F1 2026 Brazilian Grand Prix starting grid with seven penalties
The Brazilian Grand Prix starting grid has an unusual look with multiple penalties for seven drivers including George Russell, Max Verstappen and both Ferrari drivers applied at Interlagos.
Russell and Leclerc drop down from their second and fourth positions in qualifying respectively, to seventh and 14th, while Lewis Hamilton and Verstappen were not full session participants as they knew they had back-of-the-grid penalties to come.
Sergio Perez also has a penalty but Cadillac being a backmarker, it makes little difference for the driver due to start 22nd.
Though he and Verstappen 'only' had 30-place grid penalties for engine component changes compared to Hamilton having 75, Hamilton starts ahead because he set the fastest time of all those who must automatically start at the back of the grid.
What the absence of typical leading cars has done, coupled with a wet session, is allowed for some unfamiliar faces in the top 10 and very close to the front.
Liam Lawson and Nico Hulkenberg will share the second row of the grid, Ollie Bearman starts sixth for Haas, while Fernando Alonso and Alex Albon are eighth and ninth for 2026 strugglers Aston Martin and Williams respectively.
On the day of the race, further penalties were confirmed for Audi's Gabriel Bortoleto and Racing Bulls' Arvid Lindblad.
Bortoleto crashed out of qualifying in Q1 and has taken a new energy store and control electronics for the race, but the 10-place penalty that incurs is in reality no penalty at all owing to the greater drops being taken by Hamilton, Verstappen and Perez - so Bortoleto remains 19th on the grid.
Lindblad's car broke down on track in Q2 and Racing Bulls has fitted a new internal combustion engine and turbo to his car, incurring a 10-place penalty that drops him from 12th to 18th on the grid - ahead of only Bortoleto, Hamilton, Verstappen and Perez.
Final starting grid
1 Lando Norris (McLaren)
2 Kimi Antonelli (Mercedes)
3 Liam Lawson (Racing Bulls)
4 Nico Hulkenberg (Audi)
5 Isack Hadjar (Red Bull)
6 Ollie Bearman (Haas)
7 George Russell (Mercedes)*
8 Fernando Alonso (Aston Martin)
9 Alex Albon (Williams)
10 Oscar Piastri (McLaren)
11 Rafael Camara (Haas)
12 Carlos Sainz (Williams)
13 Franco Colapinto (Alpine)
14 Charles Leclerc (Ferrari)**
15 Pierre Gasly (Alpine)
16 Lance Stroll (Aston Martin)
17 Valtteri Bottas (Cadillac)
18 Arvid Lindblad (Racing Bulls)**
19 Gabriel Bortoleto (Audi)**
20 Lewis Hamilton (Ferrari)***
21 Max Verstappen (Red Bull)****
22 Sergio Perez (Cadillac)****
* Five-place grid penalty for engine change
** 10-place grid penalty for engine change
*** 75-place grid penalty for component changes
**** 30-place grid penalty for component changes
