Lewis Hamilton will this weekend contest his 400th Grand Prix career start. The 41-year-old made his Formula 1 debut with McLaren at the 2007 Australian GP, immediately securing a podium with third place in his first race. Since then, he has accumulated a record 106 wins, 105 pole positions, 209 podiums and seven world titles, a record he shares with Michael Schumacher. His first title came with McLaren in 2008, while the other six were won over 12 seasons with Mercedes, in 2014, 2015 and from 2017 to 2020.
Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen are the most successful drivers at this circuit among those currently active, with three wins each. Hamilton’s wins, achieved in 2016, 2018 and 2021, all came with Mercedes, while Verstappen’s, in 2019, 2023 and last year, were all won with Red Bull. McLaren is the most successful team in Brazil, with 13 wins, the most recent achieved last year. However, considering only races held at Interlagos, it is level with Ferrari on nine wins each. Alain Prost remains the most successful driver in Brazil with six wins, while Michael Schumacher has the most wins at Interlagos, with four.
Formula 1 races in Brazil have been held at two circuits: Interlagos and Jacarepaguá. Interlagos hosted the GP from 1973 to 1977, then returned to the calendar in 1979-1980, and eventually became the permanent home of the Brazilian GP from 1990. This will be the sixth edition of the São Paulo GP and the 53rd World Championship Formula 1 race held in Brazil. The first edition valid for the World Championship was held in 1973, and the race remained a regular event until 2020, when it was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, returning in 2021 as the São Paulo GP.
In the constructors’ championship, Mercedes leads the standings with 630 points, a 126-point advantage over Ferrari, who are second with 504 points. The German team could mathematically secure the title in Brazil by scoring at least four points more than Ferrari, a result that would push its lead beyond the 129 points remaining across the final three races of the season. Behind the top two teams, Red Bull Racing is third with 382 points, having increased its advantage over McLaren to 17 points in Mexico.
Kimi Antonelli arrives in São Paulo as the youngest world champion in Formula 1 history, following his historic title-clinching win in the last race. However, while the Drivers’ Championship has been decided in favour of the 20-year-old Italian, the battle for second place remains open. Max Verstappen’s win in Mexico moved him into second with 261 points, just two more than Lewis Hamilton, who has 259. George Russell follows with 250 points, with Charles Leclerc fourth on 245 and Lando Norris fifth on 221 points.
The Interlagos circuit, at 4.309 km, is one of the shortest on the calendar, but its 15 corners present a considerable challenge. The opening section of the “Senna S” is a demanding test, with drivers having to brake hard after the start/finish straight before tackling a difficult sequence of downhill corners. Overtaking opportunities appear in the area of Turn 4, while the central sector demands precision and determination due to the constant changes in the track’s gradient and camber. An effective exit from the final corner, “Junção”, is especially important, as drivers then face the climb back towards the main straight. Changing weather conditions, particularly rain, can often completely alter the course of the race.
The 20th round of the World Championship, the São Paulo GP, will take place at the Autódromo José Carlos Pace. The live broadcast of the 71-lap race will be on Sky Sport F1 (channel 207) and streamed on NOW, on Sunday, 8 November 2026, at 18:00. A delayed broadcast will be available on TV8 at 21:30.
Sourced from La Gazzetta dello Sport