There's still a lot of talk about one Mexican Grand Prix incident in particular in the Formula 1 paddock at Interlagos, as well as one - possibly two - revelations with consequences for 2026.
Here are the key things we learned from speaking to the drivers and teams before the track action kicks off at the Brazilian GP.
Lawson's surprise at Mexico response
"Yes. I was very surprised."
That was Liam Lawson's succinct initial response when asked by The Race if he had been surprised by Mexican motorsport federation OMDAI's statement that appeared to at least partly criticise him for his part in his near-miss with marshals in the Mexican GP.
That statement, which went largely unnoticed to begin with and was not ratified by the FIA, prompted the governing body to release one of its own that underlined unequivocally that Lawson was "not at fault in this incident".
And the Racing Bulls driver, who confirmed he had received an apology for the incident, after the race - held no ill-feeling towards the FIA.
"I had a talk with them and I appreciated that a lot," Lawson added, when asked by The Race if he had been spoken to by the FIA.
"I do understand; we're in a sport with a huge amount of variables and these things, as much as they can't happen again, they shouldn't happen, there's always a possibility of something like this. And obviously, what's most important is that the actions taken now are to prevent it."
So there was no issue there? "I didn't have a problem with any of that. It was just the statement that came out, trying to accuse me of doing something." - Jack Cozens
Verstappen's unmistakeable swagger
This isn't the first weekend where Max Verstappen's acknowledged he's in this year's F1 title race, or that he and Red Bull need to be perfect in order to win it.
But there was something a bit more free-flowing, and punchy, about his character in his Thursday media session at Interlagos. This was no run-of-the-mill 'one race at a time' reeling off of questions and answers; there's was a swagger behind each response.
Take this one, when pondering the still (fairly sizeable) deficit he has to chip away at and what it take to do it. "If you would give me the 2023 season, with how everything was, and you tell me I'm 36 points behind with four races to go, I'm like, 'Yeah, no problem, easy' [to win the title]. But this season has been a little bit different, so it comes down to us optimising everything and nailing the weekend."
Verstappen rightly would've been more confident of that chase with the RB19 at his disposal in 2023. But it's not that claim itself that shows the headspace he's in, but the bullishness with which he said such a chase would be a breeze.
Or this, when asked whether there's pressure on Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri to get the title over the line - in what's been on balance the fastest car in 2025 - and none on him as a result.
"There's no pressure. Even if I don't win it, I still know that I drove a really good season. And I can happily say that to try and replicate the season that I've done, with [other] people on the grid, I think it will be very tough."
There's little in the way of modesty, but not much brash about it either. It's just evidence that Verstappen's heading into this finishing stretch - that begins at a track where he produced one of his finest wins last year - at his ruthless, self-assured best.
And that's quite a contrast to a McLaren team insisting it would rather lose than favour one of its drivers, and where its erstwhile championship leader is untangling the troubles of the US-Mexico double-header. - JC
Antonelli's Senna homage (and Vettel-like qualities)
Kimi Antonelli wanted to make sure that he paid a visit to his hero Ayrton Senna's grave ahead of his first Brazilian Grand Prix.
But as photos of his trip - especially of him sitting peacefully in the Morumbi Cemetery reading a book - emerged on social media, he revealed he actually made not one but two visits there.
Having had a free morning in Sao Paulo on Wednesday, he made the journey up to Senna's grave from his nearby hotel. And having enjoyed its tranquility amid the surrounding urban metropolis, he returned later in the day too.
"I found it a really quiet place, very peaceful," Antonelli said. "So I went back there with my coach and read a book to spend some time in peace."
That book was an Italian Senna biography - translated as Driven to Perfection - and offered a clue about how much Antonelli cares about F1's history.
That much became clear during his media session at Interlagos on Thursday, when the 18-year-old had a super impressive recall of the history of the Brazilian GP.
Without hesitation he recounted Senna's win in 1991, Fernando Alonso's title triumphs in 2005 and 2006, and Michael Schumacher's recovery from a puncture that second year.
