F1 Brazil GP: Lando Norris leads Oscar Piastri in McLaren 1-2 in FP1

Norris, who has been in scintillating form recently, demonstrated his intent by topping the session, building on a period where he has consistently outperformed many of his rivals. This strong showing comes after a couple of challenging weekends for his Australian teammate, Oscar Piastri, in Austin and Mexico, where the rookie encountered various difficulties that blunted his momentum. However, Piastri’s performance in São Paulo’s FP1 suggested a swift return to form, as he closely matched Norris throughout the session, indicating a competitive intra-team battle is likely to unfold over the weekend. For Piastri, a strong showing in Brazil could be crucial in rebuilding confidence and momentum as the season approaches its conclusion. McLaren, as a team, has undergone a remarkable transformation, consistently challenging the front-runners and often securing podium finishes, a stark contrast to their early-season struggles.

The crucial one-hour practice session at the Autódromo José Carlos Pace commenced following a slight delay due to track clean-up operations. Such delays, while minor, take on amplified significance during a sprint weekend format, where teams are afforded only a single practice opportunity to fine-tune car setups and gather vital data before competitive sessions begin. With Sprint Qualifying immediately following FP1, every minute of track time is invaluable for engineers and drivers to optimize their packages for both the sprint race and Sunday’s main Grand Prix.

Early running saw teams predominantly utilize Pirelli’s C2 compound, the hardest tyre available for the Interlagos weekend. This initial phase is typically dedicated to baseline setup work and understanding how the car behaves on a full fuel load. McLaren’s pairing quickly asserted their presence at the top of the timesheets, engaging in a fluid exchange of fastest laps with Mercedes’ George Russell and reigning world champion Max Verstappen of Red Bull Racing. Verstappen, who has already secured his fourth consecutive World Championship title this season, often uses FP1 for alternative testing programs, sometimes not revealing his true pace until later in the weekend. Russell, meanwhile, has been a consistent performer for Mercedes, frequently demonstrating strong single-lap pace on Fridays.

The session was not without incident. In the Red Bull sister car (VCARB01, formerly AlphaTauri), Yuki Tsunoda experienced a significant off at Turn 4, known as Curva do Sol, after an aggressive snap of oversteer exiting Turn 3. The Japanese driver’s car sustained damage to both its front and rear wings after clipping the barriers, necessitating repairs. This incident was particularly costly for Tsunoda, as lost track time in a sprint weekend severely hampers a driver’s ability to prepare adequately. The situation is compounded by ongoing speculation regarding his future with the Red Bull family for the upcoming 2025 season, making every session critical for demonstrating his capabilities. Ironically, Verstappen later had a similar moment at the same corner but managed to recover his RB19 without any apparent damage, highlighting his exceptional car control.

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George Russell maintained his position at the top for a considerable portion of the session, setting a benchmark lap of 1m11.188s on the hard tyres with approximately 15 minutes remaining. During this mid-session phase, many teams focused on longer runs, prioritizing data collection on tyre degradation and fuel consumption, which is essential for strategy planning across the sprint and main race distances. The Interlagos circuit, with its undulating nature and high-speed sections, places significant demands on tyres, making this data crucial.

As the session entered its final quarter, a strategic shift occurred across the pit lane. Teams began to switch to the C3 medium compound tyres, which are designated for the initial phases of Sprint Qualifying (SQ1 and SQ2). This move allowed drivers to conduct crucial one-lap simulations, replicating the conditions they would face in the upcoming competitive session. Yuki Tsunoda, after swift repairs by his team, rejoined the action, notably opting for the soft C4 compound for his return to the track, attempting to maximize his limited remaining time.

Williams driver Alex Albon was among the first to capitalize on the medium tyres, displacing Russell from the top spot with a lap of 1m11.004s. This improvement served as a precursor to a cascade of faster lap times as more drivers bolted on the softer compounds and the track continued to rubber in, offering increased grip. Russell briefly reclaimed the lead, only to be surpassed by Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz, who demonstrated the Maranello team’s potential.

However, it was the McLaren duo who truly found another gear in the closing minutes. Oscar Piastri initially surged ahead, posting a 1m10.193s, nearly three-tenths faster than his teammate at that point. Piastri’s pace was exceptional, as he topped all three sectors of the historic Interlagos track, signaling a strong return to form after his recent setbacks. He further improved on his final flying lap, dipping below the 1m10s barrier with a 1m09.998s, appearing set to conclude the session at the summit.

Yet, Lando Norris mounted a final, decisive effort. On his medium tyre run, he edged out Piastri by a mere 0.012 seconds, setting a blistering 1m09.975s. This left both McLarens as the only cars to break the 1m10s threshold, firmly establishing their dominance in the initial practice session. The incredibly tight margin between the two drivers underscores both the competitiveness within the team and the formidable package McLaren has developed.

Surprisingly, Sauber’s Nico Hulkenberg secured third position, albeit a significant six-tenths adrift of Norris’s pace. This was a strong showing for the Swiss team, which typically operates in the midfield. Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso followed in fourth, demonstrating his characteristic ability to extract maximum performance from his machinery. Splitting Hulkenberg and Alonso’s teammate was Gabriel Bortoleto in fifth. The young Brazilian rookie, a Mercedes junior driver, was making his F1 weekend debut in FP1 for Aston Martin, carrying the weight of home expectations as the first Brazilian driver to participate in a São Paulo Grand Prix session in eight years. His impressive performance on home soil will undoubtedly have caught the attention of team principals and fans alike.

George Russell ultimately finished sixth, followed by Alpine’s Pierre Gasly and Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz, who had shown promise earlier. The top 10 was rounded out by two more rookie drivers making their FP1 appearances: Isack Hadjar, an emerging talent from the Red Bull junior program, and Andrea Kimi Antonelli, a highly-touted Mercedes protégé, both gaining invaluable experience on a Grand Prix weekend.

Reigning world champion Max Verstappen had a notably low-key session, finishing down in 17th position. After an early off at Turn 4, he abandoned his final soft-tyre flying lap, electing not to set a representative qualifying simulation time. This approach, common for Verstappen in FP1, often muddies the competitive picture and leaves rivals guessing about Red Bull’s true performance heading into qualifying. Similarly, the Ferrari duo of Charles Leclerc and Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton also found themselves towards the back of the field, in 18th and 19th respectively, having evidently focused on different test programs or not completed a full qualifying simulation on the softer compounds. Yuki Tsunoda, impacted by his earlier crash, finished last in 20th.

The focus now shifts immediately to Sprint Qualifying, which is scheduled to commence at 15:30 local Brazilian time (18:30 GMT). This critical session will determine the starting grid for Saturday’s 24-lap sprint race, setting the stage for an intense weekend of racing at Interlagos.

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Jonas Leo: Jonas Leo is a passionate motorsport journalist and lifelong Formula 1 enthusiast. With a sharp eye for race strategy and driver performance, he brings readers closer to the world of Grand Prix racing through in-depth analysis, breaking news, and exclusive paddock insights. Jonas has covered everything from preseason testing to dramatic title deciders, capturing the emotion and precision that define modern F1. When he’s not tracking lap times or pit stop tactics, he enjoys exploring classic racing archives and writing about the evolution of F1 technology.