Lando Norris dominated a rain-hit São Paulo Grand Prix to win from pole position on Sunday, as Mercedes sealed their ninth Formula 1 constructors’ world championship and completed a title double.
Key Points
- Norris wins Sao Paulo Grand Prix — the McLaren driver won from pole for the second year in a row, 14.602 seconds clear of Max Verstappen.
- Mercedes clinched their ninth constructors’ title, their first team crown since 2021, with 652 points against Ferrari’s 512.
- Verstappen drove from 21st on the grid to second, with Isack Hadjar third for Red Bull.
- The win was Norris’s 14th in Formula 1 and his 50th podium finish.
Norris led for 47 of the race’s 71 laps at Interlagos, holding steady through a wet start, a long dry middle stint and a final nine-lap dash in the rain. The chequered flag was waved by Brazilian footballer Neymar. The 26-year-old outgoing 2025 world champion was so excited on the podium that his usual champagne celebration went awry, breaking the bottle as he celebrated.
Verstappen delivered one of the drives of the season, taking his Red Bull from 21st on the grid to second, while his teammate Isack Hadjar completed the podium in third. It was Norris’s third win of the season and his second consecutive victory in Brazil.
A title double for Mercedes
The constructors’ title was decided by the Mercedes drivers behind Norris. George Russell finished fourth and Kimi Antonelli fifth — more than enough for Mercedes to outscore Ferrari, whose Charles Leclerc finished seventh and Lewis Hamilton ninth. Mercedes needed only three points more than Ferrari to clinch the title, and the Italian team never threatened to prolong the fight.
The crown is Mercedes’ first since 2021 and their ninth in total, equalling Williams’ tally. It completes a title double a week after 20-year-old Antonelli became the youngest drivers’ champion in history, with four races to spare in Mexico City. Antonelli, who started on the front row alongside Norris, struggled on his first set of soft tyres and even spun at turn one while leading, but recovered to finish fifth.
Hamilton, who became only the second driver in history to reach 400 race starts after Fernando Alonso, also started from the back after changes to his car and finished ninth. Mercedes celebrated their title on a separate podium with champagne, while team principal Toto Wolff hailed the ninth constructors’ championship in the team’s history.
What happens next
The next race is the Las Vegas Grand Prix on 21 November, with the season’s final two races in Qatar and Abu Dhabi carrying some uncertainty because of tensions in the Middle East. With both championships now decided, the remaining races will settle the final constructors’ standings — and the prize money that goes with them.
For background on the drivers’ title, see our report on Kimi Antonelli becoming the youngest F1 world champion, and on Lewis Hamilton securing his first Ferrari pole position in Mexico. More in our Sports section.
Sources: Al Jazeera, “Lando Norris wins Sao Palo Grand Prix, but Mercedes seal constructors title“; Reuters, “Norris wins in Brazil as Mercedes take constructors’ title“.