Lando Norris won a wet 2026 São Paulo Grand Prix, yet Max Verstappen’s drive from 21st to second stole the show. Isack Hadjar made it a Red Bull double podium, Mercedes clinched the 2026 Constructors’ Championship, and a late penalty for Charles Leclerc changed the final order. Here is what we covered in Episode 1016.
We also get into why two of the three penalties after the race changed nothing, and the five way fight for second in the championship with three races to go.
Listen to Episode 1016 now, and tell us whether Verstappen’s charge was the drive of 2026. Next stop: Las Vegas, November 20 to 22.
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Chapters:
00:00 A São Paulo race review with former driver Paul
02:00 Monza and the WEC season’s closing moments
03:00 Why the wet-dry-wet race tested tire decisions
05:37 Leclerc’s late contact with Lawson and the penalty
06:24 Mercedes secures its ninth constructors’ title
08:00 Ferrari’s strategy and the back-row recovery gamble
10:49 Remembering world champion Alan Jones
13:09 Norris’s slick-tire timing turns into a dominant win
17:27 Piastri’s fading challenge and Red Bull’s resurgence
19:16 Verstappen charges from P21 to second
23:01 Hadjar’s podium and Red Bull’s team dynamics
28:38 Mercedes’ handling troubles and cold-tire setup questions
34:21 Antonelli’s penalty and Lawson’s promotion
35:39 Lawson’s momentum and Racing Bulls’ fifth-place fight
39:16 Ferrari’s contrasting struggles for Leclerc and Hamilton
40:49 Hamilton’s opening charge, slick-tyre gamble and costly spin
44:34 Audi’s points and Hülkenberg’s penalty
47:11 Alonso delivers as Stroll retires
51:55 Colapinto’s defense and Alpine’s points drought
56:16 Williams fades as Haas endures pit-stop trouble
57:04 Câmara’s home debut and Cadillac’s quiet race
01:00:42 Race awards: Verstappen’s charge and Ferrari’s low point
01:05:00 Norris’s winning drive and the road to Las Vegas
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