Ana Castela to sing Brazil’s national anthem at São Paulo F1 GP By Luís Henrique Costa
3 min read
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The organizers of the São Paulo Grand Prix announced on Thursday, October 29, that Ana Castela, a 22-year-old singer of sertanejo, Brazil’s country-style music, will perform the national anthem before the Formula 1 race. The performance is set for Sunday, November 8, 2026, at the Autódromo José Carlos Pace, known as Interlagos, in the south zone of São Paulo. The singer, born in Amambai, Mato Grosso do Sul, will sing on the asphalt of the starting grid, minutes before the red lights come on.
Ana Castela started her career in 2021 with the song “Boiadeira”, which gave her the nickname she is known by. National fame arrived the following year with “Pipoco”, recorded with Melody. According to the Grand Prix, she now has 8 billion streams and 11.3 million monthly listeners on Spotify.
The announcement closes weeks of planning between the race organizers and the singer’s team. The goal was to match the anthem’s sound to the international broadcast of Formula 1.
Ana Castela said in a video that she was happy to sing at the race and invited fans to come before the start. In a statement, she called the invitation a major milestone: “Singing the national anthem in front of the crowd at Interlagos and for millions of people around the world is a huge honor for my career.”
Three days of concerts at the Kartódromo Ayrton Senna
A parallel entertainment area will operate at the Kartódromo Ayrton Senna, next to the Interlagos complex. It will host sponsor activations, food areas and live shows across the three days of track activity.
- Friday, November 6: João Gomes and rapper Matuê
- Saturday, November 7: rock band Os Paralamas do Sucesso
- Sunday, November 8: singer Iza, closing the track activities
The structure was planned to receive spectators right after the sporting heats. It adds entertainment to the 20th round of the world championship.
Antonelli secures 2026 title before São Paulo race
São Paulo is the 20th of 23 rounds on the 2026 calendar set by the International Automobile Federation (FIA). Italian Andrea Kimi Antonelli, of Mercedes, won the drivers’ championship at the Mexico City Grand Prix, held from October 30 to November 1, 2026. He finished third behind Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton and became the youngest world champion in F1 history.
Before that race, the calculation gave Antonelli a 98.8% chance of securing the title in Mexico. The title is now decided, so the São Paulo race is the first Grand Prix since his coronation.
The weekend has no sprint race and follows the traditional format. Three practice sessions and qualifying take place before the 71-lap main race.
- Friday, November 6: first practice at 12:30 and second at 16:00, Brasília time
- Saturday, November 7: third practice at 11:30 and qualifying at 15:00, Brasília time
- Sunday, November 8: race at 14:00, Brasília time
The circuit measures 4.309 km, and the race covers 71 laps, a total distance of 305.879 km. Saturday’s qualifying sets the grid for the Sunday race.
