Fifth place from world champion Antonelli is enough – Mercedes celebrates the constructors’ title

But thanks to the fourth place of his stable rival George Russell, Mercedes was able to celebrate its first team world championship since 2021 in a duel with the once again disappointing Ferrari racing team.

Max Verstappen in the Red Bull came second behind the English poleman Norris, who took his third win of the season. The Dutchman made an impressive comeback from 21st place on the grid in front of the Brazilian football idol Neymar, who also waved the checkered flag. His Red Bull team Isack Hadjar came third.

With fourth place, Nico Hülkenberg gave Audi the best starting position in its short history as a works team. Despite a ten-second penalty in the fourth-to-last Grand Prix of the season after a duel with Alpine driver Franco Colapinto, the Rhinelander still picked up a point in tenth place.

At the start, Antonelli, who days before had visited the family of Senna, who died in 1994, and also his gravesite, literally shot away. In the first few meters he grabbed Norris, who had taken pole position for the fourth time this season in a chaotic qualifying with torrential rain the day before.

But Norris also lost out to Liam Lawson from the Racing Bulls, who started sensationally in third place. Directly behind him, Hülkenberg stepped on the accelerator, but ended up in sixth place.

However, the entertainment factor at the Autódromo José Carlos Pace, where racing will continue until at least 2035, was also high in the lower places. After illegal engine changes, Lewis Hamilton (20th) in the Ferrari and Verstappen (21st) had to go to the back of the field. When the red lights went out, the two multiple world champions began to gradually work their way forward past their rivals.

Hamilton called for a switch from mixed tires to fast, profile-free slicks early on. On lap 15 he was the first driver in the field to get it. After all, he wanted to make his anniversary race successful. But it became clear early on: nothing would come of it.

"I would never have thought in my life that I would reach such a number. That's crazy because I still feel young," Hamilton said before the start. Only Aston Martin veteran Fernando Alonso with 445 has more. All other competitors then came into the pits and also had the softest tires fitted.

“There's something wrong with the car,” complained Antonelli and spun again on the start-finish straight on lap 20. But he was able to intercept his Mercedes. “I can’t steer into the left corners.” Four laps later, Antonelli made another mistake in the same spot.

Hamilton and his Scuderia teammate Charles Leclerc, who only started the race in 14th place after a penalty, did not make any significant progress. Things went much better for Verstappen, who was allowed to pass his slower Hadjar on lap 38 of 71 after an announcement from the command post. The Dutchman was now second. Confident at the top: Norris.

But excitement is guaranteed in Interlagos. As soon as it rains, a Formula 1 lottery begins. A few laps before the end the time had come. Norris & Co. came into the pits to have the mixed tires fitted in the rain.