Sao Paulo Grand Prix: 3 Key Storylines Ahead Of Interlagos Sprint Weekend

Formula 1 will enjoy its penultimate sprint weekend at the Sao Paulo Grand Prix as Lando Norris aims to extend his new lead in the race for the drivers' title.

The Briton dominated in Mexico to surpass McLaren teammate Oscar Piastri for the first time since the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix and arrives in Brazil with the chance to assert authority going into the final triple-header of the season.

But Max Verstappen will have something to say about that, given his impressive record at Interlagos, while Mercedes and Ferrari have been threatening to be spoilers in the fight as well.

Which way will the pendulum fall this weekend?

Can Piastri fight back?

Arrived 😊#McLaren | #BrazilGP 🇧🇷 pic.twitter.com/F3OTmsxxyc
— McLaren (@McLarenF1) November 6, 2025

Up until the Italian Grand Prix, it seemed as though Piastri was destined to become the first Australian F1 world champion since Alan Jones in 1980.

Seven out of 14 race victories and a 34-point advantage over Norris after the Briton's retirement at the Dutch Grand Prix meant it seemed as though Piastri had a hand on the title, especially with a lack of threat from Red Bull, Mercedes and Ferrari in that time.

But since Monza, not only have McLaren's rivals picked up the pace — Max Verstappen re-entering the title fight with three wins, Mercedes picking up a victory, and Ferrari in the podium hunt — but Piastri has struggled, crashing twice in Baku and failing to match Norris in the other races up to this point.

Fifth in Mexico last time out, while Norris put half a minute on the field, was the starkest illustration of the form each driver is in at the moment, with the previous advantage eradicated to leave the Briton on top.

The big question is now whether Piastri can rediscover the form that saw him in such a promising position earlier in the season. If he can't, then eyes will be turning towards Norris and Verstappen, given their recent results.

Will Mercedes and Ferrari become championship spoilers?

George Russell, Max Verstappen, Oscar Piastri — Getty Images / Red Bull Content Pool

While the battle between Piastri and Norris was largely a private one in the first three quarters of the campaign, the emergence of the three main rival teams has thrown somewhat of a spanner in the works.

Piastri's recent downfall has been exaggerated by the fact that Verstappen, the Mercedes duo of George Russell and Kimi Antonelli, and the Ferrari pair of Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton have been on pace. A mistake in qualifying earlier in the season may have resulted in second or third on the grid, but that has transformed into sixth, seventh, or eighth.

The same can be said for race results, with points being bled at a fair faster rate than what would have happened in the opening rounds.

And the fear for the protagonists is that Mercedes has shown good performance at Interlagos in recent seasons, even when its car hasn't been great, while Ferrari returned to form in Mexico with Leclerc in second place.

Interlagos throws up peculiar classifications anyway, so with all four teams in the mix, and a sprint format to boot, Norris, Piastri, and Verstappen will hope for no complications.

Sprint and weather to provide fireworks?

Brazil GP start 2022 — Getty Images / Red Bull Content Pool

Whatever your opinion of the sprint format is, there is no denying that it just works at Interlagos.

The track layout is receptive to high-energy racing action, as proven since 2021. The Sao Paulo venue is again hosting the alternate format this weekend.

The sprint's usual challenges apply: just one practice session before sprint qualifying on Friday, a sprint race and qualifying on Saturday, and the grand prix proper on Sunday.

Yet the circuit's location between two man-made lakes means it has its own weather system and that adds another dimension of difficulty for the competitors, as was proven last year.No fewer than five red flag periods were triggered in a wet qualifying before a deluge on race day helped Verstappen win from 17th on the grid.

Sao Paulo is always a fun stop on the calendar, but the fun can be forgotten when there's a championship on the line.

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