The Interlagos race track has already been the stage for the consecration of six F1 world champions. It was there that the then young Spaniard Fernando Alonso, aged 24, ended Michael Schumacher’s reign in 2005 by winning the first of his two titles — the German had won five consecutive trophies.
It was also there, in an atmosphere that alternated between hope and desolation, that Felipe Massa saw his dream of the title slip through his fingers on the last lap of the 2008 Brazilian GP, at the same time that Englishman Lewis Hamilton, then a brilliant rookie, secured the first of his seven victories.
This Sunday (9), starting at 2pm (Brasília time), even though the champion cannot be crowned, the Brazilian stage promises to be decisive in the season’s storyline. Lando Norris arrives on the track leading the championship by a thread — just one point ahead of his McLaren teammate, Oscar Piastri (357 to 356). A little further back, at 31 points, Max Verstappen re-emerges in contention, shortening distances and rekindling his dream of a fifth title.
Despite not depending solely on himself to seek a comeback, the Dutchman shows confidence in the chance of overtaking the McLaren cars in the final stretch of the season. “We will try to be as competitive as possible. I know there is still this small chance of fighting for the title. We will do our best and see where we get,” he told Sheet.
The Dutchman’s momentum was not enough to change the rival team’s stance. This Thursday, McLaren CEO Zak Brown reaffirmed his commitment to intervene in the dispute between Norris and Piastri.
“If he [Verstappen] If we win, I’ll shake his hand and say, ‘Great job,'” the executive said. “I want to make sure that if we don’t win, it’s because he beat us, not because we beat ourselves. That’s the most important thing,” he added.
The open dispute between the three leaders makes the Brazilian stage even more important in a special weekend for Brazilian fans, who will once again be able to support a compatriot, with Gabriel Bortoleto’s debut on the circuit. Since 2017, when Felipe Massa left the category, the country has not had a driver on the tracks.
The last time F1 arrived here with such a fierce dispute for the championship was in 2021, in the first year after changing its name to São Paulo GP. At the time, Lewis Hamilton and Verstappen were fighting one of the most emblematic disputes in the history of the category.
The Dutchman arrived in Brazil in the lead, with 312.5 points. In second, the Englishman had 293.5, but the seven-time champion was experiencing a moment of ascension in the season, which ended up being driven by his performance at Interlagos.
Pushed by the Brazilian public, with whom he maintains a strong connection due to his idolization of Ayton Senna, he won the sprint after being forced to start last, serving a punishment. He also took the top spot on the main race podium after serving a penalty, which saw him start tenth.
The victory was the first in a sequence of three consecutive victories — Brazil, Qatar and Saudi Arabia —, which took the dispute to Abu Dhabi with Lewis and Max tied, both with 369.5 points each. Even with Hamilton losing the final contest to the Dutchman after the controversial outcome at the Yas Marina circuit, the impact of the Brazilian stage on the exciting conclusion of that year was undeniable.
This time, it is Verstappen who is experiencing a moment of ascension and is looking to make a difference in the final races. Considering his history at Interlagos, he has good reasons to leave Brazil even more confident in the comeback. The Dutchman has already won three times on the circuit, and has two consecutive victories. The 2024 triumph was especially important for him to take away from Lando Norris the possibility of fighting for the title — with the Englishman’s sixth place, the difference between them reached 62 points (393 to 331).
The decisive nature of the Brazilian race has been repeated with some frequency since 2004, when Brazil began to occupy the final stretch of the calendar.
This year, the Brazilian stage has 33 points up for grabs, as the schedule includes a sprint race – a shorter race held on Saturday, at 11am (Brasília time) –, in addition to the Grand Prix, Sunday (9), at 2pm (Brasília time). The championship continues with races in Las Vegas, Qatar and Abu Dhabi, completing the 24 stages planned in this year’s extensive championship.
