News Summary

Lando Norris’s victory at the São Paulo Grand Prix and Mercedes’ confirmation as 2026 Formula 1 constructors’ champion headlined Sunday’s news at Interlagos. The McLaren driver recovered from a poor start to win a race shaped by changing weather conditions, while Max Verstappen delivered one of the afternoon’s strongest performances by climbing from 21st to second.

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Mercedes completed its championship double as George Russell and Andrea Kimi Antonelli finished fourth and fifth. The race also produced a Red Bull double podium, another difficult afternoon for Ferrari and three post-race penalties that changed the final classification.

Here are the main Formula 1 stories published by GRANDE PRÊMIO on November 8.

Norris wins São Paulo GP after Antonelli spins twice

Lando Norris claimed his third victory of the season and the 14th of his Formula 1 career, finishing 14.602 seconds ahead of Max Verstappen at Interlagos.

The McLaren driver started from pole but dropped behind Andrea Kimi Antonelli and Liam Lawson at the first corner. Norris recovered second before inheriting the lead when Antonelli spun at the Senna S after switching to slick tyres.

Another spin dropped the Mercedes driver farther down the order, while Norris controlled the race through the remaining tyre changes. Rain returned in the closing stages, but the Briton retained his advantage to win for the second consecutive year in São Paulo.

Read the full São Paulo Grand Prix race report, including the decisive incidents and finishing order.

Mercedes secures ninth F1 constructors’ championship

Mercedes clinched the 2026 constructors’ championship with three rounds remaining, completing a title double after Antonelli secured the drivers’ crown in Mexico City.

Russell finished fourth and Antonelli fifth, giving Mercedes another 22 points and taking its championship total to 652. Ferrari scored just 6 points after the final penalties, leaving the Italian team 142 behind with a maximum of 129 still available.

It is Mercedes’ ninth constructors’ title and its first since 2021. The championship also ends the team’s five-season wait to reclaim the crown.

The updated F1 championship standings after São Paulo show Mercedes’ advantage and the remaining battles among drivers and constructors.

Verstappen storms from 21st to second at Interlagos

Max Verstappen recovered from 21st on the starting grid to finish second, completing a remarkable comeback after power-unit penalties left him near the back of the field.

The Red Bull driver made rapid progress in the opening laps, overtaking several rivals before moving into podium contention. Isack Hadjar allowed his teammate through as Verstappen pursued Norris, eventually finishing 14.602 seconds behind the winner.

Hadjar completed the podium in third, giving Red Bull two cars among the top three. Verstappen’s result took him to 279 championship points, extending his advantage over Russell to 17 in the fight for second.

The São Paulo race report details Verstappen’s recovery and Red Bull’s double podium.

Antonelli keeps fifth after FIA unsafe-release penalty

Andrea Kimi Antonelli received a five-second penalty for an unsafe release involving Franco Colapinto, but retained fifth place in the final classification.

The incident occurred during the late switch back to intermediate tyres. The stewards concluded that Antonelli briefly lost control on the slippery pit lane as Colapinto approached, creating an unsafe situation.

Charles Leclerc and Oliver Bearman also received five-second penalties. Leclerc’s sanction for causing a collision with Lawson changed the finishing order, promoting the Racing Bulls driver to seventh and dropping the Ferrari to eighth.

The complete FIA penalty decisions and corrected São Paulo Grand Prix results include all 22 entries.

Hamilton scores points in 400th F1 start as Ferrari loses ground

Lewis Hamilton finished ninth in his 400th Formula 1 start, recovering from 20th on the grid but enduring another difficult race for Ferrari.

The seven-time champion gained 11 positions on the opening lap and briefly moved into the top ten before struggling with changing track conditions. A late spin added to his problems, although he recovered to secure 2 points.

Leclerc finished eighth after his five-second penalty, leaving Ferrari with just 6 points. Red Bull and McLaren both scored heavily, reducing Ferrari’s advantage in the battle for second in the constructors’ championship.

The revised championship standings show Hamilton fourth among the drivers, just 1 point behind Russell.

Lawson moves up to seventh after Leclerc penalty

Liam Lawson delivered another points finish for Racing Bulls, taking seventh in the final São Paulo classification after Leclerc’s post-race penalty.

The New Zealander had briefly run second after an excellent start, overtaking Norris at the Senna S before eventually losing ground as the track dried. He crossed the line eighth but gained a position following the stewards’ decision.

The result earned Lawson 6 points and strengthened Racing Bulls’ position in the constructors’ championship. His teammate Arvid Lindblad finished 11th, narrowly missing out on points.

The officially adjusted São Paulo results confirm Lawson’s promotion and Leclerc’s demotion.

F1 turns to Las Vegas after dramatic São Paulo weekend

Formula 1 returns for the Las Vegas Grand Prix on November 19–21, with three rounds remaining in the 2026 season.

Antonelli has already secured the drivers’ championship and Mercedes the constructors’ title, but Verstappen, Russell, Hamilton, Leclerc and Norris remain involved in the fight for second in the drivers’ standings.

The weekend at Interlagos began with a rain-disrupted qualifying session in which Norris secured pole before delivering his third victory of the season on Sunday.

GRANDE PRÊMIO is following the 2026 Formula 1 championship with breaking news, race results, standings and real-time updates in its Formula 1 section.