George Russell and Kimi Antonelli finished fourth and fifth to secure the team championship. Lando Norris took the race win ahead of Max Verstappen.
Mercedes secured the 2026 Formula 1 constructors’ championship at Interlagos on Sunday as George Russell and Kimi Antonelli finished fourth and fifth in the São Paulo Grand Prix. McLaren’s Lando Norris won the race, with Max Verstappen and Isack Hadjar completing the podium for Red Bull.
The two Mercedes finishes brought the team 22 points. Fourth place earned Russell 12 and fifth earned Antonelli 10, giving Mercedes enough points to settle the season’s team standings. Norris started from pole and crossed the line 14.602 seconds clear of Verstappen for his third victory of the season.
The track went from wet to dry and back
Antonelli took the lead into the first corner and Norris dropped behind Racing Bulls driver Liam Lawson. As the track dried and drivers moved from intermediates to slicks, the order changed again. Antonelli spun at Turn 1 on lap 20 and Norris took the lead.
Rain returned in the closing stages, forcing drivers back onto intermediate tyres. Mercedes swapped its drivers twice late in the race as track conditions and tyre age changed. Russell, who had stopped earlier for intermediates, reclaimed fourth from Antonelli and held it to the finish.
Verstappen came through from 21st
Verstappen made up eight places during the opening sequence of corners and was eighth by lap five, according to the FIA. He passed Hadjar for second on lap 38 and regained that position after the later stops. Hadjar finished 24.485 seconds behind Norris to complete the podium.
It is Mercedes’ first constructors’ title since 2021. It completes a championship double for the team after Antonelli secured the drivers’ title at the previous round in Mexico City. The team championship counts points from both cars across the season.
Sources
FIA — São Paulo Grand Prix race report
.jpg){kind=link}