The Formula 1 Brazilian Grand Prix — or São Paulo Grand Prix — starts Sunday at 12 p.m. ET, live on Apple TV. The three F1 practices and a rainy qualifying session produced some intriguing results from Interlagos in São Paulo.
Early Brazilian Grand Prix predictions from São Paulo changed when Lando Norris pulled a rabbit out of the hat on Saturday.
Bluntly, with several of the top drivers using power upgrades — which meant massive grid penalties — Norris had a window, and he took it. Mercedes' George Russell and Kimi Antonelli rounded out the Top 3 in qualifying, while Ferrari's Charles Leclerc and VCARB's Liam Lawson were fourth and fifth initially.
Could Sunday’s F1 Brazilian Grand Prix deliver more of the unexpected, with a chance of rain again?
Let’s race into our F1 Brazilian Grand Prix predictions for Sunday afternoon’s race, based on Saturday’s final practice and qualifying results. This includes the updated favorites to win, reach the podium, and more in PrizePicks Team Picks.
Make F1 Predictions on PrizePicks — including on winner, podium, and driver stats
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F1 Brazilian Grand Prix Predictions & Qualifying Order
Antonelli and Russell were potential favorites to take pole in the Brazilian Grand Prix. So when that did not happen, many thought either Leclerc or Lewis Hamilton had a chance. That’s when the new upgrades reared their ugly head in the way of grid penalties.
Ferrari had issues in qualifying, with Leclerc settling for fourth (will start 14th). Hamilton ended up 11th, but will start 22nd due to grid penalties. Russell ended up second, 0.204 seconds off Norris’ unbelievable lap, but will start seventh on Sunday due to his own penalties.
The São Paulo course is 4.309 km and has 15 turns. Plenty of overtakes are expected, thanks to ample passing zones and elevation changes. Expect the 71 laps of racing to feature its fair share of passes, with some drivers having to charge through the field.
2026 F1 Brazilian Grand Prix Starting Lineup for Sunday
Below is the F1 starting lineup for the Brazilian Grand Prix, from 1st to 22nd. This should help in crafting those F1 predictions, which we'll dive into below.
- Lando Norris – McLaren – 1:27.470
- Kimi Antonelli – Mercedes – +0.625s
- Liam Lawson – Racing Bulls – +0.851s
- Nico Hulkenberg – Audi – +1.198s
- Isack Hadjar – Red Bull – +1.293s
- Oliver Bearman – Haas – +2.361s
- George Russell – Mercedes – +0.204s (Five place grid penalty)
- Fernando Alonso – Aston Martin – +2.841s
- Alexander Albon – Williams – +2.986s
- Oscar Piastri – McLaren – Eliminated in Q2
- Rafael Câmara – Haas – Eliminated in Q2
- Arvid Lundblad – Racing Bulls – Eliminated in Q2
- Carlos Sainz – Williams – Eliminated in Q2
- Charles Leclerc – Ferrari – +0.819s (10-place grid penalty)
- Franco Colapinto – Alpine – Eliminated in Q1
- Pierre Gasly – Alpine – Eliminated in Q1
- Lance Stroll – Aston Martin – Eliminated in Q1
- Valtteri Bottas – Cadillac – Eliminated in Q1
- Gabriel Bortoleto – Audi – Eliminated in Q1
- Lewis Hamilton – Ferrari – Back-of-grid penalties
- Max Verstappen – Red Bull – Will start from the back after power unit upgrade
- Sergio Perez – Cadillac – Back-of-grid penalty
Longer shots after Saturday's rainy qualifying session will be more intriguing, given the potential for changing conditions.
Kimi Antonelli clinched the F1 title in Mexico City last week, but the Constructors’ battle is not quite over yet. Mercedes needs three more points than Ferrari this week to clinch the win.
