Can Hamilton and Verstappen fight back for F1 Brazilian GP victory?
by Ben Vinel · AutosportThe two legends will start the Sao Paulo race from the back of the grid – and aren’t too optimistic about their chances
With Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen 20th and 21st on the grid of the Brazilian Grand Prix, Sunday’s Formula 1 race promises to be fascinating – regardless of weather conditions.
Hamilton and Verstappen happen to be two drivers who performed memorable recoveries at Autodromo Jose Carlos Pace, a track where overtaking has always been easier than most.
Back in 2021, the seven-time world champion was excluded from qualifying results due to a technical breach, meaning he started the sprint from last; he fought his way up to fifth. With a five-place grid drop for a new engine, Hamilton was 10th on the grid for the grand prix but battled to the front and came out on top in a titanic duel against Verstappen.
Three years later, the Dutchman was eliminated in Q2 on a wet Sunday morning and also took a five-place grid penalty for his sixth internal combustion engine, ending up 17th on the grid. The rain also impacted the race, but Verstappen rose to the occasion and comfortably overtook Esteban Ocon for victory.
But the DRS device had facilitated Hamilton’s exceptional drives, and the overtake mode that now features on F1’s new power units instead isn’t as decisive; the Interlagos layout might actually make it worse.
When asked how easy overtaking would be compared to 2021, the Ferrari driver replied: “Harder, because back then we had, obviously, a very long straight, and if you got close, you had the DRS, and maybe a car wouldn't have it – whereas now, everyone is just opening up their wings.
“I think overtaking will be very, very, very hard. I'm not sure you're going to see the same sort of races that you've seen in the past. But maybe the wet conditions will change that.”
“Now we don't have DRS anymore,” Verstappen concurred. “And the overtake mode is very limiting around here because of the long straight, everyone is draining the battery. So, your speed difference on the straight is going to be a lot less – a bit like Mexico, really. So, it will be quite a lot harder to pass than normal.”
So what will Hamilton’s strategy be? “I don't have one,” he responded. “Try to win, somehow.”
Verstappen, meanwhile, is banking on a number of incidents if he is to be a contender for victory. “Lots of safety cars, so they can't pull away, it keeps coming back to me,” the Red Bull racer said. “We'll see. I don't really think about it too much. I'll just go from lap one and see where I end up.”
He added: “I hope [with Lewis] we can clear the cars in front of us as quickly as we can.”
Across 19 grands prix so far in F1 2026, just two races have been won from outside the front row. Verstappen prevailed from fifth on the grid in Mexico, though he was virtually in the lead on lap one, and Antonelli remarkably triumphed from 19th in Italy. But if the expected rain impacts the race, then 2026’s dry-weather history will be meaningless.
Additional reporting by Isa Fernandes and Federico Faturos
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