São Paulo Grand Prix · News
How Mercedes can clinch 2026 F1 constructors’ title in São Paulo
Mercedes needs to outscore Ferrari by three points at Interlagos to secure the 2026 constructors’ championship, with a countback also in its favour.
Mercedes arrives at the São Paulo Grand Prix with a chance to seal the 2026 constructors’ championship. Kimi Antonelli has already secured the drivers’ title, and his team leads Ferrari by 126 points with four rounds still planned after Brazil.
Mercedes has 630 points to Ferrari’s 504. A total of 172 points remains available across those four rounds, leaving 129 after the Interlagos weekend. The title is therefore within reach, but the margin means the outcome depends on how the two teams score in Brazil.
Mercedes needs a three-point swing to clinch
Mercedes will be champions in São Paulo if it outscores Ferrari by at least three points. That is the straightforward route to securing the title before the final three rounds.
If Ferrari leave the weekend without scoring, Mercedes would still need one of its drivers to contribute. Antonelli or George Russell must finish at least eighth, earning four points, for the team to clinch under that scenario.
Ferrari, meanwhile, must outscore Mercedes by four points or more to keep the championship fight alive until Las Vegas. If Mercedes score nothing, eighth place is the minimum Ferrari need to achieve that four-point return.
For viewers planning around the weekend, the São Paulo Grand Prix schedule in Brazil time lays out the event timetable. US audiences can also check the available ways to watch the 2026 São Paulo Grand Prix.
A level points total would still favour Mercedes
Even if Ferrari cut the deficit to exactly 126 points, Mercedes would take the championship on countback. The first tie-breaker is race wins, and Mercedes currently has 12 compared with Ferrari’s two.
A triumph in Brazil would give Mercedes its ninth constructors’ title overall. That would draw the team level with Williams and place them joint third on the all-time list, behind Ferrari on 16 and McLaren on 10. The title is not yet decided, but Mercedes has a clear calculation: outscore its closest rival by three points and the championship is secured in São Paulo.