Lewis Hamilton to Start His 400th Grand Prix at Interlagos — Only the Second Driver in F1 History to Reach the Mark

SÃO PAULO — Lewis Hamilton is set to make his 400th Formula One grand prix start at this weekend's São Paulo Grand Prix at Interlagos, becoming only the second driver in the history of the sport to reach 400 starts. The race, on Sunday, 8 November 2026, is round 20 of the championship, and it comes at a circuit that has shaped his career more than almost any other — where he won his first world title, where he has won three times since, and where he was made an honorary Brazilian citizen in 2022.

Hamilton heads into the weekend with 399 entries and 399 starts, according to Formula One statistics reported by Reuters. He has started every grand prix he has ever been entered for, without a single Did Not Start. Only Fernando Alonso, who is set to line up in Brazil with 444 starts from 447 entries, stands ahead of him. When Hamilton takes the start on Sunday, he will join Alonso in a club of two.

The seven-time world champion said he never expected to reach such a number. "I definitely didn't anticipate I'd ever get to 400; I never thought about that," he said, according to Fox Sports Australia on 6 November. He recalled approaching 300 starts, when the prevailing view was that no driver had won a race after 300 grands prix. "I do remember I was approaching 300 and the narrative that everyone said, that no-one had won after 300 grands prix. I proved that wrong, so I'll have to do that after 400."

Illustration: A Formula 1 car in red livery at speed at sunset, ahead of Hamilton's 400th grand prix start at Interlagos.

What Happened

The build-up has been dominated by the milestone, but also by the unfinished business of a season that still has a battle to settle. Andrea Kimi Antonelli already clinched the 2026 drivers' championship in Mexico last weekend, so the title is no longer in play. What remains is second place. Max Verstappen is second, 119 points behind Antonelli, and Hamilton is third, just two points behind Verstappen. The fight for second is now the championship contest that matters most.

Hamilton arrives in São Paulo after a Mexican Grand Prix weekend that mixed a landmark with frustration. He took his record-extending 105th pole position in Mexico City, his first pole since Hungary in 2023, a gap of more than three years for a driver whose qualifying record is the best the sport has ever seen. The race did not follow the script pole had promised. An opening-lap clash with Ferrari teammate Charles Leclerc cost Ferrari a potential one-two, Hamilton finished second, and Verstappen won.

The incident has carried over into the São Paulo weekend. Hamilton said he would "never be silenced" and would not apologise for speaking his mind, and more discussions are needed within Ferrari before the team can move on. Leclerc flew home after Mexico for the birth of his first child and arrives in São Paulo on Friday, missing first practice, with talks between the two Ferrari drivers planned for Friday.

Alonso, the only other member of the 400 club, welcomed Hamilton into it at Thursday's FIA press conference. "Lewis obviously has had an incredible career in Formula One and 400 races, all of them in a very competitive position," the 45-year-old said, according to the FIA transcript of 5 November. It was a generous tribute from one of the sport's great survivors to another, and a reminder that longevity at the top is itself a rare achievement.

Hamilton's numbers underline why the milestone carries such weight. Alongside his 399 starts, he holds the records for race wins, with 106, and pole positions, with 105. He has also recorded 70 fastest laps, 209 podium finishes, 5,277.50 championship points and 5,530 laps led, according to Reuters on 4 November. They describe a driver who has not merely lasted in Formula One, but has spent almost his entire career at the front, winning races and fighting for championships.

Background

Interlagos has always occupied a special place in Hamilton's story. It was here, in 2008, that he won his first world title in dramatic last-corner fashion, a finish that remains one of the most famous in the sport's history. The title was decided on the final lap of the final race of the season, and the drama of that afternoon has bound him to the Brazilian circuit and its fans ever since.

He has since won the Brazilian race three more times, in 2016, 2018 and 2021. In 2022, the bond was formalised when he was made an honorary Brazilian citizen, an honour reflecting not only his results at Interlagos but the warmth with which he has always spoken about Brazil and its people.

Sunday will be the 43rd world championship grand prix held at Interlagos and the 53rd held in Brazil, according to Reuters. Four current drivers have won in Brazil: Hamilton, in 2016, 2018 and 2021; Verstappen, in 2019, 2023 and 2024; George Russell, in 2022; and Lando Norris, in 2025.

The headline figures are seven world championships, 106 wins and 105 poles. But the 399 starts without a single Did Not Start tell their own story about durability and preparation. To start every race entered, across almost twenty seasons in which illness, injury and mechanical failure can intervene at any moment, is a record of reliability that sits alongside the more celebrated records.

Illustration: Brazilian fans waving green and yellow flags in the grandstands at a grand prix circuit.

Hamilton is also looking ahead, not only backwards. He has hinted that he aims to race into the early 2030s so he can compete in a future African Grand Prix, a race that does not yet exist on the calendar but that he has spoken about as a goal worth waiting for. If he continues into the next decade, 400 starts will not be his final milestone.

