9 November 2026 17:30 (UTC)
Wet and wild conditions, Leo’s final FP1 of 2026, and a third win of the season: Behind the scenes in Brazil
Allow us to take you behind the scenes of the São Paulo Grand Prix and deep into the paddock, with our regular post-race wrap-up. Covering all the action you might have missed, we'll explore everything from the strongest snaps, the standout quotes and the social posts that caught our eye.
Interlagos delivered a race full of twists and turns, as it so often does, with Lando coming out on top. Away from the racing action, there was plenty more entertainment with a homegrown superstar in the garage, while the rain did not dampen the spirits of our social media team.
Here are the best bits you might have missed inside the paddock in Brazil…
Sometimes, watching the onboard camera as a driver hurtles around a track can leave you feeling a little queasy, but with Lando’s stunning lap in the rain to earn Pole, we were simply left in awe.
The reigning World Champion bravely battled the elements to take his place at the front of the grid, before converting his P1 starting spot into a race win.
It wasn’t just Lando who mastered the wet conditions… our social team turned a rain-splattered camera lens into something beautiful, creating a kaleidoscope of colours from this dreary backdrop.
There’s nothing like pulling up in front of the P1 marker after a race and then celebrating with the team.
The drizzling rain made it even more atmospheric - and seeing Neymar in the comments was pretty cool.
A visit to São Paulo invariably leaves us thinking of our Brazilian legends, which includes the inimitable Ayrton Senna, who won three Drivers’ Championships with McLaren.
The phrase ‘he is watching over us’ felt pretty literal when we saw this photograph of Oscar driving past the Senna mural during Saturday’s final practice.
Cagoules are cool. It wasn’t so long ago that the trusty rain jacket was considered a purely practical fashion choice, but they’ve been making something of a comeback in recent years. Whether they’re being worn by Oasis’ Liam Gallagher, Bayern Munich manager Vincent Kompany, or… the McLaren Mastercard race team, they’ve become a must-have item in any fashionable person’s wardrobe.
And, on a soggy weekend in São Paulo, they were as functional as they were stylish.
After Lando’s incredible Qualifying lap in the rain, attention turned to whether he could keep hold of P1 in changeable conditions.
Although he lost the lead at the start of the race, Lando remained patient and bided his time, capitalising when Kimi Antonelli made an error. The reigning World Champion reclaimed the lead following the Mercedes' drivers mistake and never looked back. Our tyre strategy in the rain was also a masterstroke, and a key reason for Lando taking the Chequered Flag first for back-to-back wins in Brazil.
As well as the special scenes, it also marked Lando’s 50th podium in Formula 1, moving him to outright fifth in the list of drivers with the most podiums for McLaren.
“It’s fantastic to be back on the highest step of the podium! This success is truly the result of a team effort.”
When the rain descends, everything and everyone has to pull together for a positive result. And in Brazil, the team did just that. Whether it was the drivers, the pit crew, the pit wall, or those working back in Mission Control, there was a perfect synergy between those on the ground, in the cars, and back at home.
On top of Lando's victory, Oscar enjoyed a solid Sunday. After starting from 10th, he made up four places to finish sixth in difficult conditions, earning a big eight points for the team in our fight for third in the Constructors' Championship.
Team Principal Andrea Stella was understandably delighted.
Double- or triple-headers can sometimes be challenging to negotiate for drivers, but for our Formula 1 Reserve Driver Leonardo Fornaroli, it was an opportunity to put his learnings immediately into practice.
Having driven the MCL40 during the first practice session in Mexico City, Leo was back in the car in place of Oscar for Free Practice 1 in Interlagos. It marked his fourth and final FP1 run for us this season, and the team were delighted with his progress once again.
After a busy triple-header, it’s time for a week’s break before the final leg of the Americas swing in Las Vegas.
The race in Sin City kick-starts the last triple-header of the season, with Qatar and the season-ending race in Abu Dhabi following straight after.
