Franco Colapinto has secured a new contract with Alpine for the 2026 F1 season, receiving high praise from Lewis Hamilton for his talent and character. This continuity is crucial as Alpine transitions to a Mercedes customer engine and faces significant new regulations, aiming for stability amidst major technical changes.
Jos Verstappen has strongly rejected Sergio Perez's recent claims that the Red Bull car is specifically 'built around Max', making it an 'impossible' task for any teammate. Jos asserted that Max's unparalleled adaptability, not a tailored car, is the reason for his dominance, dismissing the notion that the car is constantly adapted to Max's needs.
Oscar Piastri has called the São Paulo GP weekend, especially qualifying, "bizarre" due to the soft tire's unexpected lack of performance at Interlagos. Despite his fourth-place start, the McLaren driver struggled with tire grip, leading to minimal lap time improvements. This issue adds a layer of strategic uncertainty for the main race and highlights Piastri's recent dip in form, complicating his championship fight against teammate Lando Norris.
Red Bull's Helmut Marko expressed crushing disappointment after both cars, including Max Verstappen's, exited São Paulo GP qualifying in Q1 for the first time since 2006. Post-Sprint changes made Verstappen's car even slower, jeopardizing his title hopes as he now starts 16th and is 39 points behind Lando Norris. The team admits to getting "slower everywhere" and struggling with recent upgrades, indicating a critical period for their championship defense.
Lando Norris secured pole position for the Brazilian Grand Prix at Interlagos, setting the stage for a dramatic race. Championship leader Max Verstappen will start from 16th after a challenging qualifying session, dimming his immediate title hopes. With Norris's McLaren teammate Oscar Piastri also in the mix, the race is crucial for the 2025 F1 championship.
Kimi Antonelli secured a front-row start at the São Paulo Grand Prix qualifying by sticking to soft tyres, a decision that paid off under challenging conditions. In contrast, teammate George Russell's gamble on medium tyres yielded only a sixth-place finish, highlighting the contrasting fortunes and strategic complexities for Mercedes in a session marred by unpredictable grip at Interlagos. Antonelli's maturity and strategic thinking were lauded amidst a chaotic qualifying.
Pierre Gasly's strong showing at the Brazil GP, including scoring sprint points and a top-10 qualifying, has left Alpine puzzled, as the team admits it doesn't fully understand the reasons behind their sudden pace improvement. This unexpected performance, a stark contrast to their season-long struggles, raises critical questions about car setup and track specificities that Alpine is now urgently investigating.
Haas rookie Oliver Bearman qualified P8 for the São Paulo Grand Prix, equaling his best result this season, but was left puzzled by a sudden drop in pace during Q3. Despite strong early performance, he suspects tyre temperature issues due to faster out-laps might have contributed to a two-tenth loss compared to Q2. Bearman remains confident in the car and is focused on understanding the Q3 struggles for future races.
Max Verstappen is set to receive a penalty for unauthorized overnight modifications to his RB21 following a disastrous qualifying session at the Brazilian Grand Prix. Red Bull mechanics were seen working extensively on the car under parc fermé, a breach of regulations that typically results in a pit lane start. This decision, aimed at improving performance after Verstappen's Q1 exit, could further jeopardize his championship hopes.
Max Verstappen faced an unprecedented Q1 exit at the Brazil Grand Prix, marking the first time in his F1 career he was eliminated on pure pace. Finishing 16th, this unexpected turn for the reigning champion, whose previous early exits were penalty-driven, highlights a rare struggle for Red Bull, with teammate Yuki Tsunoda also failing to reach Q3. The event has sent shockwaves through F1, raising questions about the team's performance and Verstappen's ability to recover from a challenging starting position.
Lando Norris claimed pole position for the 2025 São Paulo Grand Prix, setting the stage for a dramatic race as Max Verstappen starts P16 after a challenging qualifying session. Mercedes rookie Kimi Antonelli joins Norris on the front row, while other champions like Alonso and Hamilton are also out of the top ten, promising an unpredictable and thrilling Brazilian GP.
The 2025 F1 Brazilian Grand Prix is scheduled for today, Sunday, November 9th, at 17:00 GMT. The 71-lap race at Sao Paulo is a crucial event, with Max Verstappen chasing McLaren's Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri in a tightly contested championship. Last season, Verstappen's dramatic win from 17th place highlighted the race's significance, and this year promises similar high stakes.
