 6.7s from Piastri, who is followed by Russell, Verstappen, Antonelli, Albon, Hulkenberg, Bearman, Hadjar and Gasly, with several still yet to pit. That changes one tour later when Norris makes his stop, emerging back on track in fourth place - behind Verstappen - with used soft tyres on. With Verstappen’s medium tyres some 25 laps old, the reigning World Champion does not put up much of a fight when Norris overtakes for P3 on the main straight. Elsewhere, Hamilton pits to serve his penalty, while Tsunoda is hit with another 10-second penalty for failing to serve the earlier punishment correctly. Verstappen dives into the pits again on Lap 35 to bolt on another set of medium tyres, bringing him back out in 12th, while Russell is now in sixth after stopping for the soft rubber. Piastri - still yet to pit - continues to lead up ahead with a nine-second margin over Norris, with Antonelli running in third. By Lap 39 it is time for Piastri’s stop, the Australian having to remain stationary for 10 seconds owing to that earlier penalty before the team can swap his medium tyres for the soft. Returning to the track in ninth, will that compound hold out until the end of the race? Elsewhere in the pit lane, Ferrari’s challenging day comes to a close as Hamilton retires his car - marking a double DNF for the Scuderia on a day where they look likely to lose significant ground to Mercedes, and even Red Bull, in the Teams’ Championship. Just as Piastri is told that the plan is to catch and undercut Bearman and Russell, Bearman then pits - but a stubborn front left tyre results in a slow stop, bringing him out in P11. With 25 laps remaining, Norris leads by 7.8s from Antonelli, followed by Russell, Verstappen, Piastri, Lawson, Ocon, Hulkenberg, Albon and Bearman, who gains a position since his stop. Mercedes opts to bring Antonelli and Russell in one lap apart for medium tyres, promoting Verstappen up into second between the McLarens. Bearman, meanwhile, looks racy as he goes side-by-side with Hulkenberg, the Haas man coming out ahead in seventh. McLaren pits Norris on Lap 51, a set of used medium tyres going on the Briton’s car as he emerges in P2. Verstappen moves up into the lead as a result - a situation he remarks is not bad given his pit lane start - while Piastri makes a stop for used mediums one tour later, bringing him out in seventh. 

 

The race takes another intriguing turn when Verstappen is brought into the pits on Lap 55 to bolt on a fresh set of soft tyres. Returning to the track in fourth place, the flying Red Bull sets about chasing down Russell, Antonelli and Norris up ahead. Behind, Piastri makes his way up to fifth after picking off Lawson and Bearman. As for Verstappen, the four-time World Champion is warned that his tyre compound is vulnerable, leading him to respond that there is nothing to lose. With 12 laps to go, Norris continues to lead by six seconds from Antonelli, who in turn has a two-second margin over Russell. The latter - seemingly experiencing brake issues - is being caught by Verstappen, the Dutchman just 1.5s behind, while Piastri is four seconds adrift of the Red Bull in fifth. As the race enters its closing stages, a thrilling finale looks to be on the cards as Verstappen edges ever closer to Russell - before surging around the outside on the main straight to climb up into third. Next in the Dutch driver’s sights is Antonelli, though the Red Bull initially cannot quite break into DRS range - until Lap 67, that is, which puts him right on the rear of the Mercedes. Behind them, Russell is also being chased by Piastri and has now closed to within DRS as the final two laps arrive. A wide moment for Antonelli on the final tour allows Verstappen to get even closer. While this plays out, Norris crosses the line to seal victory with a 10-second lead - and Antonelli ultimately manages to hold on to claim P2, Verstappen following in P3 in a result that would perhaps scarcely seem believable when he lines up to start from the pit lane. Russell also resists the pressure from Piastri to take fourth, meaning that Mercedes - and Red Bull Racing - leapfrog Ferrari in the Teams’ Championship. Piastri, meanwhile, is now 24 points adrift of Norris in the Drivers’ standings after taking fifth in Sao Paulo. Bearman completes a good weekend to clinch P6, while Lawson and Hadjar follow in seventh and eighth for Racing Bulls. An incident between the pair is noted on the final lap, before the stewards deem that no further investigation is necessary. Hulkenberg and Gasly round out the top 10.

Pole position in the Sprint Qualifying, victory in the Sprint Race, pole in Qualifying, and victory in the São Paulo Grand Prix: a four-of-a-kind of successes that seals a perfect weekend for Lando Norris at Interlagos, where the British McLaren driver collected crucial points to extend his lead over direct rivals Oscar Piastri and Max Verstappen in the title fight. Thus ends an apparently flawless GP for the McLaren driver, who nonetheless pointed out something to review ahead of the Las Vegas Grand Prix:

 

"It was a great race for me, I controlled everything really well. I’m a bit disappointed that the gap wasn’t as big as it was in Mexico - I expected a little more. Not that I’m disappointed with the win, but I was pushing and the advantage wasn’t as large as I thought it should be. I’m realistic and honest, and I think the team will see it the same way - we expected a little bit more, but it’s something we’ll review. Apart from that, it was a fantastic weekend, so we can’t take anything away from what was a perfect weekend. We were in front in every session, took both poles, won both races - so I’m very happy".

