We are heading into the final four races of the 2025 Formula 1 calendar, and, as we always hope, there’s still so much left to unfold. And what better place to host the beginning of the end than the – always chaotic – Brazilian Grand Prix? In this article, I invite you on a journey through the past São Paulo races and how this year’s edition can shape the remainder of the season.
São Paulo says goodbye to the Sprint Era
Apart from being an (almost) season decider last year, Brazilians are also looking forward to the last sprint race in Interlagos, at least until 2027. With the release of the 2026 Formula 1 calendar by the FIA (Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile), São Paulo will no longer host a sprint weekend until further notice. That being said, let’s take a look at the previous years in the land of drizzle.
2024: When the rain chose the heroes and villains
The 2024 São Paulo Grand Prix was arguably the wildest race of the season. Between delayed sessions, thunderstorms, and two drivers still battling for the championship, Brazilian fans witnessed no fewer than five DNFs and DNSs across qualifying, sprint, and the race.
The drama started early. Despite getting sprint pole and leading the entire race, Oscar Piastri received team orders to let Lando Norris – who was still fighting for the championship – through at the end. The act was disapproved by the Brazilians, who booed when the Brit stood on the podium. But if the sprint had left most people bored, they had no idea what was coming.
Troubled from the start, Williams’ Alex Albon and Aston Martin’s Lance Stroll didn’t even make it to the grid. Carlos Sainz and Franco Colapinto were forced to retire mid-race, while Nico Hülkenberg was disqualified.
Still in chaos, with three favorites dominating the race, Norris managed to spoil each of them, all while watching his direct championship rival thrive.
Not everyone left São Paulo with bad memories. The championship leader climbed from P17 to victory, nearly clinching the title, all while Alpine lived a dream. Esteban Ocon and Pierre Gasly enjoyed fairytale ending, finishing P2 and P3, respectively.
2023: Another chapter in the Red Bull era
And, speaking of DNFs and weather affected races, 2023 was no different. That year turned out to be one of the most monotonous seasons we’ve seen recently. Max Verstappen’s Red Bull was unstoppable, and in the Brazilian GP was no exception, with him taking both the sprint and the main race wins.
Qualifying was already a sneak peek of what the race would bring us. Intense rain caused a red flag in Q3,stopping the session with four minutes still to go.
During the race, a total of six drivers retired. Charles Leclerc set the stage for drama by crashing on the formation lap. Then, on the first lap, Kevin Magnussen and Albon retired after a collision, forcing a race restart. Alfa Romeo’s Valtteri Bottas and Zhou Guanyu both retired due to car problems on laps 24 and 39, respectively. George Russell was the last to retire due to overheating on lap 57.
There was also much excitement apart from the disasters; Sergio Pérez and Fernando Alonso delivered a thrilling battle in the final laps. In the last one, however, Alonso managed to get past Peréz and claim the last step on the podium.
The Spaniard was accompanied by race winner Verstappen, who dominated the weekend, and, surprisingly, by Norris, who also had a great weekend. He took sprint pole, despite not winning it, and used the safety cars and red flags as a strategy to gain a few positions, finishing in second.
2022: The year of heartwarming moments.
Due to a red flag and challenging weather conditions, not many drivers were able to set a time for the sprint qualifying, resulting in Magnussen and Haas claiming their first pole position in Formula 1. The Dane eventually finished eighth and retired from the race on the first lap after colliding with Daniel Ricciardo. Still, the moment he learned he had secured pole was truly beautiful and memorable.
Verstappen, who started second, soon took the sprint lead. However, the Red Bull faced some problems and, on lap 15, he let Russell, who had started third, pass, allowing him to eventually win the sprint race. Little did Verstappen know, that wouldn’t be the only race he would win that weekend.
Russell claimed his maiden Formula 1 victory after taking pole the day before. He led Lewis Hamilton in Mercedes to a 1–2 finish, and Ferrari’s Sainz in third place. Alongside Magnussen and Ricciardo, who crashed on the opening lap, Lando Norris also retired due to gearbox issues, making it three DNFs for 2022.
With both drivers’ and constructors’ championships already decided – both won by Red Bull – the team still faced some disagreement. After a failed attempt to overtake Alonso, Verstappen was instructed by his engineer to give Pérez back the position that had been handed to him by team orders. However, the Dutchman refused to do such thing, claiming he had his reasons. The move was heavily criticized by his teammate and by his team’s principal and advisor, Christian Horner and Helmut Marko.
2021: When Hamilton rewrote history
Brazil 2021 is considered by many to be one of the greatest performances of all time, led by Sir Lewis Hamilton. But let’s start from the beginning.
The Sprint format was introduced in 2021. It featured a qualifying session on friday, and only the top three finishers earning points. Also, the Sprint results defined the starting grid for the main race.
Lewis Hamilton set the fastest time in qualifying; however, he was disqualified due to some inconsistency with his DRS/rear wing, meaning he started last. Max Verstappen took pole position, but the race win went to Bottas, with Sainz finishing third. Hamilton delivered an impressive performance, making up 15 positions, finishing fifth. Even so, he received another five-place grid penalty for the main race, meaning he started 10th.
Verstappen had a better start and overtook Bottas at Turn 1 on the opening lap. On lap 3, Hamilton was already up four positions, in P6. Between laps 6 and 12, the Brit gained three more positions reaching P3. After a few more laps and a strategic team decision, he finally overtook his teammate to move into P2.
The hunt began was on. Lewis closed gap lap by lap, and, when he attempted to overtake, Verstappen defended forcing both wide. No penalties were given. Finally, on lap 59, Hamilton overtook the Dutchman and maintained a four-second lead for the remaining laps.
That year, there were only two DNFs: Aston Martin’s Stroll and McLaren’s Ricciardo, on laps 47 and 49, respectively; both retired due to car problems, with no collisions.
After São Paulo, Hamilton reduced the gap to Verstappen in the championship by five points, from 19 to 14, giving him a final bit of hope for the remainder of the season.
2025: What to Expect
The expectations are high for this year’s São Paulo Grand Prix, after Mexico left us with just a single point separating first and second place in the championship – who also happen to be teammates. And, obviously, the Brazilians fans are thrilled to have a fellow driver on the grid for the first time in seven years.
Will McLaren be able to manage their drivers? Will the weather once again play a decisive role? Will we see an unexpected podium just like last year? We will have to wait and see.
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The article above was edited by Júlia Darú.
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