São Paulo Grand Prix: Reported F1 Upgrades for Every Team at Interlagos

Interestingly, only one team is bringing upgrades to the 2026 Formula 1 São Paulo Grand Prix. It's a stark contrast to the six teams that delivered upgrades during the Mexico Grand Prix, and the seven teams in the United States Grand Prix.

Mercedes, which needs to score at least three points to clinch the Constructors' Championship, is staying put with their car from Mexico. It's the same car that delivered Kimi Antonelli his title-clinching race, but of course, Mercedes will tinker with the setup to suit the unique, anti-clockwise track in Interlagos.

The midfield cars are also opting for the status quo, most notably Haas and Audi. These two teams are fighting fiercely for seventh place in the standings, with Haas leading by only four points. Rafael Camara will make his F1 debut for Haas in front of home fans in Brazil, which makes this midfield battle more interesting.

So, back to the main purpose of the article: which team will bring an upgrade package to Interlagos?

Note: Teams not listed in this article will not bring upgrades to the São Paulo Grand Prix.

After back-to-back wins in Hungary and Zandvoort, Lando Norris has been on the podium only once in the last seven races. Last weekend in Mexico, Oscar Piastri missed out on Q3, received a penalty for causing a collision in the race, and dropped to P13.

And then, Max Verstappen has forged another comeback in the second half of the season, single-handedly lifting Red Bull past McLaren for third place in the Teams' Standings. With Verstappen and Red Bull having the pace to battle for wins, McLaren might as well concede third place already.

That's why McLaren is already testing concepts that they can carry over to 2027. 

For instance, the FIA document on McLaren's front wing update in Interlagos says that it is a "completely new front wing design." That's not something you do if you're in the middle of a championship positioning battle. 

The updates seem to be working, though. Norris topped qualifying in wet conditions on Saturday, and with penalties to Verstappen, Lewis Hamilton, Charles Leclerc, and George Russell, the 2025 World Champion has a great opportunity to win in Interlagos for the second straight year.

Meanwhile, Piastri had to settle for 12th in qualifying. He was unable to attempt a second run in Q2 following Camara's crash, which triggered a red flag late in the session.