Motor racing in Brazil predates the Second World War, with early events held on the Gávea street circuit from 1934. Interlagos, the first permanent autodrome, opened in 1940. The inaugural 1972 Grand Prix was a non-championship event used to prove the circuit's credentials to the FIA; the first official championship race followed in 1973, won by Emerson Fittipaldi. Due to complaints about the rough Interlagos surface, the event moved to the Jacarepaguá circuit in Rio de Janeiro in 1978, where Carlos Reutemann secured the first Formula One victory for Michelin tyres. Through the 1980s the race was held primarily in Rio, where Alain Prost earned the nickname "the King of Rio" by winning five times. The event returned to a shortened and renovated Interlagos in 1990 and has remained there since. In November 2020 a contract was signed to keep Formula One at Interlagos until 2025 under the title of São Paulo Grand Prix.
The 2021 São Paulo Grand Prix, held on 14 November, was the 19th round of the 2021 Formula One World Championship and the 49th edition of the event. It was the first running under the São Paulo Grand Prix name. The weekend also marked Kimi Räikkönen's 350th Grand Prix entry, making him the first Formula One driver to reach that milestone.
The weekend was shaped by a series of significant incidents. Lewis Hamilton was disqualified from qualifying after his Mercedes was found to have a DRS opening gap larger than the permitted 85 mm, forcing him to start the sprint race from twentieth place. Hamilton recovered to fifth in the sprint. He then received a further five-place grid penalty for the main race for exceeding his internal combustion engine allocation, starting from tenth. Valtteri Bottas started the main race from pole after winning the sprint, with Max Verstappen alongside him. Verstappen was separately fined €50,000 after appearing to touch Hamilton's car during parc fermé.
In the race itself Hamilton charged through the field and passed Verstappen for the lead, going on to win. Verstappen finished second and Bottas third. Sergio Pérez set the fastest lap on the final lap, in 1:11.010. The result extended Mercedes' lead over Red Bull in the Constructors' Championship, though Verstappen remained 14 points ahead of Hamilton in the Drivers' standings after 19 races. Weather was sunny and attendance was recorded at 181,000.
The race has continued to generate defining moments. Its contract was extended through 2030. The São Paulo Grand Prix remains one of the most consistently dramatic events on the Formula One calendar, reflecting both its storied past and the atmosphere generated by its passionate Brazilian crowd.