Plus, he remembered Sebastian Vettel's title success despite a Turn 4 spin in 2012, then the season-ending dramas of 2007 and 2008.
Rolling off such moments in quick succession would be expected of a hardcore fan who has followed F1 for years, but we have to remember that most of those events took place before Antonelli was even born.
It speaks to a driver who shows a Vettel-esque appreciation of the past, and understands where F1 has come from to better make the most of present opportunities.
As Antonelli said about his love of F1 history: "You can always learn little things that can eventually help you nowadays." - Jon Noble
Aston Martin's reshuffle
Significant changes are coming at Aston Martin - with several members of its technical staff, including aerodynamics director Eric Blandin, set to exit as part of an overhaul led by Adrian Newey.
This restructure - revealed by The Race earlier on Thursday - is Aston Martin's second in the last 12 months.
So where's this come from? Well, it's all to do with Aston Martin's priorities and resources being refocused as it takes onboard feedback from Newey and Enrico Cardile - its newly appointed chief technical officer.
Blandin and chief designer Akio Haga are among around seven senior figures in aero and car design to be leaving their roles with the F1 team, though there is a possibility they could be repositioned in the wider Aston Martin group.
But this isn't necessarily about the people involved: 'refocused' is the key word.
Newey's feedback has been a key part of this, and he's offered his opinion on where Aston Martin can make improvements - but all of these come at a price: under the cost cap, any expansion of, for example, simulation capabilities means that savings have to be made elsewhere.
And it's no coincidence this all comes before F1's big 2026 rules reset, as that's when Aston Martin - which is currently buried in a battle for sixth in the constructors' championship - hopes to vault up the order to the sharp end. - Jack Cozens
Tsunoda 'better than ever' - but there's a 2026 admission
Red Bull delaying its decision on its 2026 F1 line-ups means there's still a chance - however slim - for Yuki Tsunoda to make a case for being kept on next year.
And while he said he's "not even close to 100%" comfortable in the car as a legacy of jumping into the RB21 without pre-season testing - he put his figure at "maybe 90%, something like 85%" - he did say his feeling in the car "is better than ever" following a more convincing performance relative to Verstappen in Mexico.
But all the while he's still building his confidence "race by race, step by step", that means the focus is purely on this year.
Asked if he was "fully involved in the 2026 Red Bull development project" like Verstappen, Tsunoda replied: "I would say probably not as much as Max at all, no. I'm just fully focused now for the current year, and that's it.
"I have to maximise every race. He gave me more feedback for next year's car and everything, but what I'm doing now is a completely different situation with him and I have to keep form in these coming races. So no, I'll stay focusing on these races."
Tsunoda seemed convinced in that answer. But is that state of play and the lack of involvement in the 2026 project (at least relative to Verstappen) so he's not distracted by it and because he needs to concentrate only on maintaining his progress, or because he's not going to be there much longer? - JC
High praise for a home debutant
As Gabriel Bortoleto prepares for his first home grand prix - when he'll become the first Brazilian to race in F1 at Interlagos since Felipe Massa finished seventh in 2017 - there was no shortage of praise for what he's accomplished in his rookie season.
And chief among those offering adoration was his Sauber team-mate, Nico Hulkenberg.
"Gabi's one of the most promising rookies I've seen in a long, long time," said Hulkenberg. "He's very high quality, [an] extremely fast learner, extremely quick, and I think if he continues like this, he will have a very positive and successful career."
That doesn't count for nothing. This might be only the second time Hulkenberg's been paired with a rookie (Esteban Gutierrez was the first) but, with the third-most starts of any driver in the current grid, he's seen his fair share of rookies come and go during his 15-year spell in F1.
Hulkenberg went on to draw parallels with his own rookie season and recalled his relationship with his team-mate, Rubens Barrichello - "the very experienced guy", who also just so happens to be Brazilian.
There'll be no shortage of home fans rooting for Bortoleto this weekend as he ends Brazil's long wait for a home driver - though Hulkenberg, in his usual tongue-in-cheek manner, was still hoping "there's going to be a little bit of fan love also for me. A little percentage". - Hamish Shackleton Bailey
