F1 2026's best race? Our verdict on Brazil chaos

Formula 1 2026's best race? A preview for F1 2027? A template for reverse grid races or a cautionary warning against them? A chaotic Brazilian Grand Prix gave us plenty to think about.

Here's what our team thought about the race...

F1 really needed a race like this

Scott Mitchell-Malm

There's always a terrible risk that the run-in ends up being really flat and low energy, with a collection of dead-rubber races, once the main championship is decided early.

That's especially the case when the runaway champion is still a decent contender to win the remaining races. Fortunately, we have a good stab at seeing strong race-by-race narratives even without a (drivers') title on the line. And you can always count on Interlagos to throw up something special in a season!

What was there not to enjoy about today? I can't remember a race that had so much packed into it.

A change of lead at the start, Liam Lawson briefly running second, Lewis Hamilton's absurd opening lap, Max Verstappen's much more sustained and spectacular charge to second, George Russell spinning in the pitlane (that's rare!), Kimi Antonelli chucking it off while leading (then again to lose out on a podium, almost as rare!)...

The only thing it was missing was a close fight for victory. But even that disappointment is tempered by the knowledge that Norris produced a really classy drive that I hope a lot of people can appreciate the quality of.

I'll be counting down the laps if/when F1 races in Abu Dhabi, for I have immensely low hopes for that race, and even Qatar, regardless of any wider debate over those races.

So if the season nosedives into an anti-climax, we'll always have Brazil...

End-of-term fun that could've been even better

Matt Beer

There was a lot to enjoy about that race and its twists and turns, all helped by the Interlagos layout, the venue's typical weather pattern and atmosphere. Some amazing overtaking moves, some very weird incidents and quite a few surprises.

But the not-an-underdog polesitter still won it. And I wish a race that started with a Racing Bulls and an Audi in the top four on the grid, a Haas sixth and two of the worst cars on the grid (an Aston Martin and a Williams) in the top 10 hadn't reverted to quite such a 'usual suspects' sweep of the major positions - while also really enjoying Verstappen's epic progress in particular.

Wish that progress had counted for something a bit more significant, though. Imagine that scenario unfolding with him still in a title fight with, say, his spiritual successor Antonelli. Even Ferrari's chaotic mess of a race still earned it a few points.

Overall verdict: very entertaining, sadly inconsequential.

The perfect argument against reverse grids

Josh Suttill

Matt has hit upon why, for me, the 2026 Brazilian Grand Prix is great evidence of why adding a reverse grid format would be terrible for F1.

I saw plenty of references to this race essentially being a reverse grid experiment with Verstappen, Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc all at the wrong end of the grid.

While it was entertaining to watch them recover, it highlighted why reverse grids would fail for two reasons.

Number one is that you actually end up with a similar result anyway to a standard grid, especially at somewhere like Brazil, where you can overtake. The faster cars are inevitably going to come through. And if anything you can end up diluting the lead battle, because one car that gets through the traffic earlier, can simply pull away while their closest rival performance is marred behind slower cars.

And the second problem is the novelty factor. I loved this race. Watching the likes of the Ferraris and Verstappen battle back through, while the likes of Lawson and Nico Hulkenberg got starring roles at the front, was brilliant.

But can you imagine that every race? How quickly that novelty factor would wear off and you lose the very reason it's so special to see it in the first place, be completely dismantled?

So please F1. Keep this kind of race the rare treat that it is, not the template for the future.

Hope for 2027!

Gary Anderson

Best race of the year? No. Most exciting race of the year? Yes.

Changeable weather always adds to the excitement; perhaps we should remember Bernie Ecclestone’s suggestion of a random sprinkler system……

I have been there on the pitwall in these changeable conditions, so I can assure you reading the weather changes correctly is not easy.

You need first-rate information from your driver and to be ready for anything. You need to be ready to pit as you finish sector two really. Any later, and as it’s so fast, a late call into the pits can very easily end up with your car in the barrier.

Norris is proving that he is brilliant in these conditions, as is Verstappen, plus a few others, but keeping cool when going from inters to slicks and then back to inters without making any mistakes whilst leading is no easy task.

Being the lead car means you are setting the example for the others, so driving within the grip level is critical.

To add to that, having a few of the usual frontrunners starting at the back just gave it another twist; again, perhaps a few reverse grid races shouldn’t be dismissed out of hand...

Anyway, the best part of it is seeing that McLaren, Red Bull and Ferrari have definitely closed the gap to Mercedes. After such a dominant start to the season, which without doubt helped Antonelli win the drivers' championship and Mercedes win the constructors' championship, it’s great to see much closer competition at the front.

I'm not sure what happened to Ferrari this weekend, but as we see with all the teams from weekend to weekend, they have their ups and downs - consistently getting the best from the car doesn’t seem to be easy!

As we head into the twilight races of 2026, it all bodes well for next season. Hopefully, we will see much closer competition from the first race and close battling right through the season; I can’t wait.