Starting 21st and finishing on the podium is about as hard as it gets in F1, and Verstappen did it in a wet race. These figures compare the official starting position (the FIA's final grid, penalties applied) with the finishing one, which is why the biggest climbers are the most penalised drivers.
Places gained at the 2026 Sao Paulo GP (official grid → finish)
Those who lost the most places
| Driver | Grid | Finish | Places |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oliver Bearman | 6 | 17 | −11 |
| Rafael Camara | 11 | 20 | −9 |
| Carlos Sainz | 12 | 19 | −7 |
| Nico Hülkenberg | 4 | 10 | −6 |
| Alexander Albon | 9 | 15 | −6 |
| Liam Lawson | 3 | 8 | −5 |
Source: the FIA's official final grid (document 59) and results from Formuradar's database. Lance Stroll (started 16th) and Valtteri Bottas (17th) did not finish the race and are not included.
How Verstappen recovered
According to the reports, he gained around ten places on the first lap and passed Hamilton, Piastri and Albon in the early laps. Around lap 20 he got past Antonelli, who had spun at Turn 1, and moved up to third. Around lap 39 Red Bull asked Hadjar to let him through to chase Norris. He finished 14.602 s behind the winner.
The details of the opening laps vary between reports (in one, Verstappen was 7th after lap one; in another, 11th), so here we only use the official starting and finishing positions.
Engine penalties
The stewards imposed grid penalties for extra power-unit elements: 30 places to Verstappen and Pérez (documents 33 and 39), 75 to Hamilton (37 and 43), 10 to Leclerc (35), 10 to Lindblad and Bortoleto (56 and 57) and 5 to Russell (15). That explains why Hamilton's real start was 20th from an 11th-place qualifying.
Frequently asked questions
Where did Verstappen start in Brazil?
21st, because of a 30-place penalty for extra power-unit elements.
How many places did Verstappen gain?
19: he started 21st and finished 2nd, 14.602 s behind Norris, the biggest climb of the race.
Sources
- FIA · Final Starting Grid, São Paulo Grand Prix 2026 (documento 59)
- Formuradar · Resultados 2026 (datos de Jolpica/Ergast)
- Pit Debrief · F1 2026 Sao Paulo GP race report
- Motorsport Week · F1 2026 Sao Paulo Grand Prix race results
Figures and quotes come from the linked sources and may have changed since.
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