Hamilton and Verstappen expect overtaking to be harder at the Brazilian GP

New power-unit parts beyond their season allocations put Lewis Hamilton 20th and Max Verstappen 21st on Sunday's Brazilian Grand Prix grid; both expect overtaking at Interlagos to be harder than in previous seasons. Cadillac's Sergio Perez starts behind them in 22nd.

Interlagos has long been relatively easy to pass on. Hamilton won there from 10th in 2021, while Verstappen won from 17th in 2024. Both now believe overtaking may be less straightforward under the 2026 rules, with DRS gone and a new overtake mode in use.

After the rain-soaked qualifying session, Verstappen said the overtake mode would have little effect at Interlagos: drivers are already using battery power from the final corner to Turn 1 and opening their wings. He expects the first few cars to be manageable, but similar-paced rivals to be harder to pass.

Hamilton also expects passing to be very difficult. The long straight and DRS used to help a driver who got close to an opponent without the system, he said; now every car opens its wings. He is unsure whether the racing will resemble previous seasons, though wet conditions might change the picture.