The 2025 Formula 1 season has reached its 21st round, Gabriel Bortoleto's home race, the Sao Paulo Grand Prix.
All eyes are on the title race and the three drivers who can win it – Max Verstappen, Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri.
As we approach the penultimate sprint race of the season, a driver has a maximum of 116 points available for the remaining four Grands Prix, so every point is critical.
Weather forecast – storm
The forecast for this weekend is mixed. Friday will be cloudy and calm, with a high of 24°C (75°F), before an expected thunderstorm arrives on Saturday with a yellow warning. Expect rain, wind, thunder and unsettled weather.
Sunday is expected to drop to 19°C (67°F) with a chance of light rain.
Go to: Track history and statistics | Forecasts | How to watch | Tournament table
Must read this week
NEXT GENERATION: Oliver Bierman's fourth place at the Mexican Grand Prix shows promise that there is life after Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc at Ferrari.
NEW LEADER: Norris leads the championship for the second time this year. Will he be able to keep it?
U: Williams returned to his roots featuring a new logo for the 2026 season, a nod to the team's competitive history.
LAWSON ANSWERS: FIA clears Liam Lawson charges stemming from an incident at the Mexican Grand Prix in which a New Zealander nearly collided with two marshals as they ran across the race track.
BUTTON EXITS (AGAIN): Jenson Button has moved on to other racing series since retiring from Formula 1 in 2016 but last week decided on this weekend's Bahrain 8 Hours. will be his last race.
UNFINISHED: For more in-depth analysis, listen to the latest episode ESPN F1 Unlapped Podcast with Formula 1 writers Nate Saunders and Lawrence Edmondson.
What does the championship look like?
With four races remaining, including two sprints, every point counts.
Norris led the championship by ONE point last time out in Mexico, so Piastri will remain within striking distance if he can regain podium form.
But Verstappen is catching up with him and is now only 36 points behind Norris…
Regarding accident podiums and victories, here's what it looks like in the top three:
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Norris (357 points) – 16 podiums, 6 wins
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Piastri (356 points) – 14 podiums, 7 wins
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Verstappen (321 points) – 11 podiums, 5 wins.
Statistics and track history
Situated adjacent between two artificial lakes, Interlagos (which translates as “between the lakes”) first opened as a race track in 1940. Formula 1 first raced at the circuit in 1972 as a non-championship race and then became part of the calendar from 1973.
The original track was almost twice as long and turned on itself several times, like a go-kart track. However, its uneven surface was considered dangerous in the first ground effect era and disappeared from the calendar in 1980 when the Brazilian Grand Prix moved to Jacarepagua in Rio de Janeiro.
Formula 1 returned to a shortened and updated version of the circuit in 1990, coinciding with Ayrton Senna's rise to global fame. In 2004, the Brazilian Grand Prix was moved from the start of the year to the end of the Formula One calendar, and saw dramatic title deciders in 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009 and 2012.
Scheme: Hippodrome José Carlos Pace; Sao Paulo, Brazil
First Formula 1 race: 1973
Circles: 71 laps of 4.3 km.
Lap record: 1:10.540, Valtteri Bottas (2018)
Most wins: Alain Prost – six at Interlagos and Jacarepagua (1982–1984–1985, 1987–1988, 1990); Michael Schumacher raced at this track four times (1994–1995, 2000–2002).
Previous winners in the current bracket:
– Lewis Hamilton (2016, 2018, 2021)
– Verstappen (2019, 2023, 2024)
– George Russell (2022)
Most poles: Ayrton Senna with six (1986, 1988–1991, 1994)
Previous pole sitters in the current grid:
– Fernando Alonso (2005)
– Hamilton (2012, 2016, 2018)
– Russell (2022)
– Verstappen (2019, 2023)
– Norris (2024)
What makes it special: The legendary track where some of the most dramatic moments in Formula 1 history took place. Short, hilly and unpredictable depending on the weather, Interlagos is rightfully considered one of the best Formula 1 stadiums.
What drivers say about it: “The energy at Interlagos is electric. You feel the history.” — Felipe Massa
Where to watch: Senna's S (Turn 1). The best place for overtaking on the track, where bold moves into the braking zone often decide the outcome of the race.
Interesting facts:
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Brazil has produced 33 drivers who have entered Formula 1; three of them became multiple world champions. Felipe Massa almost joined them in 2008, but lost the title by 1 point to Lewis Hamilton.
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Bortoleto is the first rider since Massa in 2017 to take part in his home race.
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This is the fifth Grand Prix of Sao Paulo. It was previously called the Brazilian Grand Prix until it was canceled in 2020 due to the coronavirus pandemic, returning in 2021 under a new name.
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Interlagos is the only circuit to feature on every sprint calendar since its introduction in 2021; however, by 2026 it will decline.
What happened last year?
Last year's race was one for the ages as Verstappen scores a stunning victory starting from 17th place on the grid in pouring rain.
Only 15 riders finished the dramatic race, with Alpine taking victory with a double podium finish.
Verstappen's talent for finding grip in the wet showed through and Red Bull maintained its composure by strategically calling for new intermediate tires under red flag conditions mid-race.
Who will win?
Brazil appears to be the perfect moment for Verstappen to continue his unlikely wildcard title fight behind the battling McLaren drivers.
The Red Bull car has taken a big step forward since the summer break and can now handle slow corners better than its rivals, which should be a big factor at Interlagos.
As last year showed, Verstappen is a rain specialist and forecasts suggest scattered rain throughout the weekend. Expect McLaren to be in the mix, but this is the weekend when Verstappen could turn the screws in both the sprint and the Grand Prix itself.
How to watch GP
For US fans only, watch live on ESPN and ESPN+.
In the UK, there is live coverage on Sky Sports F1 and BBC Radio 5 Live, with highlights on Channel 4.
For news, analysis and updates, monitor the lighting With ESPN F1 Team Nate Saunders and Lawrence Edmondson in Sao Paulo and on social media.
Showtimes are listed below in GMT (Greenwich Mean Time). Local time (BRT) Brasilia Standard Time (GMT-3 watch).
Friday
Practice: 14:30-15:30 GMT.
Sprint qualifying: 18:30-19:14 GMT.
Saturday
Sprint race: 14:00-15:00 GMT.
Qualifying: 18:00-19:00 GMT.
Sunday
Race starts: 17:00 GMT (real-time text commentary starts at 16:00 GMT). ESPN.co.uk/F1).
– Tournament table | Calendar | Teams
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