F1 São Paulo GP guide: Mercedes can clinch constructors’ title

Formula 1’s pre-race guide to the São Paulo Grand Prix highlights one title already settled and another within reach. Kimi Antonelli clinched the 2026 drivers’ championship in Mexico City with four rounds to go; Mercedes can clinch the constructors’ crown by outscoring Ferrari by three points.

Max Verstappen leads Lewis Hamilton by two points in the fight for second in the drivers’ standings. George Russell is a further nine points behind Hamilton.

The Grand Prix is scheduled for Sunday, November 8, at the 4.309-kilometre Autódromo José Carlos Pace, also known as Interlagos. Practice 1 and 2 are scheduled for Friday, November 6; final practice and qualifying follow on Saturday, November 7.

The guide puts the Safety Car probability at 86% and the Virtual Safety Car probability at 57%, based on the last seven races in São Paulo. It lists pit-stop time loss at 21.83 seconds.

Pirelli has selected C3 hard, C4 medium and C5 soft for 2026, one step softer than the 2025 selection. Sections between Turns 3 and 5 and between Turns 8 and 9 were resurfaced during 2026; Pirelli says the new surface could affect grip and tyre behaviour on longer runs. The three practice sessions will help teams assess the effect.

Former Renault driver Jolyon Palmer says Turn 1 allows later braking than drivers might expect, but braking too late risks locking the front-left. He says rhythm through the middle sector is crucial, while the final corner’s exit speed carries the car uphill onto the long straight.

The two-stop race that proved most effective at São Paulo in 2025 is a reference point, not a blueprint for 2026. The softer tyre selection and resurfaced sections could alter long-run behaviour, so practice will show how much of that approach still fits.