News Summary
- Mercedes scored 22 points at Interlagos to clinch its ninth F1 constructors’ championship with three rounds remaining.
- Max Verstappen strengthened his hold on second in the drivers’ standings. George Russell moved up to third, one point ahead of Lewis Hamilton.
- Ferrari holds a 97-point advantage over Red Bull in the fight for second among constructors. McLaren is 17 points behind Red Bull.
Mercedes completed its 2026 Formula 1 title double at the São Paulo Grand Prix. George Russell finished fourth and Andrea Kimi Antonelli fifth at Interlagos, giving Mercedes 22 points and taking it to 652. Ferrari scored eight, leaving it 140 points behind with a maximum of 129 available across the three remaining rounds. It is Mercedes’ ninth constructors’ championship and its first since 2021.
Mercedes arrived at Interlagos needing to outscore Ferrari by at least three points to settle the championship. Russell and Antonelli delivered a 14-point swing even after Antonelli lost the race lead. The result came a week after the Italian secured the drivers’ title in Mexico City.
Russell overtakes Hamilton as Verstappen pulls clear in second
Max Verstappen climbed from 21st on the grid to second in the race, adding 18 points to reach 279. Russell’s fourth place took him to 262, one point ahead of Lewis Hamilton, who scored two points for ninth after starting 20th. Verstappen’s advantage over his nearest rival for second grew from two points after Mexico to 17 after São Paulo.
Lando Norris converted his pole in Saturday’s rain-hit qualifying into his third win of the season. He stayed sixth in the standings, but the victory cut his deficit to fifth-placed Charles Leclerc from 24 points to five. Leclerc is 11 points behind Russell and 10 behind Hamilton. Farther back, Liam Lawson earned four points for eighth, while Nico Hülkenberg drew level with Audi team-mate Gabriel Bortoleto on 14 points. Bortoleto remains ahead on countback.
2026 F1 drivers’ standings after the São Paulo GP
| Pos. | Driver | Team | Points | Behind leader |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | A K ANTONELLI | Mercedes | 390 | — |
| 2 | M VERSTAPPEN | Red Bull | 279 | 111 |
| 3 | G RUSSELL | Mercedes | 262 | 128 |
| 4 | L HAMILTON | Ferrari | 261 | 129 |
| 5 | C LECLERC | Ferrari | 251 | 139 |
| 6 | L NORRIS | McLaren | 246 | 144 |
| 7 | O PIASTRI | McLaren | 152 | 238 |
| 8 | I HADJAR | Red Bull | 122 | 268 |
| 9 | L LAWSON | Racing Bulls | 87 | 303 |
| 10 | P GASLY | Alpine | 42 | 348 |
| 11 | A LINDBLAD | Racing Bulls | 38 | 352 |
| 12 | F COLAPINTO | Alpine | 27 | 363 |
| 13 | O BEARMAN | Haas | 23 | 367 |
| 14 | G BORTOLETO | Audi | 14 | 376 |
| 15 | N HÜLKENBERG | Audi | 14 | 376 |
| 16 | E OCON | Haas | 7 | 383 |
| 17 | F ALONSO | Aston Martin | 7 | 383 |
| 18 | C SAINZ | Williams | 7 | 383 |
| 19 | A ALBON | Williams | 5 | 385 |
| 20 | Y TSUNODA | Racing Bulls | 1 | 389 |
| 21 | R HIRAKAWA | Haas | 1 | 389 |
| 22 | L STROLL | Aston Martin | 0 | 390 |
| 23 | V BOTTAS | Cadillac | 0 | 390 |
| 24 | S PÉREZ | Cadillac | 0 | 390 |
| 25 | R CÂMARA | Haas | 0 | 390 |
Andrea Kimi Antonelli clinched the drivers’ championship in Mexico City. The table includes all 25 drivers listed in Formula 1’s standings after São Paulo.
Red Bull and McLaren take 25 points out of Ferrari’s lead
Red Bull and McLaren each scored 33 points at Interlagos. Verstappen and third-placed Isack Hadjar delivered Red Bull’s total, while Norris and sixth-placed Oscar Piastri matched it for McLaren. The gap between the two teams stayed at 17 points, but both took 25 points out of Ferrari’s advantage. Ferrari still has a 97-point cushion over Red Bull and a 114-point cushion over McLaren heading to Las Vegas.
In the midfield, Hülkenberg’s point brought Audi within three of Haas in the fight for seventh. Lawson’s eighth place extended Racing Bulls’ lead over Alpine to 43 points in the battle for fifth.
2026 F1 constructors’ standings after the São Paulo GP
| Pos. | Constructor | Points | Behind leader |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mercedes | 652 | — |
| 2 | Ferrari | 512 | 140 |
| 3 | Red Bull | 415 | 237 |
| 4 | McLaren | 398 | 254 |
| 5 | Racing Bulls | 112 | 540 |
| 6 | Alpine | 69 | 583 |
| 7 | Haas | 31 | 621 |
| 8 | Audi | 28 | 624 |
| 9 | Williams | 12 | 640 |
| 10 | Aston Martin | 7 | 645 |
| 11 | Cadillac | 0 | 652 |
Mercedes clinched the constructors’ championship at Interlagos.
GRANDE PRÊMIO is following every round of the 2026 world championship in Formula 1.