2026 Sao Paulo Grand Prix Preview: 5 Big Talking Points Heading into the Weekend

Linus O'Howell

4 hours ago

5 min read

Rafael Camara Debuts at Home

When we wrote last week’s preview ahead of Mexico City, nobody could’ve predicted the chaos that unfolded, particularly at Haas! After competing in FP1, Ryo Hirakawa was back in the car from Saturday onwards after Esteban Ocon was seemingly kicked out of the team (for reasons unknown)! Hirakawa would then actually make a difference to Haas’ season, avoiding all of the chaos and penalties to finish P10 on debut; a crucial point in Haas’ battle with Audi for P7 in the Constructors’ Championship! Unfortunately for Ryo, he was already scheduled to compete in the World Endurance Championship this weekend (in Monza), with it then being revealed on Tuesday that Ocon will no longer drive for Haas this season, let alone next year! A horrible ending to Estie Bestie’s Formula 1 career! So, as a result, Haas have decided to promote Rafael Camara up early, after he’s already been announced for a full-time seat from the start of 2027! Rafa Camara has won Races in every single category he’s competed in, with him going back-to-back in terms of winning the 2024 Formula Regional European and 2025 FIA Formula 3 Championships! Camara also currently leads the Formula 2 Championship, with it being unclear as to whether he’s going to be able to complete that season come Qatar and Abu Dhabi! Finally, we should mention that this is going to be an even more special debut than usual, with Rafael Camara being born right here in Brazil! Let’s see what he’s got!

Ferrari Need to Change

Over the years, there have been multiple examples of reasons as to why Ferrari aren’t capable of winning World Championships! Whether that be a lack of pace in the car or terrible strategy calls, the evidence is clear! The evidence is also clear in 2026 that Ferrari have got a massive problem with their driver lineup, and in particular, Charles Leclerc! In Zandvoort, Lewis Hamilton was clearly the quickest driver at one point, but Leclerc wouldn’t let him through! In Monza, Charles would shove Lewis into the gravel, only to crash into the wall less than 2 laps later! Then, in Mexico City, when the team would’ve been on for a rather straightforward 1-2 finish, Leclerc decided to act on his own behalf, attempting a ridiculous move around the outside at Turn 4, which ultimately resulted in no Italian National Anthem as Max Verstappen took victory! Yes, Ferrari are easily second in the Constructors’ Championship; that’s not going to change between now and the end of the season! Yes, Hamilton and Leclerc are actually pretty close in the Drivers’ Championship; just 14 points separating the two, and I’m pretty sure that’s what’s causing this problem! Leclerc seems desperate to beat Hamilton in the Standings, and whilst I do understand that a little bit, the way Charles drives against his teammate is simply unacceptable! Ultimately, Ferrari need to deal with this now, as otherwise, they’ve got no hope if they deliver a Championship-winning car next season!

A New World Champion

It’s felt like only a matter of time since Monza, but last weekend in Mexico City was finally the crowning moment for Andrea Kimi Antonelli! It was a joyous occasion, with Kimi hoisting the Italian Flag up high as his Championship-winning Mercedes rose onto the infamous Mexico Podium! Given we’ve spoken about Antonelli’s season each of the last two weeks, we don’t really need to do that again, but I do want to draw comparisons between Kimi and one Ayrton Senna! I’ve always seen a bit of a resemblance between Kimi and Ayrton, and clearly, it’s not just to do with looks! Antonelli’s pace is exceptional; he’s taken the world of Formula 1 by storm, in a very similar way to how Senna did! It’s also pretty fitting that Kimi Antonelli won his first Championship with the Number 12; a number that he picked due to Senna using it during his debut Championship win in 1988! The reason I bring this up is because Kimi got to meet the Senna Family earlier this week, with him even getting to sit in Ayrton’s Race-winning Lotus! Now that’s cool! One last fun fact for Andrea Kimi Antonelli and the Number 12: Niki Lauda won his debut World Championship with that number, which also feels fitting given his connection to Mercedes!

Aston Martin’s Shambolic Weekend

I had hoped that we’d moved past these types of titles for Aston Martin, but Mexico City proved that we are indeed far from it! In fairness, the pace was seemingly there for Aston Martin in Mexico, with Fernando Alonso lapping well throughout Practice! However, after going fastest (granted, without any of the top teams doing a lap), Aston would tell Alonso to stop the car on track, with him suffering a terminal engine failure! Fernando was absolutely fuming, stating that he’s going straight to Brazil, which was probably not a bad idea after how Sunday went! After Lance Stroll could only qualify P20, the Race started perfectly for Aston Martin, with both Fernando and Lance pitting early, before Alonso came into the pits at the end of Lap 5 to retire the car! Just a few corners later, Stroll pulled over in the other car, with Aston Martin suffering a double DNF after just 6 laps! I’ve seen a lot of pathetic performances from Aston Martin in 2026, but this potentially takes the lot! Mexico City clearly exposed the Honda engine more than anywhere else, and given the upgrades they’ve brought to these cars, it’s simply unacceptable!

Gabby Bortoleto Returns Home

Whilst we’ve already spoken about Brazil’s newest home hero, we cannot forget about Gabriel Bortoleto! After years and years of no Brazilian drivers on the grid, winning FIA Formula 3 and FIA Formula 2 back-to-back was simply too much for Formula 1 to ignore, with Audi taking Gabriel on for their final season as Kick Sauber! Whilst finishing 19th in the Drivers’ Championship doesn’t look great, Gabby was definitely better than that, with him showing positive signs in comparison to his teammate Nico Hulkenberg, particularly in Qualifying, in both 2025 and 2026! After a difficult run post-Belgium, Bortoleto finally returned to the points last time out in Mexico City, finishing P8 to move ahead of his teammate in the Drivers’ Standings! This weekend is obviously a big deal for Gabby given the fact that it’s his home Grand Prix, but we should potentially highlight last year as a reason as to why this weekend is even more important than usual! In both the Sprint and the Grand Prix last year, Gabby Bortoleto crashed out! In fact, his crash in the Sprint was pretty horrible; he damaged the car so much that he was unable to take part in Qualifying! Last year’s São Paulo Grand Prix was easily the worst weekend of Bortoleto’s Rookie Season, so I wouldn’t underestimate just how important a points-scoring finish is for Bortoleto this weekend!