SAO PAULO (Brazil): Mercedes clinched the 2026 Formula 1 constructors’ championship at the Sao Paulo Grand Prix, completing a clean sweep of both drivers’ and constructors’ titles after a dominant campaign under the sport’s new engine and aerodynamic regulations.
Mercedes secured its first constructors’ crown since 2021 after George Russell finished fourth and newly crowned world champion Kimi Antonelli took fifth place at Interlagos. Antonelli had already secured the drivers’ championship at last weekend’s Mexico City Grand Prix, becoming the youngest Formula 1 champion.
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Meanwhile, McLaren’s Lando Norris claimed his second consecutive Sao Paulo Grand Prix victory, finishing 14.6 seconds ahead of Red Bull’s Max Verstappen, who produced an impressive recovery drive from 21st on the grid. Verstappen’s teammate Isack Hadjar completed the podium.
Antonelli initially made a strong start, overtaking pole-sitter Norris on the run to Turn 1 to take the lead. However, his race unravelled after switching to dry tyres, with the Italian spinning at Turn 1 and subsequently losing positions to Norris and Verstappen.
Russell’s podium hopes also suffered a setback after he spun at the pit lane exit during his first stop, dropping to eighth before recovering to finish fourth.
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Seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton, who started 20th following engine trouble in qualifying, made an impressive opening lap to climb to ninth. However, he eventually finished ninth after a difficult race that included a spin in the rain.
Antonelli was handed a five-second time penalty after the race for an unsafe pit release, but his finishing position remained unchanged. Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc dropped to eighth after receiving a similar five-second penalty for a collision with Liam Lawson in the closing stages.
Mercedes entered the 2026 season as favourites following the introduction of new technical regulations featuring a near 50-50 split between conventional combustion power and electrical energy. The team justified those expectations by winning the first six races of the season and securing victories in 12 of the 20 races contested so far.
The achievement marks Mercedes’ return to dominance after a relatively difficult period between 2022 and 2025, when the team managed only a handful of race victories under Formula 1’s ground-effect regulations. The team’s latest success also recalls its dominance at the beginning of the V6 turbo-hybrid era in 2014, when Mercedes established itself as the leading force in the championship.
With three races remaining in the season, Mercedes has now secured both championship titles, underlining its successful adaptation to Formula 1’s latest technical regulations.
Formula 1 President and CEO Stefano Domenicali congratulated Mercedes on winning the 2026 Constructors’ Championship, describing the achievement as a result of the team’s collective effort, determination and leadership.
Congratulating the Mercedes, Domenicali said the achievement reflected the contribution of hundreds of people working both at the circuit and behind the scenes at the factory.
“My huge congratulations to everyone at the Mercedes Formula 1 Team on becoming 2026 Constructors’ World Champions. Reaching the summit of Formula 1 is never the achievement of one person alone. It is the result of extraordinary talent, relentless determination and the shared belief of hundreds of people, at the circuit and back at the factory, all united by the same ambition. Every single member of this team should feel incredibly proud of what they have achieved,” Domenicali said.
He also highlighted Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff’s achievement of securing his ninth Constructors’ title, placing him level with the late Sir Frank Williams in the record books.
“This is also a moment that will have a special place in the history of our sport. With his ninth Constructors’ title, my friend Toto Wolff draws level with the great Sir Frank Williams, one of Formula 1’s true legends. To stand alongside Frank in the record books is an extraordinary achievement and a powerful testament to Toto’s leadership, vision and relentless pursuit of excellence over so many years,” he added.
Domenicali further noted that winning both championships in the same season, with Antonelli becoming the youngest-ever drivers’ champion, made 2026 an unforgettable year for Mercedes and Formula 1.
“To win the Constructors’ Championship in the same season that Kimi Antonelli became the youngest ever Drivers’ World Champion makes 2026 truly unforgettable for Mercedes and for Formula 1. This is what our sport is all about: dreaming big, pushing beyond the limits, and proving what is possible when great people come together with one shared purpose. Mercedes have returned to the very top, and in doing so have written another remarkable chapter in the history of Formula 1,” he said. (ANI)
