São Paulo Grand Prix 2026: Interlagos history and records

Interlagos has decided the world championship six times, yet this year the title was settled before the paddock even packed for Brazil. Andrea Kimi Antonelli clinched it with third place in Mexico City on 1 November, becoming Formula 1's youngest-ever world champion at 20 years and 68 days. The São Paulo Grand Prix, held from 6 to 8 November, still has plenty riding on it.

Between two reservoirs, named after a Brazilian

The circuit in the south of São Paulo opened on 12 May 1940. It sits between the Guarapiranga and Billings reservoirs, hence the name Interlagos, Portuguese for "between the lakes". Since 1985 it has officially been the Autódromo José Carlos Pace, honouring the Brazilian who took his only Grand Prix win here in 1975 and was killed in a plane crash in 1977.

The world championship first came to Interlagos in 1973. Emerson Fittipaldi won the first two races and Pace completed a Brazilian hat-trick in 1975. The race then moved to Jacarepaguá in Rio de Janeiro (1978 and from 1981 to 1989) and only returned in 1990, on a layout cut from almost eight kilometres to roughly half that length. Since 2021 it has run as the São Paulo Grand Prix.

Today's lap measures 4,309 metres and runs anti-clockwise, with the race covering 71 laps. At around 800 metres above sea level, Interlagos is the second-highest venue on the calendar after Mexico City.

Schumacher on top, three in pursuit

The 42 world championship races at Interlagos have produced 26 different winners, and pole has rarely been decisive: the driver starting first has won only 19 times. Michael Schumacher still holds the record with four victories, ahead of Lewis Hamilton, Max Verstappen and Sebastian Vettel on three apiece.

Among the teams, Ferrari and McLaren share top spot with nine wins each, ahead of Red Bull on seven and Mercedes on six, the most recent of which came with George Russell in 2022. Valtteri Bottas holds the race lap record of 1:10.540 from 2018, while Hamilton set the fastest qualifying lap, 1:07.281, in the same season. The closest finish came in 2002, when Michael Schumacher beat his brother Ralf by 0.588 seconds.

A poor grid slot is no verdict here. Verstappen won from 17th in 2024, and Carlos Sainz climbed from 20th on the grid to the podium in 2019.

Six title deciders, one race-winning champion

Between 2005 and 2012 the drivers' title was decided at Interlagos six times, five of them in consecutive seasons. Only Kimi Räikkönen won the race as well: his 2007 victory left him one point clear of Hamilton and Fernando Alonso.

The others sealed their crowns with finishing positions. Alonso was third in 2005 and second a year later, Jenson Button fifth in 2009 and Vettel sixth in 2012. Hamilton, too, came home fifth when he won his first title in 2008, in a race won by Felipe Massa.

Antonelli arrives as champion this time. On his Interlagos debut last year he finished second behind Lando Norris, so only a win would improve on that result.

Brazil has waited since 2008 for a home win

Brazilian drivers have won seven times at Interlagos: Fittipaldi twice, Pace once, Ayrton Senna in 1991 and 1993, and Massa in 2006 and 2008. Home drivers have stood on the podium here 13 times in total. Since Massa's last success, 16 Grands Prix have been held at Interlagos without a Brazilian winner.

Local hopes now rest with Gabriel Bortoleto. The Audi driver failed to finish both the sprint and the Grand Prix at his first home weekend last year.

What can still be decided in Brazil

The fight for second in the 2026 standings is tight: Verstappen has 261 points, Hamilton 259, Russell 250 and Charles Leclerc 245, leaving just 16 points between second and fifth. Verstappen triumphed last time out in Mexico City and has reached the podium in seven of his ten Interlagos starts.

The constructors' title is still open too. Mercedes lead Ferrari by 126 points, and if they outscore the Scuderia by at least three points in Brazil, the crown is mathematically theirs, since a tie would be broken on wins, where Mercedes lead 12 to 2.

There is no sprint this year. Qualifying starts on Saturday at 18:00 GMT and the race on Sunday at 17:00 GMT.

That gives Sunday a historic subplot. A win for Verstappen or Hamilton would equal Schumacher's Interlagos record, which the German has held alone since 2002.