Mercedes secured their first Formula One constructors' title since 2021 at the Brazilian Grand Prix, despite a chaotic Sunday that saw both their drivers spin and Lewis Hamilton struggle.
Kimi Antonelli, already crowned drivers' champion, spun twice during the race, including once on the reconnaissance lap before the start. George Russell also lost control on a slippery surface after a shower in Sao Paulo. The incidents handed the win to Lando Norris, who lost the lead at the start but regained it when Antonelli went off track.
Ferrari's Difficult Afternoon
While Mercedes struggled, Ferrari's pace was off all afternoon. Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen started 20th and 21st due to grid penalties, but only Verstappen made significant progress through the field.
Hamilton got a strong launch and moved into the top 10 quickly, but destroyed his rear tyres in the process and soon lacked grip on the slippery surface. He dropped back to 14th after being overtaken by Fernando Alonso, and then became the first driver to switch to slicks on the drying track. He found more pace initially, but others soon pitted for soft tyres as well.
Antonelli's Spins and Russell's Setback
Antonelli spun at the start of lap 20 when he misjudged turn one, gifting the lead to Norris. He lost second place to Isack Hadjar before reporting to his team: "There's a f****** problem – I can't turn on the left corners. It's like the car is steering by itself."
Russell also spun in the pit exit after changing to slicks, losing time and dropping to eighth from a podium position. Despite these issues, Mercedes had enough points to secure the title, as Ferrari's day was even worse.
Hamilton finished ninth by halfway, with Charles Leclerc 14th. Both were more than half a minute off the podium places with 10 laps to go when rain fell again, prompting most of the field to pit for intermediates. Hamilton stayed out on soft tyres and spun on the wet track, dropping behind Leclerc as Ferrari surrendered the title.
Hamilton was lapped by Norris with four laps to go, for the second time in the race, capping one of his toughest days of the season.
