Interlagos waited years for a full-time Brazilian driver, and Gabriel Bortoleto’s first Formula 1 home race in 2025 ended with zero laps completed. He comes back for his second home race, now in an Audi. The FIA’s final classification put him eighth in Mexico City on Nov. 1 after post-race penalties, and his team sits four points behind Haas in the fight for seventh in the constructors’ championship.
The 2026 São Paulo Grand Prix runs Nov. 6 to 8 at the Autódromo José Carlos Pace. It is round 20 of the season and the last stop of the Americas triple header. Audi has also given the R26 a São Paulo special livery for the race.
Bortoleto’s home race at Interlagos
Bortoleto was born in São Paulo, and Formula 1’s own driver profile calls him the first Brazilian to compete in the sport full time since Felipe Massa in 2017. He reached the grid on back-to-back titles, Formula 3 in 2023 and Formula 2 in 2024. Mexico City was his third eighth-place finish of 2026, by Audi’s count. Our recap of Bortoleto’s eighth in Mexico City has the full story.
“Last year was my first experience of driving in front of my home crowd, and the support I received was incredible,” Bortoleto said in Audi’s preview release. “I grew up dreaming of moments like this, so to now be living them, and having the Brazilian fans cheering for me, means a lot.”
Audi is dressing the weekend up to match. Bortoleto has a special helmet, and in a post on X on Nov. 4 the team said he “pays tribute to his idol Ayrton Senna,” 35 years after Senna’s 1991 win in Brazil. Audi has also shown São Paulo race suits for its drivers, an adidas Sampa Soul Collection and a limited-edition São Paulo design of the Revolut card, and its preview release promises other “surprises to be unveiled as the weekend progresses.”
The car got its own São Paulo look on Nov. 4. Audi unveiled a special livery for the R26, designed by title partner Revolut for the São Paulo Grand Prix, and on X the team called it “Revolut’s first Audi R26 Special Livery.” The design takes its cue from Piso Paulista, the pavement pattern that traces the outline of the state of São Paulo. Most people walk over it. Here it’s worked in dark green and gold. The same pattern runs through those race suits, the pit crew suits and the garage branding.
“São Paulo has an unmistakable identity, and we wanted that to run through everything we bring to this race,” said Stefano Battiston, Chief Brand and Commercial Officer at Audi Revolut F1 Team. “Revolut’s Audi R26 special livery takes the story onto the track, building on the Revolut card and the adidas Sampa Soul collection, with the race suits and garage branding completing that shared creative language.”
The fight for seventh with Haas
After Mexico City, Audi is eighth in the constructors’ standings on 27 points. Haas holds seventh on 31, and Williams is ninth on 12. Alpine sits a long way clear in sixth on 69, so Audi’s season now comes down to a four-point gap. In the drivers’ standings, Bortoleto is 14th on 14 points and Nico Hülkenberg is 15th on 13.
Four rounds remain, starting with this one. To pass Haas outright, Audi has to outscore Haas by at least five points between Interlagos and the season finale. Audi says the early forecast suggests rain and stormy conditions “could be a factor” this weekend.
Hülkenberg at Interlagos and Freddie Slater’s FP1
Hülkenberg has history here. Audi notes he took his first Formula 1 pole position at Interlagos in wet weather during his debut season in 2010, and that he led 30 laps of the 2012 race. Formula 1’s results archive shows eight top ten finishes for him here, including ninth for Kick Sauber last year. “Interlagos is a proper old-school circuit, with a great atmosphere and some very special memories for me,” he said in Audi’s preview.
Hülkenberg gives up Friday’s first hour. Audi development driver Freddie Slater takes Hülkenberg’s car for Practice 1, a second session in the Audi R26 after his Formula 1 weekend debut in Mexico City. Audi’s release says Slater drives “in lieu of Nico Hulkenberg.” Our Mexico City preview has more on Slater.
São Paulo GP 2026 schedule (ET and local time)
São Paulo runs on UTC minus 3, and Eastern Time is on standard time (EST, UTC minus 5) for this race, so ET is two hours behind local time all weekend. There is no Sprint. Audi notes this is the first traditional schedule at Interlagos since 2019, which means three practice sessions before qualifying on Saturday. The race is 71 laps of the 2.677-mile (4.309 km) circuit.
| Session | Day | Local (BRT) | ET (EST) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Practice 1 | Fri., Nov. 6 | 12:30 to 13:30 | 10:30 to 11:30 a.m. |
| Practice 2 | Fri., Nov. 6 | 16:00 to 17:00 | 2:00 to 3:00 p.m. |
| Practice 3 | Sat., Nov. 7 | 11:30 to 12:30 | 9:30 to 10:30 a.m. |
| Qualifying | Sat., Nov. 7 | 15:00 to 16:00 | 1:00 to 2:00 p.m. |
| Race | Sun., Nov. 8 | 14:00 | 12:00 p.m. (noon) |
What Audi needs from Interlagos
Racing Director Allan McNish said in Audi’s preview release: “It’s also a particularly special weekend for Gabi, racing in front of his home crowd, and we’ll be working hard to give both drivers the best possible opportunity to fight for points.”
A clean Friday comes first. With Slater in his car for FP1, Hülkenberg starts his weekend in FP2 and gets two practice sessions to find his feet, and Bortoleto has every lap of a home weekend to get right. After that, Audi needs a car in the top ten on Sunday, ideally with both Haas cars behind it. Bortoleto said he hopes to give the home fans “something to celebrate,” and Hülkenberg is looking for “a stronger weekend” after Mexico City.
São Paulo GP 2026 FAQ
What time is the 2026 São Paulo Grand Prix?
The race starts Sunday, Nov. 8, at 14:00 local time, which is 12:00 p.m. ET, over 71 laps at Interlagos.
Is there a Sprint in Brazil in 2026?
No. It is a standard weekend with three practice sessions and qualifying on Saturday.
Where does Audi stand in the 2026 constructors’ championship?
Eighth on 27 points after Mexico City, four behind Haas on 31 and 15 ahead of Williams on 12.
Want Gabi’s home weekend in your feed? Follow Audi Obsession on Instagram at @audi_obsession for the São Paulo race.
Sources
- Audi Revolut F1 Team: 2026 Brazilian Grand Prix preview
- Audi Revolut F1 Team: All eyes on Interlagos
- Audi Revolut F1 Team Content Hub: 2026 Brazilian Grand Prix image albums
- Audi Revolut F1 Team on X: Bortoleto’s São Paulo helmet
- Audi Revolut F1 Team: Special Revolut-designed livery for São Paulo
- Audi Revolut F1 Team: Revolut’s Audi R26 Special Livery
- Audi Revolut F1 Team on X: São Paulo special livery reveal
- Formula 1: 2026 São Paulo Grand Prix schedule
- Formula 1: 2026 calendar
- Formula 1: 2026 constructors’ standings
- Formula 1: 2026 drivers’ standings
- Formula 1: Gabriel Bortoleto driver profile
- Formula 1: 2025 São Paulo Grand Prix race result
- Formula 1: 2010 Brazilian Grand Prix race result
- FIA: 2026 Mexico City Grand Prix final race classification
- FIA: 2026 Mexico City Grand Prix provisional race classification
- FIA: 2026 Mexico City Grand Prix championship points