F1 2026 - Brazilian GP

Interlagos always delivers as F1 headed to one of it's best tracks for another round of racing, and a new constructor's champion was crowned...

Mercedes - they finally sealed their constructor's championship at this race, but not the best way to do it with no Mercedes on the podium for the first time all season. Russell actually had decent pace, just missed out on pole by a little bit and was quick in the race despite a 5 place penalty but a pretty bad pit lane spin meant he couldn't fight at the front and finished P4. Antonelli was behind him all weekend, he went off track and spun during the race seemingly with a car issue and finished P5.

Ferrari - very tough watch today, the car really struggled in any conditions this weekend and there was zero straight line speed again. Lewis finishing in P9 with Leclerc in P8. They just couldn't make up places through the grid like the other top teams were able to.

McLaren - great performance from Norris, really good pole lap and comfy win. He's very good around Interlagos and also very underrated in the rain! Piastri once again struggled in quali being knocked out in Q2 but his race pace was pretty solid to finish in P6. 

Red Bull - once again a superb drive from Verstappen to get a P2 right from the back of the grid. It's definitely his specialty here! And he was even complaining about his car balance the entire weekend and still dragged a impressive result out of it. The car looked good this weekend. Hadjar was good too with a nice P3 finish and another podium.

Racing Bulls - Lawson with a great race, P5 in quali turned into P3 on the grid and he maximised his race result once again with a P7 finish ahead of both Ferrari cars. He's outscoring the entire midfield singlehandedly and I mean I don't see how he doesn't get a contract for next season now. It's been a really good season from him. Lindblad just missed out on points with a P11 finish, and continues his rough patch of the season.

Audi - great performance from Hulkenberg, P6 in qualifying and a solid race to pick up a point in P10. Bortoleto had another pretty bad home race after a P16 finish.

Alpine - P13 for Colapinto and P14 for Gasly, another pretty disappointing weekend for them. They've only scored 1 point since the Madrid GP, it's really been a bad end of the season for them.

Williams - Albon had a pretty good weekend, making Q3 in the wet and was fighting in the top 10 in the rain but ultimately once the dry conditions came the true pace of the car was exposed and there was not much he could do to change a P15 finish. Sainz with a really bad weekend in P19.

Haas - Bearman had good pace, he made Q3 and was fighting for 10th before ultimately two slow pitstops cost him that chance and he finished P17. Camara was decent, made Q2 in the wet but crashed a bit (natural, probably not worse conditions for a first weekend out there) and his race pace was off in P20. Hopefully his confidence is not damaged too much.

Aston Martin - Fernando had a great weekend, made Q3 and was fighting hard for some points with some great racecraft but ultimately his stop on the softs was too late and as per usual the Aston was severely lacking in pace so it was only P12. Stroll had another DNF, he's only 1 away from equaling the all time record for season DNF's (14 by De Cesaris in '86 for Minardi and '87 for Brabham, and for Barrichello in '97 for Stewart).

Cadillac - Perez was solid in P18. Bottas with a DNS after a stuck wheelnut issue, it's just funny that it's happened to him twice in his F1 career now!

Race rating - 7.5/10 - Interlagos and wet conditions, name a better duo!

Driver of the race - it's so tough, I can't decide between Norris or Verstappen this weekend so they'll have to share it.

Next weekend - the Las Vegas GP at the Las Vegas Strip Circuit. After the embarrasment that was the Caesars Palace GP in the 1980s (literally in the parking lot of a casino!!!), F1 returned to Sin City in 2023 with a street circuit that passes some of the most famous landmarks in the city, such as the Sphere and the Caesars Palace Casino. Key to succeed at the circuit is good straight line speed and good aero for the hairpin and chicane turns. Even though the track isn't for everyone, I quite like it actually! I certainly think there could be worse races (looking at you Madrid and Abu Dhabi👀). I wouldn't call any race there a classic but hopefully this year can be the first!