Lawson says intermediate graining began halfway through Lap 1 at São Paulo

The São Paulo Grand Prix began in drizzle with the field on intermediates, and the track dried quickly as the rain eased. Liam Lawson said graining on his tyres had begun halfway through Lap 1.

Lawson made a strong start from third on the grid, passing pole-sitter Lando Norris to run second behind Kimi Antonelli. He described the choice as pushing through the graining to wear it off or looking after the tyre to stop it. In dry conditions, he said, there was little a driver could do. He added that his team was never likely to keep the faster cars behind and that he would review whether he could have done anything differently.

Lawson called the race strong but said he would have preferred it to stay wet throughout, thinking that might have given him more chance to fight the cars ahead. The top cars pulled away through the dry middle stint. He also said Racing Bulls were currently topping the midfield, the team's target each weekend. Leclerc was penalised after their Turn 12 incident on Lap 69, which came after rain returned; Lawson was promoted from eighth on the road to seventh.