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Round 21 of the 2025 Formula 1 season runs in São Paulo today, lights out 17:00 GMT, 14:00 local, as McLaren’s Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri defend slender championship leads.
Max Verstappen pursues aggressively, intent on reducing the deficit at Interlagos’ 71-lap Autodromo Jose Carlos Pace, where overtaking opportunities and changeable weather often magnify strategic risk and reward.
Last year’s race set a benchmark. Verstappen climbed from 17th on the grid, mastering wet conditions to win, a drive that shaped momentum and underlined the circuit’s capacity for volatility.

This year’s grid emerged from a compressed schedule. Kimi Antonelli topped qualifying with a 1:09.511, ahead of Norris, with Charles Leclerc third, promising a multi-team contest into turn one.
Practice ran Friday, before sprint qualifying and a sprint race on Saturday. The main qualifying session followed on Saturday morning, fixing today’s starting order and sharpening strategic scenarios.
In the constructors’ battle, McLaren leads on 721 points. Mercedes holds second, while Ferrari and Red Bull remain close enough that a swing in São Paulo would reshape the picture.
The drivers’ fight centres on consistency. Norris and Piastri bank regular points, yet Verstappen’s race-day potency keeps pressure high, making execution under parc fermé constraints especially decisive.

Interlagos compresses the field. Short laps amplify traffic in qualifying, while the Senna S and Reta Oposta reward traction and deployment. Tyre degradation will dictate undercut windows and stint lengths.
Safety remained a talking point after Gabriel Bortoleto’s 57G accident. He escaped major injury, yet the impact underscored how sudden load spikes at Interlagos can reshape weekend run plans.
Red Bull hints at setup risk around Verstappen’s car. Compromises between kerb compliance and straightline efficiency could cost qualifying performance but recover race pace, within adjustment options after parc fermé.
McLaren’s execution becomes crucial. Clean pit stops, phase timing with safety cars, and disciplined tyre preparation could protect track position, while Ferrari’s race pace offers a credible undercut threat.
With the season condensing, São Paulo can tilt both championships. Expect aggressive stints, rapid reactions to showers, and minimal margin for error on a track that punishes indecision.

Daniel Miller reports on Formula 1 Grand Prix weekends with race-day analysis, team-radio highlights, and point-standings updates. He explains power-unit upgrades, aerodynamic developments, and driver rivalries in straightforward, SEO-friendly language for a global F1 audience.