When the Formula 1 season makes it to Brazil with the title battle still alive, the Sao Paulo Grand Prix can always be relied upon to deliver an entertaining show.

That's exactly the case this weekend, with Lando Norris narrowly leading his McLaren team-mate Oscar Piastri at the top of the standings, and Red Bull's Max Verstappen still in striking distance from third.

Norris has outscored Piastri in five successive races to turn what was a 34-point deficit into a one-point advantage, while reigning champion Verstappen trails the Brit by 36 points having surged back into contention since the summer break.

The Interlagos event is one of two remaining Sprint weekends across the final four rounds of the season, significantly increasing the potential for drama.

Norris will be focused on maintaining his momentum, Piastri will be desperate to arrest his hugely surprising slump in form, and Verstappen will be waiting to pounce on any opportunity served up him to by the McLarens.

With the contest so delicately poised, F1 fans can look forward to a thrilling weekend of action live on Sky Sports. The first competitive session begins on Friday evening, with Sprint Qualifying at 6.30pm.

What makes Interlagos so special?

Set in the suburbs of Sao Paulo, Interlagos is far from the most glamorous or modern of the 24 circuits on the 2025 F1 calendar, but there are very few fans of the sport who wouldn't name it as one of their favourite tracks.

While there are many things to love about Interlagos, perhaps the most crucial element is a track that reliably delivers great racing.

The long climb up the hill from Juncao, through a left kink and over the start-finish line leads into a good - if slightly risky - overtaking spot at turn one.

But the battle doesn't necessarily end there, because if a driver is brave enough to stay on the outside, they can try to fight back immediately as the cars twist through the Senna-S, so named after Brazilian's legendary three-time champion Ayrton, a winner at Interlagos in 1991 and 1993.

Further overtaking opportunities follow at turn four and turn eight, meaning that the sort of pace advantage required to make a pass is far more attainable than at many other circuits.

While the circuit has produced great racing in the dry, an Interlagos race weekend rarely passes without some rain, often the extreme sort that can cause all kinds of chaos.

The sights and sounds off the track are just as stunning as those on it, with the F1-mad Brazilian fans creating an electric atmosphere that contributes to the event's popularity with the drivers.

While the fans will enjoy the spectacle of the title race, the vibes will be further energised by the fact a Brazilian F1 driver is racing at Interlagos for the first time since 2017, with Sauber rookie Gabriel Bortoleto making his home debut.

How Brazil proved pivotal in 2024 title battle

You only need to go back 12 months to find a prime example of the drama Interlagos can produce.

With Norris attempting to chase down Verstappen, the Brit's hopes were boosted as he won the Sprint - with a little bit of help from Piastri, who let his team-mate through for victory on the final lap.

Then came the rain, forcing qualifying to be delayed until Sunday morning, when a chaotic session would see Norris take pole and Verstappen knocked out in Q2 to leave the Dutchman's 44-point championship lead at risk of taking a massive dent.

Verstappen dropped to 17th on the grid after opting to install a new engine but would make a complete mockery of anyone doubting him by producing one of the finest drives of his career to end a 10-race winless streak and effectively end the title battle.

He had to wait three weeks to finish the job at the Las Vegas Grand Prix, but it was Interlagos where the Dutchman produced the season's defining moment.

It's fair to question whether without the rain Norris could have taken victory and kept the contest alive, but the way the weekend and season completely swung over the course of a few hours perfectly exhibits the unpredictability of Interlagos.

Hamilton's memorable 2021 fightback

The other occasion in relatively recent F1 history when Sao Paulo had a say in the title race was during the epic 2021 battle between Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton, who was still at Mercedes.

Sprint weekends, having been introduced to F1 for the first time that year, were running in a different format, with one qualifying session setting a Sprint grid, and then the result of the Sprint setting the Grand Prix grid.

Hamilton, who was chasing down Verstappen in their thrilling battle, took pole but was then disqualified from qualifying for a rear wing infringement, leaving him to start the Sprint from the back of the grid.

The seven-time world champion drove superbly to take fifth in the Sprint but would have to start the main race in 10th after installing a new engine.

Hamilton surged through the field in the early stages to set up a race to the finish with Verstappen, which would produce some of the most memorable moments of the season.

Hamilton was controversially thwarted in his first attempt to pass Verstappen but would succeed when trying again 11 laps later to seal victory and ensure the title race remained in his hands across the final three rounds.

While he was ultimately famously denied an eighth title in the Abu Dhabi finale, had Hamilton triumphed, his performance in Brazil would have gone down as the defining drive.

Time for Norris or Piastri to star in Sao Paulo?

Looking a little further back, the stakes were even higher at Interlagos during its spell as the final round of the season, during which Hamilton was on both sides of championship glory and despair.

He painfully missed out on winning the title in his rookie campaign by just one point after finishing seventh in the 2007 season finale, but would dramatically claim his maiden championship a year later after overtaking Timo Glock in the final corners of a wild finish in the rain.

Having played a part in the drama when Hamilton won in 2008, Sebastian Vettel would have his own memorable Interlagos moment in 2012.

The German dropped to the rear of the field after a first-lap collision but recovered to sixth to hold off Fernando Alonso, then at Ferrari, for a third successive title.

While a winner won't be crowned this coming Sunday, Norris and Piastri each have the opportunity to add their names to the list of legends that have produced career-defining performances in Brazil.

Formula 1's thrilling title race continues in Brazil with a Sprint weekend at the Sao Paulo Grand Prix from this Friday, live on Sky Sports F1. Stream Sky Sports with NOW - no contract, cancel anytime

read more