For Brazil, the weekend carries its own significance. For the first time since 2016, when Felipe Massa and Felipe Nasr were both on the grid, Brazil has two home drivers at Interlagos. Gabriel Bortoleto is in his second season with Audi, joined by 21-year-old Rafael Camara, the Formula Two championship leader, making his grand prix debut for Haas after replacing Esteban Ocon. Camara races at Interlagos for the first time, and his debut in front of a home crowd is one of the weekend's most anticipated storylines.

Why It Matters

Reaching 400 starts matters because so few drivers ever come close. Formula One careers are short, and the physical demands, travel, pressure and competitiveness of the grid mean most drivers are gone long before 200 starts, let alone 400. Alonso's 444 starts have long looked like an outlier. Hamilton's arrival at 400 shows it can be matched, and places him in a category that, for now, contains only two names.

It matters, too, because of how Hamilton reached the mark — not in the midfield, but at the front, in cars capable of winning races and championships. His 106 wins from 399 starts mean he has won more than a quarter of the races he has started, a strike rate no other driver can match. His 105 poles, 209 podiums and 5,530 laps led describe a driver who has spent his career leading races, not merely taking part. This is a measure of sustained excellence, not simply time served.

The timing matters as well. Hamilton is 41, an age at which most drivers have long retired, yet he is still fighting for second in the championship, still taking poles, and still talking about racing into the early 2030s. His pole in Mexico, his first since Hungary 2023, showed the speed has not gone. His remark that he proved the doubters wrong after 300 starts, and will have to do so again after 400, suggests he sees the milestone as a challenge, not a farewell.

His stated aim of racing into the early 2030s to compete in a future African Grand Prix also points to a driver motivated by goals beyond personal records. A grand prix in Africa would be a landmark for the sport, and Hamilton's willingness to extend his career in pursuit of it shows how much the idea means to him.

Illustration: A racing driver in a red helmet holding a gold trophy aloft on the podium.

What Happens Next

The immediate focus is the race on Sunday, 8 November, when Hamilton will make his 400th start. Before then, Leclerc arrives in São Paulo on Friday, having missed first practice after flying home for the birth of his first child, and the planned talks between the two Ferrari drivers take place on Friday. How those conversations go will shape the mood inside the garage for the rest of the weekend.

On track, the battle for second in the championship will be the main storyline. Hamilton trails Verstappen by just two points, and with Antonelli's title secured, both will push hard to finish as best of the rest. A strong result in Brazil, where each has won three times, could swing the balance, and the remaining rounds will decide who comes out on top.

For Camara, the weekend is about a debut to remember. The 21-year-old Formula Two championship leader steps into the Haas vacated by Esteban Ocon at his home grand prix, at a circuit he has never raced at. A clean, competitive debut in front of a home crowd would be the perfect start to his Formula One career.

Beyond this weekend, Hamilton's future remains open. His hint about racing into the early 2030s and his desire for a future African Grand Prix suggest retirement is not on his immediate agenda. He proved the doubters wrong after 300 starts, he said, and he will have to do the same after 400. The next chapter begins at Interlagos on Sunday.

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FAQ

When will Lewis Hamilton make his 400th Formula One start?

Hamilton is set to make his 400th grand prix start at the São Paulo Grand Prix at Interlagos on Sunday, 8 November 2026, round 20 of the championship. He will become only the second driver in Formula One history to reach 400 starts, after Fernando Alonso.

Who is the only other driver to have reached 400 grand prix starts?

Fernando Alonso is the only other driver to have reached 400 starts. The 45-year-old has 444 starts from 447 entries heading to Brazil, and he welcomed Hamilton into the "400 club" at Thursday's FIA press conference.

What are Lewis Hamilton's career statistics heading into the São Paulo Grand Prix?

Heading into Brazil, Hamilton has 399 entries and 399 starts, with no Did Not Start in his career. His records include 106 wins, 105 poles, 70 fastest laps, 209 podiums, 5,277.50 points and 5,530 laps led, according to Reuters.

Why is Interlagos special for Lewis Hamilton?

Interlagos is where Hamilton won his first world title in 2008, in dramatic last-corner fashion on the final lap of the final race. He has also won the Brazilian race in 2016, 2018 and 2021, and was made an honorary Brazilian citizen in 2022.

Who is fighting for second place in the 2026 drivers' championship?

Andrea Kimi Antonelli already clinched the 2026 title in Mexico, so the fight is for second. Max Verstappen is second, 119 points behind Antonelli, and Hamilton is third, two points behind Verstappen. Hamilton finished second in Mexico after a clash with teammate Charles Leclerc, while Verstappen won.

Sources

• Reuters, "Hamilton set for 400th F1 start in Brazil as second driver to reach mark," 5 November 2026.
• Crash.net, "Lewis Hamilton set for 400th F1 start at São Paulo Grand Prix," 5 November 2026.
• RacingNews365, "Hamilton to join Alonso in exclusive 400-race club at Brazilian GP," 4 November 2026.
• FIA press conference transcript, São Paulo Grand Prix, 5 November 2026.
• Fox Sports Australia, "Hamilton reflects on 400th grand prix milestone ahead of Brazil," 6 November 2026.
• Reuters, Formula One career statistics — Lewis Hamilton, 4 November 2026.