Formula One Preview: São Paulo Grand Prix
- Peter Johnson
- 41m
- 7 min read
Written by Peter Johnson, Edited by Meghana Sree
Formula One returns to action in Brazil with Lando Norris leading the World Championship for the first time since April.
Circuit Guide
Interlagos has hosted 41 previous World Championship Grands Prix, the first in 1973.
After a brief move to Jacarepaguá in Rio in 1978, before a longer-term move during the 1980s, the Brazilian Grand Prix returned to São Paulo in 1990 and has been a staple of the calendar ever since, the COVID-affected 2020 season aside.
The original circuit layout, almost eight kilometres in length, was used until 1980, with the truncated version, still largely based on the original, in use since 1990. The current layout, at just 4.3 kilometres, is one of the shortest that F1 currently visits.
It may be a short lap, but it certainly packs a punch. Like many of the sport’s most iconic circuits, the corners around the track are best known by name rather than number, too. The Senna Esses, Descida do Lago, Ferradura and Junçáo, to name just a few, are some of the most famous corners on the calendar.
Elevation plays an important role at Interlagos. At 739 metres above sea level at its lowest point, the circuit has the second-highest elevation of the season behind only Mexico City.
Furthermore, the 43-metre elevation change between the highest and lowest points on the circuit ranks Interlagos third behind only Spa and the Red Bull Ring in terms of undulation.
Weekend Format
Brazil plays host to the penultimate sprint race of the season, which means there is only one practice session for teams and drivers to perfect their setup before the action begins.
The cars are then released from parc fermé ahead of the main qualifying session on Saturday evening.
Session Times (GMT)
Practice 1 Fri 14:30-15:30
Sprint Qualifying Fri 18:30-19:14
Sprint Sat 14:00
Qualifying Sat 18:00-19:00
Race Sun 17:00
Weather Forecast
Long-time F1 enjoyers will know that rain is a regular factor at Interlagos and 2025 looks set to be no different.
Earlier in the week, São Paulo experienced yellow weather warnings due to thundery showers on Monday and Tuesday. The forecast looks rather similar for Saturday’s sprint and qualifying in particular, with a 40% chance of thunder in the afternoon.
Friday should be dry, meaning that the one practice session is unlikely to be representative of the rest of the weekend.
There is again a 40-50% chance of rain on Sunday (minus the chance of thunder), meaning the Grand Prix is likely to run at least partly under wet conditions.
Major Talking Points
The title battle: At this stage of the season, there is one unanswered question that stands out above all others. Just 36 points separate the three title protagonists, with defending champion Max Verstappen trailing the McLaren duo, but on the war path. Oscar Piastri, meanwhile, lost his championship lead last time out in Mexico, and despite only trailing Land Norris by one point, the Briton has outscored him in eight of the last ten rounds.
Constructors’ battle for second: Just ten points separate Ferrari, Mercedes and Red Bull in the Constructors’ Championship with four rounds remaining. While Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton may only be fifth and sixth in the championship, Ferrari have two cars scoring consistently unlike their two rivals. However, Verstappen and George Rusell have both won multiple races this season for their respective teams. The teams’ standings are of particular significance this season because of the implications on prize money and wind tunnel time heading into the new set of regulations next year.
Lawson not at fault: The FIA has confirmed that Liam Lawson was not at fault for an incident during the second lap of the Mexico City Grand Prix, which saw the Racing Bulls driver narrowly avoid a catastrophic accident with two marshals. The governing body’s verdict comes after Mexico’s motorsport federation accused the Kiwi of failing to drive with “sufficient” caution.
Aston avoids punishment: Last week it was revealed that Aston Martin was found to be in a minor breach of the cost cap regulations for the 2024 season, but escaped punishment. The Silverstone-based team committed a procedural breach due to documents not being signed in time due to the signatory being ill, but the FIA acknowledged the “unpredictable” nature of the breach and that the team did not “gain or seek to gain any advantage.” All of the other teams adhered to the cost cap regulations.
Ghosts of championships past: Away from the travelling circus of F1, Felipe Massa has been in court in London seeking over £60 million from F1, the FIA and Bernie Ecclestone over “Crashgate”, the scandal at the 2008 Singapore Grand Prix that the Brazilian alleges cost him the title that year.
Past São Paulo Grands Prix
Since its rebranding as the São Paulo Grand Prix in 2021, Interlagos has delivered every year. Last year we witnessed Verstappen win from 17th on the grid, only the sixth time any driver in the sport had won from that far back or lower.
