Report: A wet-dry-wet race at Interlagos sees us finish in P15 and P19
Early battles and gains faded away as the track dried São Paulo, before a late shower brought further drama
Published
08 NOV 2026
Est. reading time
2 min
Alex Albon and Carlos Sainz finished P15 and P19 at the São Paulo Grand Prix after a race that began and ended on intermediates.
“Much drier than before, dry line already forming,” Carlos reported before the start, with all 22 cars on intermediates. Both our drivers made gains at the start, with Alex climbing to P7 on lap 1, and Carlos to P11.
Alex dropped to P8 when Max Verstappen passed him on lap 5, and Oscar Piastri followed on lap 7 after a multi-lap defence. Carlos lost places to Fernando Alonso on lap 7 and to both Alpines on lap 8, dropping to P17.
“I think we’re likely six laps away from slicks,” Alex was told on lap 8. Carlos pitted first on lap 14, rejoining in P21, and Alex became the first top-10 runner in on lap 15, rejoining in P17 ahead of Lewis Hamilton. Once everyone had switched, he was back up to P9 and Carlos P17.
Alex ran in a four-car train behind George Russell, with Arvid Lindblad and Hamilton passing him on laps 25 and 26.
Carlos passed Lance Stroll for P16 on lap 24 before Ollie Bearman went around the outside of turn 6 on lap 29. Alonso passed Alex on lap 35, with Alex taking it back at turn 6 before Alonso retook it at turn 9 after a great battle. Pierre Gasly and Charles Leclerc followed on lap 36.
Alex was P12 on lap 40 as Hamilton stopped, before being handed a five-second penalty on lap 42 for an unsafe rejoin. He served it at his stop on lap 43, rejoining on fresh softs in P16 just ahead of Carlos. Carlos made his second stop on lap 46 for another set of softs, rejoining in P20.
Alex was back up to P15 on lap 51 as Bearman pitted, and Carlos to P19 on lap 52. Franco Colapinto stopped on lap 55 and passed Alex a lap later as light rain began to fall across the circuit, with the team warning both drivers that more intense rain was on the way.
Carlos took P18 around the outside of turn 1 on lap 59, closing on Sergio Perez as lap times dropped across the field. On lap 61, Alex pitted for intermediates, while Carlos said he would stay out for one more lap. “Sector 1 is not slicks anymore,” he reported, before pitting a lap later and rejoining in P19. “Sorry, guys.”
Gasly passed Alex at turn 4 on lap 65, and ultimately he finished in P15 with Carlos P19.
Full reaction to follow.
Latest
Trending
© 2026 The Williams Group, under licence to Williams IP Holdings LLC
Williams Grand Prix Engineering Services LLP, a limited liability partnership registered in England and Wales with company registration number OC456938 and whose registered address is at Station Road, Grove, Wantage, Oxfordshire, OX12 0DQ.
Powered By