2026 F1 Brazilian Grand Prix Favorites to Win & Payouts
McLaren’s Lando Norris took advantage of the chaotic weather to secure his third pole of the 2026 season, yet he isn't the favorite. George Russell probably had a faster car, but the rain affected the track and dramatically reduced visibility.
With only four races to go in the season and the driver’s championship sewn up, there is still much at stake. 16 points still separate Max Verstappen (2nd) from Charles Leclerc (5th) in the standings.
Below is a breakdown of the top Brazilian Grand Prix favorites and payouts on PrizePicks to win the race on Sunday, November 8, at Noon p.m. ET.
The numbers below represent payout multipliers if your F1 Brazilian GP pick is correct on PrizePicks Team Picks. “Yes” payouts apply if the driver wins; “No” payouts apply if they do not.
Team Picks data is live as of writing and is subject to change.
Make your F1 Predictions on the Brazilian GP Winner on PrizePicks
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2026 F1 Brazilian Grand Prix Predictions, Driver Picks for Sunday, November 8
Let's continue November's F1 Americas run with our top F1 Brazilian Grand Prix predictions, as drivers fear a wet track in São Paulo on Sunday.
Find all F1 picks below on PrizePicks — and choose More or Less on driver stats to win real money when you are correct.
George Russell
George Russell to finish Top 3 at the Brazilian GP: Yes 4.16x | No 1.2x
- George Russell was second fastest in qualifying a mere 0.204 seconds behind Lando Norris
- The Mercedes driver won his first Formula 1 race at Interlagos in 2022
- Russell enjoyed great speed in the turns during Saturday's wet conditions. .
- The driver finished fourth in back-to-back years only because of brake management.
- Russell is Yes 2.32x | No 1.51x to end up on the podium.
Add George Russell to your Brasilian GP Picks on PrizePicks
Fernando Alonso
Fernando Alonso to finish Top 5 at the Brazilian Grand Prix: Yes 8.33x | No 1.01x
- An Aston Martin seeing Q3 was truly a rare experience as Alonso will start 8th on the grid.
- The driver has nothing to lose in what has been a nightmare season for the former F1 World Champion (16 Q1 eliminations).
- Alonso's last podium was at Interlagos in 2023 (3rd).
- The Brazilian was P3 in Q1 in Mexico last week before having to stop due to yet another technical issue.
- Alonso's ability on technical courses is still among the better drivers in Formula 1.
Add Fernando Alonso to your Brasilian GP Picks on PrizePicks
Lando Norris
Lando Norris to win at Brazilian Grand Prix: Yes 2.7x | No 1.42x
- Lando Norris starts on pole after a rough first two qualifying sessions. He trimmed nearly two seconds off his Q2 time.
- Norris won the race at São Paulo in 2025.
- The McLaren driver led every lap of the 2025 race and won by more than 10 seconds.
- Norris trails Antonelli to win the race on Sunday (Yes 2.7x compared to Yes 2.32x).
- He also finished second in 2023 behind Verstappen.
Add Lando Norris to your Brasilian GP Picks on PrizePicks
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Make 2026 F1 Brazilian Grand Prix Predictions on PrizePicks
Expect the 2026 F1 Brazilian Grand Prix to run under humid and possibly wet conditions over 71 laps. With temperatures again around 60 degrees F (15 degrees C), tires and handling could become problematic. With a 40-60% chance of heavy rain, look out for an interesting race from São Paulo today.
It is clear that Ferrari, with Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton, continue to have their issues on and off the racetrack. Furthermore, George Russell is among that crazy battle for second in the driver standings.
One good piece of news is all those overtakes. Last year there were 96, for example. The fascinating final grid dynamics will make for a ton of potential overtakes on Sunday.
Will we see any surprises from longshots or possible rainy weather? Stay tuned. The Brazilian Grand Prix can dish out a little of everything, including entertainment.
Get those F1 Brazilian GP predictions on PrizePicks Team Picks before Sunday's 12 p.m. ET race start — and check out our F1 predictions hub for winner and podium picks, plus more across all races this season.
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