Alpine also took a stunning double podium, with Pierre Gasly and Esteban Ocon bringing home 33 points for the Enstone team in Sunday’s race.
2023 produced a final lap showdown between Sergio Pérez and Fernando Alonso for the final spot on the podium, with the Spaniard winning out by less than a tenth of a second.
2022 proved to be a memorable weekend for Haas, when Kevin Magnussen collected the team’s first — and to date only — pole position in, you guessed it, a weather-affected session.
Go back a further year and you find the small matter of the 2021 event, when Hamilton went from last at the start of the sprint race all the way to victory in the Grand Prix, enjoying a titanic tussle for the lead with Verstappen en route.
If we expand our horizons to the days of the Brazilian Grand Prix, Interlagos became synonymous for hosting title-deciding races, the most recent of which was in 2012. Sebastian Vettel eventually won his third World Championship despite spinning on the opening lap, while his vanquished opponent Alonso delivered his iconic thousand-yard stare in parc fermé.
Four years prior in 2008, Hamilton won the World Championship in astonishing fashion, overtaking Timo Glock’s Toyota as the heavens opened to snatch the title on the final corner of the final lap.
Jenson Button (2009), Kimi Raikönnen (2007) and Alonso (2005 and 2006) all also won the title in Brazil, although Button’s coronation came in the penultimate race of the season.
The 1991 edition of the Brazilian Grand Prix also lives on in F1 legend, when home hero Ayrton Senna finally claimed victory in front of his home crowd despite losing third, fourth and fifth gears. The Brazilian was so exhausted from his efforts that he suffered nausea and muscle cramps and was barely able to lift his trophy on the podium.
Last Race Recap
Norris romped home to victory in Mexico City a fortnight ago, snatching the championship lead of teammate Piastri for the first time since April.
The McLaren driver delivered a scintillating lap in Saturday’s qualifying session, taking pole by three tenths of a second around one of the shortest laps of the season.
On Sunday, Norris disappeared up the road, winning by over 30 seconds — a record winning margin in 2025.
The other star of the show was Haas’ Ollie Bearman, who capitalised on a number of scuffles in front of him to rise from a starting position of ninth to fourth by the chequered flag. His 12-point haul marked Haas’ joint best-ever result and his own highest finish in F1 to date.
Meanwhile, both Leclerc and Verstappen escaped punishment for potential infringements on Lap 1, with the latter also involved in a tussle with Hamilton on Lap 6. The pair completed the podium behind Norris, although had it not been for a controversial late Virtual Safety Car (VSC), the Dutchman may well have snatched second on the final lap.
Meanwhile, a promising afternoon for Hamilton went south after he was landed with a 10-second penalty for leaving the track and gaining an advantage.
It was another frustrating weekend for Piastri, who was outscored by Norris for the eighth time in 10 rounds. The Australian started seventh following a disappointing Saturday, rising to fifth before being denied a chance to pass Bearman for fourth by the late VSC.
Drivers to Watch
Max Verstappen: Verstappen has won the previous two editions of the São Paulo Grand Prix, including last year’s sensational drive from 17th on the grid, added to his 2019 triumph. He is also the king of the F1 sprint, having won 13 of the 22 ever held.
He claimed significant ground back on the two McLarens over the last sprint weekend in Texas and a repeat this weekend could catapult him back into serious title contention.
Lewis Hamilton: A three-time winner at Interlagos like Verstappen, the seven-time world champion has been threatening a breakthrough result over recent rounds. He showed great pace in the United States, finishing fourth in both the sprint and main race, and was in with a podium shout in Mexico prior to his 10-second penalty.
An honorary citizen of Brazil and master of the wet conditions, the omens are strong for Hamilton this weekend.
Fernando Alonso: Having gone the opening eight rounds of 2025 without a point to his name, the Aston Martin driver has earned points in eight of the last 12 Grands Prix. He may have been forced to retire from the race in Mexico City, but the Spanish veteran has happy memories of São Paolo, having clinched both of his world titles here in 2005 and 2006.
Granted, he lost the title here in 2012, but his final lap overtake on Pérez in 2023 proves he continues to go well here.
Peter’s Prediction
Regardless of the relative merits of the McLaren and Red Bull cars, I expect Verstappen to triumph given the high probability of rain.
Wet weather is famously a leveller in terms of car performance, and all things being equal, he remains by some distance the strongest driver.
