Formula 1 arrives at Interlagos this weekend for round 20 of 2026, the São Paulo Grand Prix. The title is settled, after Kimi Antonelli was crowned in Mexico City, but the circuit is not. The track is short and runs anti-clockwise at almost 800 metres of altitude, two sections have been resurfaced, Pirelli has brought its three softest compounds, and the forecast shows rain for Saturday and Sunday. Here is what the drivers will face.

A short lap at altitude

Interlagos is about 800 metres above sea level, the second-highest circuit of the season after Mexico City. The air is thinner, so the wings produce less downforce, the car has less drag and the radiators and brakes cool less well, although the effect is smaller than in Mexico. The lap has two long straights separated by medium- and low-speed corners, with large changes in elevation. The cars plunge downhill into the Senna S at Turns 1 to 3, run along the Reta Oposta, then wind through the infield before the long uphill climb from Junção (Turn 12) to the start-finish line.

Braking, traction and energy

Turn 1 is the main braking zone, at the bottom of a downhill approach where it is easy to lock a front wheel. Braking is also difficult at Turns 8, 9, 10 and 12. Traction out of Turn 12 matters more than anywhere else, because it decides speed all the way up the hill to the line and into the next Turn 1. On energy, Interlagos is not demanding for the 2026 power units, but drivers may need to lift through Turns 3 and 11 to harvest. The long run from the final corner to the line followed by the short dash to Turn 1 also complicates MGU-K deployment on out-laps in qualifying. There are two straight-line mode zones, and the first is shortened significantly in the wet.

Softer tyres and a partly new surface

Pirelli has nominated the C3 as the hard, the C4 as the medium and the C5 as the soft, one step softer than in 2025, when the range was C2 to C4 on a Sprint weekend. Each driver has two sets of hards, three of mediums and eight of softs, with an extra set of softs for those who reach Q3. In a dry race, two different slick compounds are mandatory. Last year graining was milder than expected, but the C3 and C4 degraded heavily, and a two-stop race was the fastest strategy. Lateral forces are about average and the load is spread evenly between front and rear, with relatively high minimum pressures. The new unknown is the resurfacing between Turns 3 and 5 and between Turns 8 and 9, which could change grip and track evolution, especially on long runs. The three practice sessions will be the first test.

Rain on Saturday and Sunday

According to the Formula 1 forecast published on 4 November, Friday should be the driest day, with a high of 25°C, a 30% risk of rain early in the morning and at night, and a track temperature of around 45°C. Saturday carries a 50% risk of rain, most likely after 14:00, the window for qualifying, with a high of 27°C and possible standing water. Sunday is cooler, between 13°C and 19°C, with a 40% risk of heavy rain and thunderstorms and gusts of up to 40 km/h. Intermediates and full wets could be needed, and teams put the chance of a Safety Car at 80%. The last Grand Prix at Interlagos without one was in 2018.

What is still at stake

This is a standard weekend, without a Sprint. In local time (UTC−3), FP1 starts at 12:30 and FP2 at 16:00 on Friday, FP3 at 11:30 and qualifying at 15:00 on Saturday, and the race at 14:00 on Sunday. Antonelli’s title is decided, but second place is open: Verstappen has 261 points, Hamilton 259, Russell 250 and Leclerc 245 after Mexico City. Mercedes lead the constructors’ championship with 630 points, 126 ahead of Ferrari, with four rounds left.

Sources

Tyres, allocation and resurfacing: Formula 1, São Paulo GP tyres. Braking, energy, straight-line mode and Safety Car estimates: GrandPrix247 technical preview. Weather: Formula 1 forecast, 4 November 2026. Session times: f1live sessions. 2025 pole and result: our 2025 qualifying and race reports. Standings: our Mexico City GP race report.