F1 Brazil Grand Prix rain battle counterattack! Max Verstappen started from 21st on the grid to finish second

The 2026 F1 Brazilian Grand Prix starts at the Interlagos circuit in Sao Paulo.

The 2026 F1 Brazilian Grand Prix ended at the Interlagos circuit in Sao Paulo. Oracle Red Bull Racing showed strong competitiveness in the rain battle. The two drivers Max Verstappen and Isack Hadjar won the runner-up and third place respectively, successfully occupying the second and third place on the podium. Among them, Verstappen was affected by the replacement of the car's power unit before the race and had to start from 21st place. In the end, he fought back all the way to second place and became the focus of this station.

The Brazilian station was affected by rainfall and the slippery road surface made the race more difficult. After starting from 21st place on the grid, Verstappen continuously overtook his opponent on the first lap, improved 8 places to 13th place, and advanced to 8th place at the end of the 5th lap. He then grasped the pit stop strategy and his opponent's mistakes, continued to push forward, and finally finished in second place. Verstappen said, "It's incredible to start from 21st on the grid and finish second. The team showed great speed in the early stages of the race and successfully took advantage of the opportunities brought by the rain battle."

Teammate Hadjar also performed well. Starting from fifth place, he faced changing weather and difficult track conditions. With a stable rhythm and team pit-stop strategy, he finally finished third and won the third podium of the season. Hadjar said, "This is a challenging race. I am happy to stand on the podium with Verstappen. I would also like to thank the pit team for their assistance."

Oracle Red Bull Racing CEO and team principal Laurent Mekies affirmed the performance of the two drivers, and especially praised Verstappen for chasing from 21st to second place, showing top driving ability. He also emphasized that the double-car debut was the result of the joint efforts of the driver and the team. He hoped that the team would continue its momentum at this station and continue to strive for points in the remaining events of this season.