 

Norris is now the main contender for his first world title:

 

"Nothing should change - absolutely nothing - and nothing will change. The only thing is to keep working as hard as we’ve done so far".

 

The negative streak continues for Oscar Piastri, who has been in a deep slump since the Azerbaijan GP and can’t seem to get out of it. Bad luck also struck again at Interlagos, where the Australian attempted an overtake into Turn 1, taking advantage of a hesitant restart by Andrea Kimi Antonelli under the Safety Car, only to be squeezed by the Italian and unfairly suffer the consequences. Piastri clearly stated his innocence:

 

"I was clearly on the inside and alongside Antonelli at the initial braking phase. Yes, there was a lock-up, but I was fully on the apex, on the white line to the left - it was a racing incident; I couldn’t disappear. I don’t think I made a mistake in my race, but many things didn’t go the way I wanted, and that’s hard to accept. I’d say there was a mistake in the Sprint, where I went onto a part of the track I shouldn’t have, but there was also some bad luck".

 

Once again, taking advantage of a Power Unit change that provided more power than his rivals, Max Verstappen delivered a sensational comeback to finish in third place. The Dutch driver could have even finished second if he hadn’t encountered a brilliant Andrea Kimi Antonelli, who managed to resist the pressure from the four-time World Champion:

 

"It was a bit cooler today, and that helped us. I knew I could recover, but I didn’t expect to finish on the podium. The World Championship? I’m far behind - 49 points to recover with three races to go is a lot. Our goal is to try to win more races, even if we know it’ll be very difficult. I’m proud of Antonelli. He had a very positive weekend, and it’s not easy for him with all the pressure of his rookie season. I’m not surprised - this weekend will give him even more confidence".

 

A second podium of the season for Andrea Kimi Antonelli, who finished the São Paulo Grand Prix in second place. What’s surprising is that the Mercedes driver, during the restart after the Safety Car, bounced between Piastri’s McLaren and Leclerc’s Ferrari - yet somehow managed to continue:

 

"At the restart I was too aggressive on the throttle, spun the wheels, and lost some momentum. Then there was Charles on the right and Oscar diving on the left, but when I braked, I didn’t see Oscar anymore - I thought he had braked earlier. I tried not to close too much, also to leave some room for Charles, but we made contact and unfortunately I hit Charles. In the end, it turned out okay because I was able to continue, even though the car was damaged".

Even with an undamaged car, Antonelli admitted it would have been difficult to beat the McLarens:

 

"Compared to yesterday, they lacked a bit of pace, but we couldn’t really trouble them. Still, it’s a weekend that gives us a big boost for the next races".

 

The São Paulo Grand Prix lasted only a few kilometers for Charles Leclerc. The Ferrari driver was forced to retire while running in third place after an unlucky chain reaction at Turn 1 during the restart following the Safety Car. Leclerc’s car suffered irreparable suspension damage, forcing him out, while Piastri was incredibly handed a 10-second penalty:

 

"There was nothing risky about my move. I’m really angry. I’d do the same thing 20 times over; the mistake was on the inside. Was Piastri too optimistic? I’m not mad at either of them - my view is a bit different. I think yes, Piastri was optimistic, but Antonelli took the corner as if Oscar wasn’t there. It was a useless collision - Antonelli could have done a bit more to avoid it".

 

Even in his beloved Brazil, Lewis Hamilton endured a nightmare weekend, with early eliminations in both qualifying sessions, a seventh place in the Sprint Race, and a dismal retirement in the Grand Prix after rear-ending Colapinto’s Alpine - also earning a five-second penalty. After the race, the Briton apologized to the team for yet another difficult chapter in a disappointing season compared to expectations:

 

"Zero points today for the team is devastating for everyone back at the factory. I’m sorry. From my side, I apologize for not being able to deliver a good result today. All I can say is we can’t give up. We have to keep trying, keep pushing. It’s not over until it’s over. I know this is painful, but I truly believe something positive is on the horizon for us. I have to believe that".

 

Analyzing the early race incident, Hamilton explained:

 

"I haven’t reviewed the footage yet, but I know I was hit from behind. I’m not sure who it was; I need to look back at it. After that, the car jumped, and I had floor damage".

 

Who would have thought that Charles Leclerc’s fifth place and Lewis Hamilton’s seventh in previous races would actually turn out to be Ferrari’s best moments in São Paulo? Despite encouraging prospects - Leclerc had qualified third in Q3 - things unraveled quickly. Ferrari team principal Frédéric Vasseur summed up the day:

 

"It was a tough day, but we can look for the positives - our race pace in the Sprint was good. The start today was also strong, with Charles unfortunately caught in the Antonelli-Piastri incident. He was in the right position, had a perfect start, and could have been second, but he paid a very heavy price, both for himself and for the team. I think our pace was decent, and in qualifying we weren’t too far off. Looking ahead, it’s hard to draw conclusions based on pace alone. Yesterday Verstappen was out in Q1, and today, without that early puncture, maybe he could have won. There are ups and downs for everyone. Judging by our pace, it’s hard to know what could’ve happened, but I think we were strong enough to do a good job. It’s definitely not Charles’s fault that he had to retire".