Last weekend, Formula One travelled to Brazil for the São Paulo Grand Prix. São Paulo marked the beginning of the end of the 2025 season, with only three races now remaining on the calendar. Both the sprint and main race were packed with excitement and heartbreak (depending on who you support). Perhaps most importantly, São Paulo continued the thrilling battle for the Drivers’ Championship and the battle for second in the Constructors’ Championship.

Following on from his success at the Mexico City Grand Prix in late October, McLaren’s Lando Norris continued to dominate. He was first in every session across the São Paulo Grand Prix weekend. This meant that Norris’ Driver’s Championship lead gained in Mexico was stretched from one point to 24. Norris’s direct rival and teammate, Oscar Piastri, crashed out of the sprint race and finished only fifth in the main race after he was given a ten-second penalty for an incident on lap six. Looking ahead to the last three races of the season, it will be interesting to see how the battle between the McLaren drivers unfolds. Norris has been on a consistent streak of brilliant form in recent races, whilst Piastri has not been on the podium since early September. Will Norris run away with the Drivers’ Championship? Or can Piastri fight his way back before the final race in Abu Dhabi?

When talking about the Drivers’ Championship, Red Bull’s Max Verstappen cannot be ignored. Verstappen, the reigning champion, is still in contention for the Championship mathematically, with a 49-point gap to Norris. Whether he can actually win now is down to luck more than anything. Nevertheless, Verstappen’s drive in the main race at São Paulo was spectacular. Red Bull had a rather abysmal qualifying session, with both drivers failing to make it out of the first stage. Verstappen qualified 16^th but started the race from the pit lane after changes to his engine and car setup. Characteristic of Verstappen’s incredible driving skills, he crawled his way up to third place throughout the race. If there’s one thing that this season has taught us, it’s to never count out Verstappen.

São Paulo was also critical for the Constructors’ Championship. Whilst McLaren clinched the top spot back in Singapore in October, the fight for second continues. Mercedes had a fantastic weekend with Kimi Antonelli bringing home silver in both the sprint and main race. This is the rookie’s second Grand Prix podium this season and was very much deserved. George Russell finished the race in fourth, adding to Mercedes’ substantial point haul. This was enough to bring them back to second in the Constructors’ Championship after fluctuation throughout the year.

If you’re a Ferrari fan, then São Paulo was nothing short of a disaster. The Grand Prix resulted in a double DNF (did not finish) for Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton. Leclerc sustained race-ending damage on lap six when he was hit as Piastri and Antonelli collided. Hamilton had contact with two drivers during the race and received a five-second penalty before Ferrari decided to retire his car. This substantial points loss, combined with Mercedes and Verstappen’s success, pushed Ferrari down to fourth in the Constructors’ Championship. Ferrari will certainly come back stronger at the next race, but this is a substantial blow for the historic team.

Further down in the Constructors’ Championship, Racing Bulls continued to distance themselves from Aston Martin in the midfield as both Liam Lawson and Isack Hadjar finished in the points. Miraculously, Alpine scored points for the first time since July thanks to Pierre Gasly. The team remains last, but this surely comes as a relief to all involved after such a long points drought. Finally, condolences must be given to Sauber driver Gabriel Bortoleto. The Brazilian driver crashed in both the sprint and main race. Whilst it was a disappointing first home race for Bortoleto, he sustained no injuries, and his rookie season has been fantastic otherwise.

The São Paulo Grand Prix was certainly an exciting and action-packed race. It had great consequences for both the Drivers’ Championship and the Constructors’ Championship. As we move towards the final three races of 2025, it is safe to say that this will be a grand finale to a fantastic season.

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