Formula 1 heads to Brazil for the Sao Paulo Grand Prix at Interlagos, with practice starting on Friday, 6 November, and the race on Monday, 9 November at 04:00 AEDT. Australian Oscar Piastri is looking to bounce back — and McLaren are bringing help.
Piastri endured a frustrating Mexico City Grand Prix, where a 10-second penalty for a collision with Racing Bulls driver Arvid Lindblad at Turn 2 dropped him from seventh to 13th in the final classification.
McLaren will bring the first of two upgrade packages to Brazil. Piastri said the MCL40 needs to “behave a little bit nicer” as the team tries to regain third place in the Constructors’ Championship, having fallen 17 points behind Red Bull after Mexico, where Norris finished fifth and Piastri 13th.
Piastri will sit out opening practice — FP1 on Saturday at 02:30 AEDT — as McLaren reserve Leonardo Fornaroli, the back-to-back Formula 3 and Formula 2 champion, takes his car for the team’s mandatory rookie session. Piastri returns for FP2 at 06:00 AEDT.
The drivers’ title is already decided: Mercedes’ Kimi Antonelli was crowned world champion in Mexico, the youngest title winner in Formula 1 history. Norris — the 2025 champion — sits sixth in the standings, 24 points ahead of Piastri in seventh.
Norris won in Sao Paulo 12 months ago and is wary of the new McLaren upgrades, saying he wants to believe the team “can still make improvements” but warning they could also make the car harder to drive.
Interlagos has a habit of producing drama, and Piastri will be hoping the upgrades — and the circuit’s unpredictable weather — work in his favour. A strong result in Brazil would be the perfect response to the disappointment of Mexico.
Australian motorsport has been in the spotlight this week following the death of Australian F1 world champion Alan Jones at 80, while the RBA cash rate hit an 18-year high. Piastri’s Brazil weekend is the next big Australian sporting story.
Bhudev Bhagaliya is an experienced and senior journalist who has carved a distinct niche for himself in the world of Hindi journalism through his profound understanding and precise writing style. With over two decades of experience in the field of journalism, he has held key responsibilities at Dainik Hindustan for 12 years and at Amar Ujala for one year. Currently, he serves as the Content Editor for the Jagrook Youth News newspaper and portal, where he plays a crucial role in ensuring the quality and credibility of the news content. Bhudev Bhagaliya consistently writes about issues that help raise awareness within society and among the younger generation.