Nico Hülkenberg passed Arvid Lindblad in the closing laps of the São Paulo Grand Prix to finish tenth, recovering from a 10-second penalty to score a point for Audi Revolut F1 Team. Gabriel Bortoleto finished 16th in his home race after starting 19th, and his Audi crew recorded the fastest pit stop of the afternoon. The result takes Audi to 28 points, three behind seventh-placed Haas in the Constructors’ Championship.
LATE RAIN GIVES HÜLKENBERG ANOTHER SHOT AT POINTS
Starting fourth after qualifying sixth and moving up through grid penalties, Hülkenberg kept clear of trouble through the wet opening laps at Interlagos. The entire field started on intermediates, with Pirelli recording a track temperature of just 16°C at the start. Both Audis switched to softs on lap 16. As quicker cars worked their way forward on the drying track, Hülkenberg settled into tenth, with Audi lacking some of the pace it had shown in the wet.
A 10-second penalty for passing Franco Colapinto off track put that final point in doubt. When rain returned, Hülkenberg came in on lap 61 to serve the penalty and switch back to intermediates. A quick tire change helped him rejoin within reach of Lindblad. Hülkenberg set up the Racing Bulls driver on corner entry, got the better exit and made the pass for tenth. He reckoned that was about as much as Audi’s race pace would allow.
BORTOLETO GAINS THREE PLACES AS AUDI TAKES FASTEST PIT STOP
From 19th on the grid, Bortoleto survived early contact with Sergio Pérez while attempting to pass the Cadillac. He spent much of the race in traffic and said the power limitations in wet conditions made it difficult to overtake. His pace was stronger in clear air, and he was among the quickest drivers on track in the closing stages after returning to intermediates on lap 60. He finished 16th.
Bortoleto’s crew gave the home crowd something to cheer in the pit lane. Audi turned him around in 2.13 seconds, beating the 2.18-second stop for Racing Bulls’ Liam Lawson to win the DHL Fastest Pit Stop Award. DHL Motorsports
NORRIS WINS AS MERCEDES CLINCHES THE TITLE
Lando Norris converted pole into victory, with Max Verstappen second and Isack Hadjar third. All three used the same tire sequence as the Audis, starting on intermediates, running two stints on softs and switching back to intermediates when the rain returned. George Russell and Kimi Antonelli finished fourth and fifth, securing the points Mercedes-Benz needed to clinch the 2026 Constructors’ Championship. Congratulations to Mercedes on the title.
BEST DRESSED AT INTERLAGOS
Isabella Bernardini, Bortoleto’s partner, gets our best-dressed nod. German designer Fiona Rörig took apart pieces from Audi’s São Paulo adidas collection and reworked them into a floor-length gown. Bernardini contributed ideas as the two developed the design remotely. The finished dress incorporated lace at the back and a subtle nod to Bortoleto’s race number, 5, while keeping every logo from the original kit. Fiona Rörig
GRAND PRIX RESULTS
FULL RESULTS | WATCH BROADCAST
| POS. | NO. | DRIVER | TEAM | TIME/GAP | LAPS | POINTS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | Lando Norris | McLaren | 1:35:23.504 | 71 | 25 |
| 2 | 3 | Max Verstappen | Red Bull | +14.602 | 71 | 18 |
| 3 | 6 | Isack Hadjar | Red Bull | +24.485 | 71 | 15 |
| 4 | 63 | George Russell | Mercedes | +33.991 | 71 | 12 |
| 5 | 12 | Kimi Antonelli | Mercedes | +41.017 | 71 | 10 |
| 6 | 81 | Oscar Piastri | McLaren | +56.475 | 71 | 8 |
| 7 | 30 | Liam Lawson | Racing Bulls | +75.402 | 71 | 6 |
| 8 | 16 | Charles Leclerc | Ferrari | +78.586 | 71 | 4 |
| 9 | 44 | Lewis Hamilton | Ferrari | +1 Lap | 71 | 2 |
| 10 | 27 | Nico Hulkenberg | Audi | +1 Lap | 70 | 1 |
| – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| 16 | 5 | Gabriel Bortoleto | Audi | +1 Lap | 70 | 0 |
DRIVER STANDINGS (TOP 10)
| POS. | DRIVER | NATIONALITY | TEAM | PTS. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kimi Anotonelli 🏆 | 🇮🇹 ITA | Mercedes | 390 |
| 2 | Max Verstappen | 🇳🇱 NED | Red Bull | 279 |
| 3 | Lewis Hamilton | 🇬🇧 GBR | Ferrari | 261 |
| 5 | Charles Leclerc | 🇲🇨 MON | Ferrari | 249 |
| 6 | Lando Norris | 🇬🇧 GBR | McLaren | 246 |
| 7 | Oscar Piastri | 🇦🇺 AUS | McLaren | 152 |
| 8 | Isack Hadjar | 🇫🇷 FR | Red Bull | 122 |
| 9 | Liam Lawson | 🇳🇿 NZL | Racing Bulls | 89 |
| 10 | Pierre Gasly | 🇫🇷 FR | Alpine | 42 |
| – | – | – | – | – |
| 14 | Gabriel Bortoleto | 🇧🇷 BRA | Audi | 14 |
| 15 | Nico Hulkenberg | 🇩🇪 GER | Audi | 14 |
TEAM STANDINGS
| POS. | TEAM | PTS. |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mercedes 🏆 | 652 |
| 2 | Ferrari | 510 |
| 3 | Red Bull | 415 |
| 4 | McLaren | 398 |
| 5 | Racing Bulls | 114 |
| 6 | Alpine | 69 |
| 7 | Haas | 31 |
| 8 | Audi | 28 |
| 9 | Williams | 12 |
| 10 | Aston Martin | 7 |
| 11 | Cadillac | 0 |
PIRELLI TIRE REPORT
With a wet track and a surface temperature of just 16°C at the start, the entire field opened the São Paulo Grand Prix on intermediates. Both Audis switched to softs on lap 16, then split the dry portion of the race into two stints. Gabriel Bortoleto took his second set of softs on lap 32, while Nico Hülkenberg stretched his first set to lap 44.
