Formula 1 · São Paulo Grand Prix
Published Sunday, November 8, 2:44 p.m. ET (4:44 p.m. São Paulo) · Source: official Formula 1 results and championship tables
Mercedes did not have to win at Interlagos. It only had to stay close to Ferrari, and by the chequered flag the 2026 constructors’ championship, the title for the best team of the season, was theirs.
The clincher came at the São Paulo Grand Prix 2026 with three races still to run. It follows Lando Norris’s pole position on Saturday.
Key Facts
- Title: Mercedes lead rivals Ferrari 652 points to 512 with three races left, so Ferrari cannot catch them.
- Race: Lando Norris, McLaren’s British driver, won from pole by 14.6 seconds over Max Verstappen of Red Bull.
- Mercedes: George Russell finished fourth and Kimi Antonelli fifth, worth 22 points. Ferrari took eight.
- Next: Las Vegas Grand Prix, Saturday, November 21, 11:00 p.m. ET (1:00 a.m. Sunday São Paulo).
This story is part of our coverage of the São Paulo Grand Prix 2026. Dates, times and how to follow it are in our guide.
In plain English
Formula 1 hands out two trophies each year: one to the best driver and one to the best team. The team prize adds up the points of both its cars at every race.
Mercedes Outscored Ferrari 22 to 8
Mercedes arrived in São Paulo with 630 points to Ferrari’s 504, a lead of 126. Ferrari, the Italian team, was the only rival still in the mathematical fight, and Mercedes needed to outscore it by at least three points.
George Russell, Mercedes’ British driver, finished fourth. Kimi Antonelli, the 20-year-old Italian who already owns the drivers’ title, took fifth.
Ferrari left with eight points, from Charles Leclerc in seventh and seven-time champion Lewis Hamilton in ninth. The new table reads 652 to 512, a gap of 140.
A one-two finish is worth 43 points, and no sprint races, the short Saturday races, remain. Three races therefore offer Ferrari at most 129 points, so the gap cannot be closed.
A Ninth Title Ties Williams
This is Mercedes’ ninth constructors’ championship, level with Williams, the British team whose last title came in 1997. Only McLaren with 10 and Ferrari with 16 have won more.
Mercedes won eight in a row from 2014 to 2021 after returning to the sport as a factory team in 2010. The new title restores the team to the top after a lean stretch.
It arrives one week after Antonelli clinched the drivers’ crown in Mexico City. At 20 years and 68 days, he is the youngest champion in Formula 1 history.
Norris Wins and Verstappen Charges
Lando Norris, McLaren’s British driver, started from pole position, the first place on the grid, and won his third race of the season. The race began at 12:00 p.m. ET (2:00 p.m. São Paulo), with rain a factor in São Paulo.
Max Verstappen, Red Bull’s Dutch driver, finished second, 14.6 seconds behind. Hadjar, Red Bull’s French driver, took third, 24.5 seconds back.
Oscar Piastri, Norris’s McLaren teammate, finished sixth. The Mercedes pair finished ahead of him in fourth and fifth, which was all the team needed.
What It Means for US Readers
The season is not over, but the big prizes are decided. The Las Vegas Grand Prix on Saturday, November 21, at 11:00 p.m. ET is the next race, followed by the Qatar Grand Prix on November 29 and the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix on December 6.
The remaining contests are for places. Red Bull leads McLaren 415 to 398 for third in the team table, and Verstappen holds second in the drivers’ table on 279, ahead of Russell on 262 and Hamilton on 261.
What Is Not Known
Race stewards can still change a classification after the flag, so these results are provisional until the FIA, the sport’s governing body, confirms them. Neither Mercedes nor Ferrari had issued a formal reaction in the sources we reviewed.
Frequently Asked Questions
When did Mercedes clinch the 2026 constructors’ title?
Mercedes clinched it at the São Paulo Grand Prix at Interlagos on Sunday, November 8, with three races still to run.
Can Ferrari still catch Mercedes?
No. Mercedes leads 652 points to 512, and Ferrari can score at most 129 more in the three races left.
Sources: Formula 1 official race page, results and standings; FIA, the sport’s governing body. Related: Mercedes can seal the F1 team title in Brazil.
This article was produced by The Rio Times’ automated AI newsroom. Editorial responsibility: Matthias Camenzind, Publisher and Editor-in-Chief. How we use AI · Report an error
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