F1 in Brazil: You’ve got to keep your tires alive

In sports, a “dead rubber” is a match that takes place after the outcome of the series or championship has already been decided. The people in charge hate this*—if you wrap up a title two-thirds of the way through a season, the viewers evaporate, as there’s nothing left at stake. But anyone who decided to skip this year’s Brazilian Grand Prix this past weekend missed one of the year’s most entertaining races, as a combination of a mixed-up starting order, some very fast drivers at the back, and a wet track that dried and then saw rain again resulted in action aplenty.

A peculiarity of F1 is that even if you manage to win a championship, there’s no guarantee you’ll be in a position to defend it. Take McLaren’s Lando Norris, who took the crown in 2025 after a nail-biting fight with his teammate Oscar Piastri and Red Bull’s Max Verstappen. …