When the rain returned, Bortoleto switched back to intermediates on lap 60 and Hülkenberg followed a lap later. Both Audis used the same tire sequence as the three podium finishers. For Hülkenberg, the final stop was decisive. He served his 10-second penalty, rejoined within reach of Arvid Lindblad and passed him for the final point.
TEAM SUMMARY
Audi Revolut F1 Team claimed a point in a Brazilian Grand Prix which featured mixed weather conditions and plenty of on-track battles, as Nico Hulkenberg finished tenth following a decisive late-race overtake. Team-mate, Gabriel Bortoleto, had a challenge on his hands to recover from P19 on the grid, and crossed the line in 16th place in his home Grand Prix.
The race started in wet conditions and Nico, fourth on the grid, kept his nose clean in the opening stages. As the track dried and all drivers switched to slick tyres, his position stabilised in P10, as some front-runners starting at the back recovered their positions. A late penalty, 10 seconds for overtaking Franco Colapinto off-track, seemed to have removed all chances of points but, as the rain returned, a strong pit-stop by the crew allowed Nico to close in on Arvid Lindblad and overtake him for the final point-paying position.
Gabriel’s race was always going to be complicated, starting from the back. Having survived an early scare – a contact with Sergio Perez while overtaking the Cadillac – the local hero battled his way in the difficult conditions, eventually finishing three places higher than he started and lapping as one of the quickest cars on track in the final stages.
The result brings the team’s points total to 28, three short of Haas in seventh place in the Constructors’ Championship.
TEAM QUOTES
Allan McNish, Racing Director
“It was a tough race for everybody, with conditions clearly not easy, particularly at the start on the intermediate tyres. Then came the question of when to switch to slicks, before another rain shower towards the end brought the track back towards intermediate conditions.
“From our perspective, Nico fought very well in the wet. We lacked a little bit of pace in the dry, but when the rain returned towards the end, he was able to fight back and reclaim P10, despite having to serve a ten-second penalty for overtaking Colapinto off the track after being pushed wide. The decision is the decision, and ultimately we came away with another point on the board.
“I have to say Nico drove a very strong race, and it was a real demonstration of the fighting spirit across the whole team. We also had a fantastic pit stop, which got him back out close enough to Lindblad to fight for that final points position. That work behind the scenes can sometimes go unnoticed, but it was crucial in giving Nico the opportunity to fight, and he made the most of it.
“For Gabi, starting from the back was always going to be extremely difficult, but he fought his way through to P16. We now reset, regroup and look ahead to Las Vegas in two weeks’ time.”
Nico Hulkenberg, Car #27
Race result: 10th
Fastest lap: 1:14.000 (Lap 40)
Strategy & Pit Stops: Start (New Intermediate) – Lap 16 (New Soft) – Lap 44 (New Soft) – Lap 61 (New Intermediate)
“It’s good to come away from such a tricky race with a point. It was an eventful one, as it always is here in São Paulo. There were plenty of curveballs and opportunities for mistakes, but we managed to navigate them well and it was ultimately a fun race. I made a nice move on Lindblad right at the end, managed to set him up on the entry to get a better exit, and used the undercut to gain the position, which felt great, especially after the penalty had put us behind him. To fight back and recover that position, is a satisfying result. Looking at our pace, that’s probably the maximum we could achieve today.”
Gabriel Bortoleto, Car #5
Race result: 16th
Fastest lap: 1:14.940 (Lap 45)
Strategy & Pit Stops: Start (New Intermediate) – Lap 16 (New Soft) – Lap 32 (New Soft) – Lap 60 (New Intermediate)
“Obviously, starting from the back didn’t make things easy for me, especially in the wet, where overtaking was challenging with the power limitations. I spent quite a bit of time stuck behind other cars, but whenever I had some free air, our pace was quite positive, as it had been all weekend long – it is a shame we could not get more out of it. While my home race was not quite what I had hoped for, the support from the fans was incredible throughout the weekend, and I really appreciate it. Now, a week to recharge and we move on to the next one, still in the fight.”
PHOTO GALLERY
